U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 1, 1998

Laura Davies

LAURA DAVIES: Never. No.

LAURA DAVIES: I think like all the players are probably saying, it is very special. You always get a great a great golf course. This is probably one of the best U.S. Open courses I have ever seen for my game, for sure. It is very generous off the tee which is good for me and then it is a high percentage in accuracy with your irons into the green and I always pride myself on being pretty good with my irons. So I like the way the course sets up. Like I say, it is great to be back on fast, big undulating greens.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, I think there is a lot of par -- I have been saying all year that we don't play enough courses with holes of 400 yard par 4 plus and I think we have got 4 or 5 this week. And I played a practice round yesterday and saw some woods being hit into the par 4s. I think that is great.

LAURA DAVIES: No, that is why I think it is great. (laughter) I was hitting irons into them all and I can reach two of the par 5s - I think the 10th is probably a little bit long. I maybe can get close with driver, driver but the other two are certainly in range. I don't think a lot of the other girls can get there. So it seems like it sets up well, but it is all basically at the end of the day down who is going to make a few putts at the crucial times as usual.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, I had hit a tee shot yesterday, and I pulled it about five yards off the fairway; hacked out a sand iron, only went about 15, 20 yards, then hit a 5-iron onto the green. So, although it is long, the tee shot is downhill and the second shot really with the wind -- having said that, the wind was down yesterday. If it is into the wind, I probably won't even hit a driver off the tee because if you can't get there, there is enough trouble around where you wouldn't want to put yourself out of play on a par 5 if you couldn't get there anyway.

LAURA DAVIES: That is a very, very good hole. We all got tricked yesterday. We were playing a Skins games. There was a few Skins running onto that one. We all went for the flag. You can't do that because it catches the swell and goes right down away from the pin. If that pin is up front right or even on the middle of the green you have to send it out right of the flag and not take your par, but at least give yourself a 20-foot birdie putt but not try to take it on because left in the water which we all nearly did is no target at all.

LAURA DAVIES: Well, I like it, sets up really well. I can hit my 3-iron on the bunker on right and turn it over like I did yesterday. It left a very easy 6-iron in. Probably I think if I hit a really good 3-iron, I can go in there with as little as seven or eight. I like the hole because it -- any hole that is a right-to-left hole, I love hitting my 3-iron because it seems to go miles when I turn it over. That hole, although it is scary, a good tee shot takes all the trouble out.

LAURA DAVIES: I am a massive football fan, England fan, basically, and very depressed after we lost. We went to a bar and we were just about to watch, it we had our lunch, a couple of beers on the table. Then the satellite went out. Then we ran to the hotel because this was like a five-minute walk ran; back to the hotel; got the car keys; got in a car; went to another place, that satellite was down; went to another place; finally found it. By then we were one nil down. Then we go 2 one up and then --

LAURA DAVIES: There was me, Trish Johnson and Paul Clifford, my caddie, and the three of us were trying to find the others we knew there was a lot of English here but because of the satellite situation, we lost touch with everybody. We were going mad. When Campbell scored that goal, as far as I was concerned, we had won the match. Then the referee disallowed it. Then of course it goes onto a penalty and England doesn't seem to get any luck in World Cup, European Championship, I don't know why.

LAURA DAVIES: There is no Argentinians in the field. We already looked.

LAURA DAVIES: It is not because -- I won't hit driver not because of the fairways not being wide enough, although, I mean, the rough is there, don't get me wrong. If you miss the fairway badly enough, you are in real trouble. If you find your ball -- that one I missed down 16. I nearly stepped on it to find it. And you can get tough lies. But the holes aren't long enough to warrant hitting driver and risk it. So I'll probably only use my driver -- like I said, if I can reach No. 2 and No. 16, it will come out. There is couple of par 4s there. No. 17, a good hole, I hit driver there. No. 12 again -- no, No. 13, the one around the corner, really quite long hole, I can cut the hole with the driver. So depending on the wind and depending on the situations, I might use it as little as four times but as many as maybe eight times depending on if it's needed. It is always there if I need it. But my 3-iron goes sort of 220 to 250, and that is going to be enough. You just have to hit fairways; hit greens. The rough is long enough. I think anyone who thinks the rough is not playing tough might be found out a bit because if you go for too much you are going to pay the penalty.

LAURA DAVIES: The two I played with I played with, Hackney and Trish Johnson yesterday and certainly I think Lisa didn't quite catch the drive and Trish put hers in the rough. Neither of them could get there. I hit driver, 6-iron and it really wasn't a problem. Obviously I am lucky that I can get it onto the downslope to get the extra 20 yards. I mean, not to be able to reach a par 4, it's never really happened to me before. None of these are long enough out there where I think it will happen this week. Unless we have got gale forced winds of course.

LAURA DAVIES: I think if you can carry it 250, then you can get an extra 20 yards. If you can only hit it like in the air 230, then you are going to hit and stop. That is just the way we saw it when we were walking down yesterday. Paul and I were deciding on a good angle to come into the pin. That is a very clever designed hole. I think that is one of my favorite holes out there.

LAURA DAVIES: Ally is a sort of player -- she has not been well this year, couple of weeks she had to miss and then she has been working very, very hard which I don't think people know for the European Tour; that is why she didn't play a lot earlier in the year which is very commendable. All the European players appreciate the hard work she has put in. But it might have taken a little bit away from her competitive edge. But, an Open course is the sort of course where Ally can excel. She proved it last year. She has had other good U.S. Opens as I recall over the years. And she is the sort of player who can win a tournament with her putter. I'd never count Ally out, but on the other hand, she has not given herself a great chance. But, maybe is that is good, maybe defending a U.S. Open - I have done it once before. It is a lot of pressure and maybe she has worked it out just right where she comes in with no expectations. I think I saw in her interview yesterday, she said she wasn't expecting anything last year either. Certainly, like you say, if I can't win it, Hackney or Ally or Trish, it would be great to see one of them win.

LAURA DAVIES: I think, first and foremost, it is very long. The greens, like I say, are very, very difficult. Just hitting a green is not good enough this week. You have to hit the right level. You have to decide which side of the pin you want to putt from. I hit a shot into 10 yesterday, very reasonable 9-iron for my third shot, I had about 15, 20 foot of break. We had a look around that green and decided on hopefully all the pin positions we were guessing at where we want to hit the ball to. It is just that sort of golf course; not particularly demanding off the tee, but into the green, it really is. I think that is where it is at its toughest. You have got to think for 18 holes.

LAURA DAVIES: I think they are quite similar. They remind me a bit of Indian Wood where we have had the Open there twice; where I think Patti Sheehan won it once and Betsy King. It is that sort of same sort of feel to it. You have got wide open fairways with rolling hills. I think that is similar to that, but they are very different to places like Oakmont, for instance, which were a lot smaller greens and just a different style of golf course. I think it is a great mixture. It is an unusual course for Pete Dye, I think.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, because, like I said, I think it demands accuracy into greens. I have always thought I am pretty accurate with my irons. So, I think, you know, it is a funny Open. It looks like you should go out there and shoot 8, 10-under and win this tournament, but I don't think it is going to happen somehow. For some reason, I think it is one of those courses that is going to lull you in. You have got to be on your guard all the time. If you make 72 pars, you might well win it.

LAURA DAVIES: Well, before this year, I was pretty pleased with it. This year has been a bit of a struggle on the greens and I have hit bad shots at bad times, but overall, 52 wins worldwide, 16 over here and that obviously includes four Majors, you know, I would be a mug not to be really pleased with it. So I'd have to say I am pleased, but you are never satisfied, but pleased.

LAURA DAVIES: Nothing really. I just turned pro and it was a big adventure and off I went. I was never thinking about major championships or British Opens or U.S. Opens, just to play and have fun. That is basically all I was thinking about and just trying to make a living, really. Then all of a sudden, it becomes a career and, you know, then obviously great things have happened over the years and it is amazing really. You don't -- if you do expect it, you probably never achieve it. If you don't expect it, maybe you would surprise yourself.

LAURA DAVIES: I think probably the Solheim Cup 1990 when we won at Dalmahoy, 1992, yes. When we won there because that was against all the odds. Winning the Open was against all the odds, individually, and that was a great moment. But, I just think being with the eight players and with Mickey, the captain, and it was just one of those things that you never forget. If we won the Solheim Cup this year, it could never be as sweet as it was there.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, I haven't followed it that closely, but I am always, you know, I love England to win the World Cup and I love Europe to win the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and obviously The Walker and Curtis Cup, so I will keep close tabs on it when the matches are going, hopefully we will win it.

LAURA DAVIES: Well, always been very frustrating because I think playing the courses we play, I have never been able to really use my length. We play short holes all the time and I don't hit driver off the tee. So, it has been frustrating, I think more than anything, not being able to really and truly use my length. So I'd say that is the word.

LAURA DAVIES: I don't think so. Not really used the driver, not really have to stand on a par 4 and think: Well, if I don't use driver here, I am in trouble. And, I could never really remember having to do that.

LAURA DAVIES: Went to game in Marseille when we beat Tunisia 2-nil, then obviously, because of the golf, missed all the other games. But I have got tickets for the semifinal, final, but I can't see myself going and watching Brazil or Italy or any of that, I am not interested.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, you always know you are going to come and have a hard test of golf which we don't always do. I look forward to it for that one reason; that you are going -- it might not work out and like I said, it has only ever worked out once for me, but at least you know you are coming here and you have got 14 clubs, you are going to use them all, and if you don't play well, you are going to be made to look pretty foolish on the most part. There are a holes out there that can really find you out. I think you look forward to that, the challenge of it. If you walk off the course after 72 holes, and as long as you know you have given it your best shot, that is the thing about an Open. It always tests you to the absolute most.

LAURA DAVIES: I think the thing with Nancy is that she is never won an Open. I think that is a different kettle of fish altogether because when I turn up at the Dinah Shore and tournaments that I really want to win like the British Open, although I have won that, I haven't won it since it has been an LPGA event. I think they are like no -- those two particular events, I can understand how Nancy feels here at the Open because if you win it, then you always think: Well, no one can ever take it away, although you really want to do well; at least if you have got that one medal tucked away in your trophy cabinet, that feels good enough. I understand completely what Nancy is saying because of the Dinah. That is the way I felt this year at the Dinah Shore, just nervous; I couldn't sleep the nights before the rounds. And even, you know, when you had a chance, so disappointing when you don't actually win it. I finished third and I was more disappointed finishing third there than I was missing the cut last week.

LAURA DAVIES: No, not really. I mean I feel excited and the first tee shot tomorrow will be really nervous and all that, but I think when you got one under your belt, somehow I don't know if it's for any tournament, you just feel: Well, I have done that, been there, done that. And, it is fun to repeat it, obviously, and don't get me wrong, I will be ready for it tomorrow. But I do understand that Nancy, she is still striving for this. Is the big one for her, like the British Open is the big for one for me.

LAURA DAVIES: Yeah, the way the year has gone, I am expecting two rounds and be on my way back to London Saturday morning because at the moment, I missed six cuts this year. I don't know how I have missed the six cuts this year, but I am expecting nothing. I love the course and something might happen. Something good might happen finally on the course; whereas, it hasn't this year. I can't complain because the three years before this year or four years before this year have be so good, I can't explain. But I have got no expectations whatsoever - a bit like Ally's comment here and see what happens.