U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 3, 1998

Laura Davies

LAURA DAVIES: Yes, birdie on No. 2, I hit a really different tee shot. Only hole I used driver on today; let it get out to the right a bit. Hit a nice 3-iron about -- just short of the green about 11 yards away, sand iron to four feet; holed that. Then we had a ludicrous wait on No. 5. We sat there for about three groups which was about 30 minutes thinking about that hole. Hit a good tee shot - not a long tee shot - but, nonetheless, in the fairway. And then turned a 4-iron over, which wasn't that bad a deal; just left of the green, really good lie in the bunker; managed to throw it right over the green into the water hazard; took a drop there, then 2-putts for the double-bogey. Straight back at the next with a birdie, hit a 9-iron to about, I suppose, about 15 feet, made that one on No. 6. Then on 7, hit 3-iron off the tee; left myself what was a wedge, for my second shot. The siren went off. We had to stop. By the time I came back, it was 8-iron because while that storm was moving and the wind changed on us, hit 8-iron -- hit good one, just went through the green, hit a very poor chip, and missed the putt, so, bogey there. Then I think it was pars all the way until No. 11, hit a good tee shot straight up the middle, and - is that right? Was in a divot, and didn't really worry me, but I hit a wedge out in the divot from about 130 yards and it went right through the back of -- not through the green, but about 30, 40 feet past. Then I had obviously a very long putt, hit what I thought was a good first putt; stopped about seven feet short, and missed the second putt, so that was a very disappointing bogey there.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah.

LAURA DAVIES: It tricked us with distance because I had hit the perfect shot. The idea was to hit a punch-draw with the wedge; instead of going 132, it went 142. More like 152, actually.

LAURA DAVIES: 14, I mean, I hit really -- didn't hit a very good tee shot, down there in the rough, which you don't need to be. And then hit a sand iron, second shot, pitched about two yards short of the green, perfect, took -- I have no idea what I hit, rolled up along the green, still was all right; still managed to go in the water hazard. It was the most incredible bad break I have seen for a while. So I had to take a drop there, but I mean, that water cuts right into the green, so I dropped it on the edge of the green and 2-putts for a bogey there. And then 17, most disappointing hole today, hit a decent 9-iron to about 25 feet, which that pin was tucked. It was a sucker-pin today. I decided I would be sensible just get in the house at even par for the tournament, and managed to 3-putt, the worst 3-putt I have had of the week. The one on 11 was fair enough. It was from 45, 50 feet, but that one was way too close to be 3-putting it. Great par at 18. Hit a bad tee shot into the left-hand side, and all I could do was advance it about 50 yards and then hit my approach wedge to about 8 feet; hit a real sliding putt and that -- I am happy. That one that made the difference between being pretty grumpy at this point and being pretty satisfied, so I am glad one went in.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, I just decided -- I didn't sleep all that well last night. I was worrying about today, and thinking -- I was thinking about the cut, stupid, you know, won 52 times and here I am worrying about a cut from a leading position. That is what this game is all about. It works on your mind. And, by the time we got on the first tee, I was in a bit of a frenzy worrying about this, that, and the other. Then I decided: I just got to get out and play. That is what I did. Unfortunately the double-bogey wakes me up again and made me start worrying again. It wasn't that bad a day. 4-over is a horrible round, you would have thought, but four shots back, two days to go.

LAURA DAVIES: I am happy now. I have missed a good few cuts lately. I am going into Saturday and Sunday now - I just feel really happy that I have got a chance to win the Open and there is no more nerves. Now I have got over that horrible tee shot on 18 with a good -- I just feel very pleased to be out there having a go at it now.

LAURA DAVIES: I have no idea. You know, good question. I suppose because it means so much to me and missing cuts has really been hurting me lately and it just -- if you are not a professional golfer, I mean, it is difficult to get the feeling of what missing a cut does to you. And missing four of the last five tournaments over here, it just tears you completely apart and it destroys all your confidence and that is all you are thinking about. So, I suppose, even though I shot 3-under, I was -- still mentally I am thinking something bad has to happen, because nothing good has happened all year; so why all of a sudden is something good going to happen this week. I got over that hurdle today and I am only four shots back. I am pretty happy with that position.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, I mean, absolutely. I played with her in Korea, and she won by, I think, 9 shots the week we played. And, I actually didn't play all that well that week, but, nonetheless, I couldn't keep up with her on the particular golf course we played. The fairways were not much wider than this microphone. She is hitting driver, driver - most incredible display of nerves I have ever seen in all my life. So yeah, I had absolutely no problem predicting a big future for her.

LAURA DAVIES: I think the thing is that the greens are just getting harder and harder. It is as simple as that. The fairways are generous. I think I missed two fairways today instead of one that I missed yesterday. And they were still generous. But, hitting into the greens, I mean, I have hit a couple of really good shots today and I have left myself really, really difficult -- but -- you know, two-putts for par. That is the only reason I can give. I mean, Annika, I have seen do the same thing, certainly Patty Sheehan hit a lot of good shots; just left them where she made bogies. That is my only explanation. I think it is going to get tougher. I think level par will win.

LAURA DAVIES: Absolutely. I would have been going -- going for No. 14 years ago, I would have been trying to drive the hole; let alone hit a 4-iron off the tee. Eventually, it gets you start thinking, the worse thing you could do as a golfer is think. That is -- the older you get -- this experience thing, I don't agree with it.

LAURA DAVIES: Future? A lot of torment; a lot of misery, probably, but -- (laughter) -- hopefully a few championships thrown in. Because if you are good, eventually you can rise above it and you can get on another good streak. That is why I think you see so many young players doing so well in golf because, you know, it is that sort of game where eventually it gets to you. You do have sleepless nights. I don't remember having sleepless nights when I am trying to win tournaments.

LAURA DAVIES: I think I have got to if I want to win again. Like I can't tell you the difference, I feel -- I shot 4-over today and I feel happier today than I did yesterday. So just -- I have just -- I have made the cut. And I am ready to go now and I fancy my chances; whereas yesterday, I still had that mental block of making the cut. So you just got to keep -- well, if you could just rip your brain out of your head and sit it outside your head at night; put it back in the morning, you would be okay. I am -- it is those hours in between where you have got to think about everything.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, I think that is for everybody because I mean, I spin it is as much as anybody. You can just -- cannot spin it on these greens. I have tried to on a couple, we have gone too far. So I don't necessarily think it will make it any easier. We will just have to see. You have -- you need a bit of luck to win this one. I think obviously Se Ri is playing well and Lotte, they are playing extremely well, under par, you still need a bit of luck and get on the right side of the hole.

LAURA DAVIES: Turn into it into a par 3 - that is about all they could have done. It is a great hole. I walked about 10 miles up there, I was pacing around like a caged animal, I was under 1-under and missed a chance for 4 on birdie. That is the worst thing that could have happened to me personally. Nothing I can do, just a great hole. We have all got to play it. I think stroke-average on that hole today was probably over 5. Certainly I contributed with a double.

LAURA DAVIES: She has got nothing to lose. She is 20. She is going to play in 20 more Opens. Probably the rest of us are counting down how many more Opens we are going to play. If it doesn't work out for her this time - that is the way I used to think when I was came out here and started playing, if it doesn't happen this year, I will win it next year, and so on and so forth. So, I think she will be very tough to beat. I think the course is the thing that is going to stop her from going too far in under par. It will be -- if you are one shot ahead of her, you will probably be holding the trophy.

LAURA DAVIES: No real point because I am hitting, you know, 7-irons and 8-irons and 9-iron and wedges off the - 3-iron, so -- sort of course where you are just going to make yourself problems by missing fairway -- I shouldn't hopefully miss too many fairways with my 3-iron and what is the point hitting a wedge because hitting wedges into these particular greens is no great thing. The shot you want to hit is probably a seven or eight iron, and pitch it just short; let it run up to release up to the pin. So, no, I don't think the driver is necessary. When we had the rain delay, 10 was down -- before we had the rain delay, 10 was downwind, so I am thinking, I am going at 10 today, by the time we get around there, it is gailing into us and then it changed again for 16. It was gailing into us again. So, if 10 and 16 are downwind at all then, yeah, maybe I am going to go because I want to. But no point hitting driver on those when I can't get up anyway.