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KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIPApril 1, 2007Morgan PresselRANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA MODERATOR: Morgan, congratulations on just winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship, becoming a Rolex first-time winner; the youngest player to win a major championship at 18 years old, 10 months, nine days. The third player to make the Kraft Nabisco Championship, your first career win; 28th player in history to win a major as your first win. You also qualify for the ADT Championship, since this is the first winner's event of the year. Talk about how excited you are right now. MORGAN PRESSEL: That's a long list. That's exciting. You know, really an overwhelming week. And I got off to a little bit of a rough start with the 2-over on the front the first day. And I just said to myself stay patient. This golf course is playing tough. The pins are going to get more difficult and the greens are going to get firmer. And I managed to play better when the conditions got tougher. So it's just exciting. This is a dream come true. Q. Was it an advantage to be kind of under the radar today? MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I a little bit. I'm definitely a scoreboard watcher, and I like to know what's going on, who is playing well. I thought Stacy was playing well. Obviously Suzann was at 6. And so I knew that I had to make some birdies. And I missed a few opportunities, missed one on 9 and one on 11 that I thought I could make. But in there I made some great clutch par putts of four, five and six feet. Especially 15, 16, 17, I made three putts probably about five feet each. And I knew those were going to be some pretty -- especially the one on 17 I knew because I was 2-under, had a pretty good chance. And actually going into 17, I turned to my caddie and I said, "I'd like to get this 3 going into the last two holes. I'd like to be at 3 under." He said that certainly would give them something to think about. And that was what I did. Q. Could you kind of take us through the after round, kind of a play-by-play in terms of what was going through your mind. At one point you see the board change from 5 to 3. How nervous were you doing nothing and -- MORGAN PRESSEL: A lot more nervous. A lot more nervous doing nothing, because you can't control what's going on. When you're out there and when you're playing, it's a lot easier to control what you do than to wait and see what somebody else does. And I was waiting around there by the 18th, by the putting green, and it was a little hectic and a little chaotic. I decided to go over to the range where it was a little bit quieter and was getting updates from Donna Andrews, where Suzann was hitting it and whether Brittany made her putt or not. There was a lot going on. I was a little shaky. I was hitting balls to try to calm myself down. Q. Morgan, you're probably used to being the youngest to accomplish feats. Does this mean anything to you, is this different? MORGAN PRESSEL: This is a dream to be out here and to win a major championship, and especially with my first win. And I didn't play as well as I would have liked last year. And this year I worked really hard in the off season, worked hard in the gym, worked hard on my swing with my coach, Martin Hall, and I came out a little bit more prepared to play well this year. And I got a lot of experience last year. And I was certainly ready to compete and ready to win. Q. There's so much going on, I don't think a lot of us saw your 18th hole. How long was the putt? You said you wanted to get to 3. What was that hole like being ahead of the leaders and trying to get to a number? MORGAN PRESSEL: It's a little bit easier when you're not in the last group. But I knew I had to make that putt. And considering that I've been struggling with my putting, to make that putt was a really big thing for me. And it was about 10 feet, broke about a few inches left-to-right, and it was a little bit downhill. I hit a perfect putt. At least it went in. That's good enough. Q. (Off microphone) MORGAN PRESSEL: It was a wedge from 108 yards, I think. I think so. Q. Morgan, was there a point today that you suddenly thought, "Yes, I can win this"? MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I think so. I think when I got to 2-under, on 12, I mean I guess I always thought that I would be able to -- there's definitely birdies out there. They're hard to find. But when you get lucky enough to find them, things work out pretty well. But when I got to 2 and I birdied 12 and I was playing very well, and I thought that I could certainly make at least one or two more birdies. But then again Suzann was at 6. I know the last few holes enjoyed taking their tolls on people and lucky it wasn't me today. Q. Morgan, you had that heart-breaking loss in the U.S. Open a couple years ago. Were there any thoughts about that today and does this make it much more, does it make this much more meaningful? MORGAN PRESSEL: Not at all, never thought about that until somebody mentioned it quite a ways after, when I was, after I had jumped in the lake. I didn't really think about that. If I thought about it, I just drew on the experience that I did play so well under pressure there. Even though it was a completely different situation. I was in the last group there. And here I was coming a little bit from behind, and every tournament is different and this golf course is different. Q. Two-part question. First of all, what's the spelling of your grandma and caddie, those two who jumped in with you? MORGAN PRESSEL: J-o-n Y-a-r-b-o-r-o-u-g-h, Jon Yarborough is my caddie. And my grandma is Evelyn, E-v-e-l-y-n and Krickstein, K-r-i-c-k-s-t-e-i-n. Q. You mentioned this is a dream come true. I imagine in the dream you're making a 35-footer for birdie on the last hole. How odd was it to finish an hour ahead and wait around for the dream to come around? MORGAN PRESSEL: I don't mind. (Laughter) I don't care. Q. Morgan, I know that your grandparents are in the room, and I guess I would just ask you: They certainly stood by you all these years and you're still so young. I'm just wondering what you'd say to them, and also was your mom at any point today in your mind? MORGAN PRESSEL: I know my mother is always with me. And I'm sure she's proud of me, as my grandparents are. And I mean (crying) -- sorry. I would just like to thank my grandparents for everything they've done for me and all their support and their love. And I'm sure they're just as happy as I am. So thank you very much. Q. Morgan, can you just look ahead to the rest of the season, what do you think? What else can you look forward to? MORGAN PRESSEL: What about the Solheim Cup? I'm sorry -- Q. For the rest of the season what are you looking forward to? MORGAN PRESSEL: I'm definitely looking forward to the Solheim Cup. I've been out there twice in the junior Solheim Cup, and I love it. And I'm very hopeful that I'll represent my country this year and hopefully it will be a fun rest of the year. Q. Morgan, I know it's very emotional, but you're still just a kid. What are you going to do for fun or to celebrate a little afterwards? MORGAN PRESSEL: I don't know. I haven't quite got there yet. I can tell you I'll go shopping when I get home. That I can tell you. (Laughter) And they're not going to stop me. I'm going to go. Q. Morgan, thinking of being young and whatnot, Brittany was up there with you. Is it pretty cool to have two of the younger kids? MORGAN PRESSEL: Excuse me? Q. Brittany was up there with you, cool to have two of the younger kids? MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah, I mean it was a great leader board. And I played with Stacy Lewis today, who we can't quite call her old yet, considering she's not even out here yet. She played great. Was very impressive today. Brittany played well all week. And there was definitely some youth on the leader board. Meaghan Francella played well. And there were some good young players out there. Q. Morgan, can you talk a little bit about how you feel like you've matured since you turned professional and maybe about your emotions, controlling your emotions on the course? MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I don't know. What do you think? (Laughter) Come on, come on. You know, I think it's something that I've worked on. I mean I still get angry with myself when I don't hit shots quite as I would like, if I don't make putts. But I've worked on channeling that into more of a positive energy and getting it back in the next hole with a bounce-back, that being very important. And just taking every shot as its own shot and not trying to let another shot affect the rest of my rounds. Q. How much do you remember about, when you qualified for the Open at age 12 and playing there at Pine Needles, can you think back to what that was like and do you find it hard to believe that, A, how much time has passed, or if it feels like a lot of time has passed and where you are now? MORGAN PRESSEL: Seems like it's been forever. It's been only, what, six years, five years, six years? It seems like it's been forever. And so much has happened between then and now. And going back to Pine Needles this year, it's going to be really exciting seeing, if I remember any of it at all. What I remember, I remember standing on the first tee and being so nervous because there were so many people there. And I ripped it down the middle and I was so happy. That's about all I remember. Q. (Off microphone) MORGAN PRESSEL: I cry every day, so that's not saying much. You guys usually happen to catch me on a bad day. But I cry every day. Like I'm crying now. I cried earlier. Q. (Off microphone) MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I'm not going to say it wasn't in my mind. I've always had high hopes and big dreams. This is exciting. Q. Morgan, yesterday you ended up over at 70. You were even for the day. What were your thoughts coming off the course on Saturday and you only were a few strokes back, looking ahead to Sunday, how did you prepare for Sunday and keep a cool head, knowing all of that? MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, you know, I knew that the golf course was that playing tough, and I knew that the pins were going to be difficult, that nobody was going to go out and shoot a low round. I didn't see a 65 like Karrie's 65 last year in the picture. I found it hard to believe, of course unless it came from me. But I didn't. I only shot 69, but only -- I'm not complaining. I knew that I just had to go out and play solid golf, that I couldn't make mistakes, that I needed to stay cool and just be ready for whatever came, and I was ready to jump in the lake. Q. Morgan, you said you thought you underperformed last year or you weren't as happy with your year. What did you learn last year that really helped you? And I have another question, which is, you've been -- you've an outspoken person and you've been pretty outspoken about a certain other young player who is not here this year. You've beaten her to a major now. Do you feel like you've gotten some respect that you wanted? MORGAN PRESSEL: Which question do you want me to answer first? I can't remember the first one already. Q. What did you learn last year? MORGAN PRESSEL: Figures. Look who it came from. Q. I think they want to hear the answer to the second one. MORGAN PRESSEL: Last year I just -- I came out and I think I might have had expectations that were higher than maybe my abilities last year. Not to say -- but I really worked hard this off season. Last year, these girls are really good out here. You have to play well. Because if you don't play your best, somebody else will. So I really took that attitude into the off season and worked really hard. I had a little bit of fun but I worked really hard. And it's paid off so far. And the second question. They're like, wait, that's not exciting. She's still a little younger than I am so she still has a little bit of time. It's unfortunate that I guess she still has an injured wrist, and I'm sure she's bummed she couldn't play this week. It won't be too long before we see her again. Q. (Question about three college players.) MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, you know, just what I said, there is enough satisfaction. There are plenty of good players out here this week that could have won and Paula was among them. She was right in there. And this week was just my week. Q. Morgan, aside from golf, what would be a perfect day for you without golf, not shopping or what else? MORGAN PRESSEL: A perfect day without golf. I have my (indiscernible) in one hand and computer in my lap and driving my car to Worth Avenue. (Laughter) Not that I would have that all going on at the same time, but just the idea that those were the -- those are the things I like to do without golf. I like to just hang out with my friends or my family. I spend a lot of time with my family at home. And I'm excited to go back because my cousin is coming in tomorrow, or Tuesday she'll be home. So my whole family will be home. So it will be nice. Excited, looking forward to it. What's Worth Avenue? We can tell there's a shopper down here. Look it up, Doug. (Laughter) Q. You obviously played extremely well today to put yourself in this position. But is it awkward, obviously someone struggled down the stretch. She was 3 up, with four to go. You needed that help? MORGAN PRESSEL: What did you ask me yesterday? Do you remember what you asked me yesterday? No, what did you ask? No, Doug asked me yesterday because he was the only one who wanted to interview me yesterday, by the way. (Laughter) I was praising you, okay? Doug asked me yesterday if I need some help. And I said a little bit of help never hurt. And that definitely rang true today. I did play well, but I certainly got a little bit of help there at the end. Did you forget? I thought about that today, by the way. That was like inspiration for me. Q. Can we go over your score card? MORGAN PRESSEL: Sure. Q. I'm trying to get a sense, you walked off the 18th green, what was the first point that you really, really thought you had a shot at winning this thing? MORGAN PRESSEL: When I really thought I had a shot? Well, kind of right away when I made that putt, I thought, "That's huge." I knew I really needed that putt -- Q. (Off microphone) MORGAN PRESSEL: She was at 5, I believe. I don't know if I knew she was at 5. I don't remember. I was concentrating at making my putt. That was the only time I didn't look at the scoreboard, which was strange. But when I went into the scorer's tent, they have a television there. And I saw that she was in the rough on 16. And I kind of thought, well, it's a tough hole, you can't really miss the fairway there. And obviously I didn't know what would happen but I knew I had a shot, I guess. Q. (Off microphone) MORGAN PRESSEL: Yes, it was about 10 minutes afterwards, I was sitting there with Donna and she said, she originally told me that Suzann tripled. Then she said that was bad information, she only doubled. Only doubled. I'm sorry. Q. Can we go over your score card. Birdie on 2? MORGAN PRESSEL: What did I do on 2? Hit a lob wedge from just over 70 yards to about six feet. Q. Birdie on 12? MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I hate that hole, by the way. I've doubled that hole twice this week. Stupid doubles. But today I told my caddie, I said, "I'm going to hit the green and I'm going to make birdie." I hit the green. I was only 40 feet. And I made the putt. So that was a nice little -- Q. What did you hit up with? MORGAN PRESSEL: I hit a 7-iron, I think. I've kind of forgotten. That was a long time ago. Q. Then birdie on 18? MORGAN PRESSEL: I hit a sand wedge from about 108 yards, I think, to about 10 feet. Q. (Off microphone) MORGAN PRESSEL: Those were clutch putts I made. 15, I missed the green, got up from the bunker. Made 6-footer for par, 5, 6-footer. 16, I hit a good shot but it just came down the false front and I didn't hit a great putt, had about five feet left for par there. And on 17 I got a little carried away with my putt and had about four or five feet coming back. So I knew that those were three really big important putts. Probably more important than the putt on 18. Q. (Off Microphone) MORGAN PRESSEL: They were. Q. (Off Microphone) MORGAN PRESSEL: I have been struggling a bit with my short-putting, and playing with Stacy Lewis today, actually she is a very good putter. And I was watching her hit short putts, not thinking about it, hitting them in the cup. I remembered that's how I used to putt. Made me think just go through it; you can make them. MODERATOR: Thank you very much. End of FastScripts |
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