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SYBASE CLASSIC PRESENTED BY SHOPRITE

May 17, 2007

Meaghan Francella

CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY

PAM WARNER: Great round out there, 3-under, one shot off the lead just talk about how you played today.
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: I played pretty solid. I was hitting it so bad on the range this morning and I didn't know what to do. I almost got on the phone and called my coach. I was, you know, really frustrated and didn't know where it was going to go. Then I got out and made a birdie on my second hole and third hole and you know, I felt much better and felt much better after that.
PAM WARNER: Can we go over your scorecard?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: 11, I hit a sand wedge to about five feet.
12, I hit, that, was a long hole today. I hit rescue, 19-degree rescue to about eight feet.
And then the par 3, 17, I hit -- what did I hit in there -- I hit a 22-degree rescue to about 20 feet and made birdie.
Made the turn, hit wedge to about 15 feet on 1.
No. 2, I hit 8-iron to about four feet.
4, I was just short of the green and I guess the wind kind of fooled us a little bit today and hit it short of the green, and had a putter in my hand and hit it three feet left for par and it hit the poa annua in the green and just kind of went off-track a little bit. That was an unfortunate bogey.
Then I hit 3-wood up on the par 5 in two. I hit it just left of the green and chipped up to three feet and made birdie.
8 I hit -- I pulled a 7-iron left of the green. Chipped up to about ten feet and missed it.
Made a good par save on 18. Made like a 4- or 5-footer for par.

Q. Can you talk about what it's like to be on top of the leaderboard for a stretch playing in front of your family and friends?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: It was cool. I got it to 5-under after 11 and saw Lorena was up there, too. There's a lot of golf, 54 holes left, and I'm just glad I had a solid first round and gave people something to clap for today and made a lot of birdies.

Q. But you haven't had that experience where you've had so many people following you to be playing that well. That was a unique experience, I would imagine?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, a lot of people that I know. There are a lot of people at México and a lot of people at Kraft, but here it's different, everybody on my side.

Q. Can you tell us who was out aside from the obvious? Who do you have amongst friends and family did you have today?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: There were probably about 15 to 20 I think. My dad was here, my two uncles were here, my aunt was here, a couple family friends, a couple fake relatives that you say are relatives but they are really not related. So a couple aunts and uncles that are not related, but we've been really close to them.

Q. What was it like having people you know following you around?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: You know, it's nice -- it's so nice to be home. Like yesterday I found an excuse to go home. I went and dropped off all the tickets home yesterday. I drove 45 minutes home and then drove right back. You know, I miss my dogs and I just miss my family and stuff like that, and you know, it's lonely out here. It's just nice to be home and see familiar faces.

Q. You held off Annika Sorenstam in that playoff to win, so you know what it takes to overcome those big stars at the top of the leaderboard. There's a lot of them at the top right now. What's it going to take for you, you're only a couple of shots back, what's it going to take to overcome them this weekend?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: I thought I was the big name -- yeah, okay. I was just checking.

Q. Not saying that you're not, but, you know.
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Like I said, there's 54 holes left and there's a lot of great players on top of the leaderboard, you know, people who have won before. I'm just going to try to stick to my game plan and do what I did today: Hit fairways, hit greens and make putts.

Q. Do you have a different mentality since you've won?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, I think so. You know, the beginning of the year, it went, I want to make cuts and keep my card. And now, since I've won I'm exempt for three years and I want to win again, I want to try to win a major. I think the confidence level, my confidence level is much higher than it was when I started this year.

Q. How would you describe your demeanor out on the golf course? Are you tough on yourself, or do you hit a bad shot or do you have to let it go right away?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: I used to be. I used to get angry. But I think I've got -- as I've gotten older, I realize if you get angry, that's not going to make you play better. But today I hit a couple of bad shots today and just kind of shook it off, and was like, well, I can birdie the next hole or something like that. I just tried to stay calm out there. Like I said it's the first day and it's 54 holes, so I have a lot of golf left.

Q. Was there a shot that you felt was a key to your round, maybe 1?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: No, I made a really good par save on my front nine somewhere, 16. I made a good par save on 16. I was in the bunker and hit it up to about ten feet and made it. I think that was probably, you know, the turning point.

Q. Do you have an idea of what it might take to win this?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: The lowest score. I have no idea. I have no idea.

Q. How did the course play in general for you?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: I thought it played tough. You have to hit it in the fairway and you have to be able to shape shots, and you know, I think -- I think if you put it in the fairway and hit the green, you had a good shot at birdie.
So I mean, the scores are not extremely -- I think 4-under is leading. But there's a lot of people at 3 and 2 I think. So there's no telling. The wind picks up; it rains a little bit more; the course can play longer. I never pick a number in my head that's going to win. Just nice to go out there and try to make birdies and play my game.

Q. With regard to having family and friends out, is it a little bit more pressure for you or are you energized by it? How does it affect your psyche to have familiar faces out with you?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, I answered this yesterday, but I don't think it's any more pressure. I just like having people out here and watching and, you know, they love me no matter if I shoot 85 or 65. So they are just here to support me and you know, not feeling pressure from them at all.

Q. What did you know about this course before the week? Had you played here growing up?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Well, my instructor, Tom Patrick (ph), was here one summer, his best friend was the director or the head pro here, and I came up here a couple of times and took lessons and practiced. I played the golf course maybe two times.
But when I got out there the other day during the practice round it came back to me a little bit, but I wouldn't say I have a home-course advantage or anything.

Q. It doesn't hurt though, I guess, right?
MEAGHAN FRANCELLA: Yeah, it's nice to know where you're going.
PAM WARNER: Thank you, Meaghan.

End of FastScripts

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