DU MAURIER CLASSIC

July 30, 1999

Laura Davies

LAURA DAVIES: Yes, it was good. We were just sort of -- I was feeding off early, early on she got off to a quick start, birdied the first. I came back with a couple on, well, it was about 10, I birdied 11 and 12, and it went on from there. Se Ri was playing very well. She didn't make as many putts as we made. We finished up there 66 and 65 which I consider a really tough golf course that's one of the better rounds I have ever played. And I am sure Dawn feels the same.

LAURA DAVIES: Very happy. I putted well, drove it well. My irons into the greens haven't been right down the stick, but they have been good distance. Give me a lot of 10-, 15-, 20-foot birdie putts all day long. Didn't have a bogey, which is nice. Birdie on 11, hit 7-iron to about eight feet. Holed the putt there. Birdie on 12. Hit really good drive, and left me a 5-iron, which I hit to about 30 feet. Rolled the first putt up to about a foot, and tapped that in for the birdie. Then on 18, hit not a great drive, but good enough. Then hit good 7-iron up pin-high in the rough. Didn't draw a very good lie. But managed to hit a really good chip to about six inches, so that was a nice little tap-in in there. 3, birdied, 6-iron in, hit that to about 25, 35 feet. Ran the putt up stiff. So that was another birdie. No. 5, hit good drive, 3-wood, just through the back edge. Again, hit a decent sort of chip, because this rough is sort of horrendous around the back, especially I was chipping down the downslope, eight, ten feet past. Made that putt. Hit a 9-iron into the next to about 20 feet; holed that.

LAURA DAVIES: Absolutely, yeah. They are long par 5s too. I know, depending on the wind direction, obviously, the ball is going a bit further. But, I mean, No. 9, which we have just finished on there, that is two of my very best hits, just short of pin-high. Unfortunately, didn't birdie the hole. It is nice to have par 5s where I go for them, and maybe some of the others can't.

LAURA DAVIES: Last one 292, apparently. So I'd say that was a good one. I hit one on the measuring hole, I think, about 300, that was downwind on No. 12. It is going probably 10% further, I would say. Certainly sort of half a club to a club longer. So if ever we are between, we go for one less.

LAURA DAVIES: That is what someone told me, 292. Other one on the measuring hole was just over 300, I think. I didn't pace it off or anything. Seemed well past the 280.

LAURA DAVIES: Well, I am not still not hitting driver because the rough is so severe. Game plan this week, no matter what club, we are hitting into the greens; that is why I didn't make any bogeys today - missed one fairway the first, I hit my 3-iron in the bunker even; that is better than the fairway bunkers - normally dreaded part of the golf course, fairway bunkers, but you'd rather be in them than the rough because you have to thrash the ball. I have actually missed the fairway yesterday. I put myself in a bit of trouble. It is 3-iron off the tee; then driver on all the par 5s apart from No. 3.

LAURA DAVIES: Absolutely. I think this is what our courses should be, basically, week-in and week-out because the players are really good now and you should be punished for an errant tee shot. I missed more fairways than most. I think my driving accuracy stat, I am about 200th. I should be calling for lower rough, but I'd rather see the high rough and really make people have to pull some shots off because the scoring will still be good. If everyone is frightened of the scoring this just shows that we can play no matter what the conditions.

LAURA DAVIES: I was one of the ones shooting 18-under. That course is always exactly the same, really tough, and Dottie just went completely bizirk, you can't -- that was just a one-off week at the Dinah Shore. We had perfect weather as I remember, but certainly the U.S. Open, yeah, that was disappointing, really disappointing, and McDonald's, again, Juli went completely crazy. The course set up very similar to what it normally is; only difference at McDonald's, it was a month later so the course was a bit shorter.

LAURA DAVIES: No, not really. Talk about the way you are playing because you don't want to jinx yourself and certainly don't want to jinx your partner. Generally chatting and it is just nice when everyone is happy. Se Ri was getting unlucky out there so she wasn't too cheerful half the time. It is fun when you are playing well and your opponent - everyone is hitting it well; not looking for balls; not waiting around for them to hack it out of trouble, it is a nice sort of relaxed game of golf really.

LAURA DAVIES: Makes it easier when you are playing well.

LAURA DAVIES: That is the thing, it's the fact that I am playing well and scoring well and second in Germany last week; 6th in New York, hopefully keep going this week and try to get another Top-10 finish or better. And then off to Scotland next week and if you are missing cuts and finishing 30th, 40th, then all of a sudden those airplane rides are getting really annoying. When things are going well -- I am playing in the tournaments I want to play in, so I wouldn't have miss this for the world. I wouldn't have wanted to miss Germany having said I'd play in it. So the schedule's just what it has been this year. I don't think I will do it again next year, but you just got to get on with it, grin and bear it.

LAURA DAVIES: Last 5 weeks, this is my third one. So it is pretty crazy. This year I have no idea, got to be up to 8 already, I'd say.

LAURA DAVIES: Probably not. No.

LAURA DAVIES: Because I don't think it ever will. I don't think it necessarily needs to. I don't think it necessarily probably should rival. I mean, we are the best women golfers in the word and they are the best golfers in the world. That is the way I have always looked at it. They get rewarded very well, but I think we do as well. It would be great to play for the same prize money, but I am certainly not going to whine about it because we do very well.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, that is basically what this course is for me this week. We have got -- par 5s this week, I can reach every single one of them. I laid up on 9 yesterday. I didn't even go for it because it was into the wind, so I couldn't have got over in two on my best. Other than that, we have got chances for potential eagle putts, so, that is why I have got to play for -- I have got to the play sensible on the par 5s and par 3s depending on where they put the pins. If they have got a few -- there were a few chances today, but they can always put them where you have got absolutely no chance getting even close to it. So you just got to be sensible, try not to shoot yourself in the foot on the 3s and 4s and make it on the 5s; that is what I did today. I was 4-under on them and a little unlucky not to be 5-under because a yard left coming in on 18, not have an eagle putt.

LAURA DAVIES: I mean, this is one of my favorite ones. I mean, I forgot the name of the course I won at, probably shouldn't have - that was a very good course. Also the one in Vancouver was very good. Edmonton Country Club, that was it. That was very -- obviously that is my favorite one because having done so well around there. That often taints your view on it, but the one in Vancouver we used to play, I enjoyed playing there. But then I think this one is probably my next favorite one -- it will be my most favorite one if I shoot two more 66s.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, I mean Juli, Dawn, probably a few others are going to shoot a good round this afternoon and be in contention. You shouldn't really key on one player because then you probably lose sight of what you are trying to do, so just try and -- I mean, I am a great leaderboard watcher so I will be watching the board. Obviously if I had to suggest something now, I'd want to be one shot in front of Juli on Sunday afternoon because I think that will probably win. Having said that, I am not going to worry about every time Juli holes a putt because you can't get like that. She will do what she will do and the rest of us will do what we will do. It is difficult. It is a fine line.

LAURA DAVIES: No, she is happy. She has got family travelling with her; having a great time. I think it is -- probably a confidence level couldn't be higher. I know for myself, when my confidence is high, you feel invincible. I am sure she thinks she will win this week and the way she's started I have every reason to believe that.