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GINN TRIBUTE HOSTED BY ANNIKA

May 29, 2007

MacKinzie Kline

MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA

THE MODERATOR: Thank you all for coming in. We're going to get started with MacKinzie Kline, who has a sponsor exemption into the Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika.
MacKinzie, obviously congratulations for this opportunity. You've got be looking forward to this week. What have been your emotions getting ready for this.
MACKINZIE KLINE: Well, I'm really excited. I can't waiting to play golf. This has been a dream of mine forever to playing on the LPGA Tour, and being able to play with a sponsor's exemption is incredible. I'm so excited. It's going to be so much fun.
THE MODERATOR: Also we have another question. Obviously the LPGA Tour when they're in Mexico City the players do use carts, but you are the first player to use a cart for a medical condition.
Can you describe that for people who may not know what it is that, you know, makes it so that you will use a cart?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Because of my heart condition, I need a cart and oxygen because of the fact that I only have three chambers and my oxygen level isn't as high as other people's oxygen level.
So when I get tired or nervous and stuff like that I tend to -- my oxygen level goes down, which isn't go obviously. That's why I need the oxygen. And then using the cart just helps me get through the 18 holes.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Does the heat have any affect on your stamina? Is it good or bad or what?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Well, actually, for the oxygen, when it's hot outside I need it more than when it's cold outside. So, yes, definitely heat affects me a lot more than when it's cold or cooler outside.
But I definitely need the oxygen more when it's hot outside, and I really need to watch what I'm doing when it's hot outside.

Q. I'm curious, how often do you have to go to the oxygen in the course of a typical 18 holes?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Well, again, it really depends, but on tournament days I try to use it quite a bit. I try to use it probably -- I'll at least start on the 4th hole, because the Back 9, that's where I really need it the most so my energy stays up.
But when it's cold outside or if I'm just playing for fun I won't use it that much because it's not a tournament or a really, really big deal.

Q. How long have you been here? How many practice rounds have you played within the last week or so? And is stamina going to be an issue?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Well, I played here on Monday and then I'm playing today. I was here like I think a month and a half ago with my coach. We came out and played.
Hopefully because I'm playing so much golf hopefully I won't get too tired by Friday or however long I'm here for. I'm trying to keep my stamina up there and hopefully I'll be fine.

Q. Is stamina something that gets any better the more you play? Or do you find yourself getting more fatigued the more you play and your days off in between events?
MACKINZIE KLINE: I think for me it's better if I take a few days off. If I play a tournament and I'm gone for five days I really need to go back home or go somewhere and just rest for two days and then I'll be better. But it's really hard for me to just keep going.
I mean, I work out and that's helping me to get stronger, but still it's really hard for me to just keep going.

Q. So far in your career as a golfer what would you say have been some of your highlights?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Some of my highlights. Definitely getting into the U.S. Women's Amateur was really fun. U.S. Girl's Junior was really fun, and playing the U.S. Women's Pub-Links. Those are some really great events and it's been really fun, and this one is obviously going to be up there. It's going to be very fun.

Q. And besides your parents, who would you say has had the greatest impact or influence on you as a golfer?
MACKINZIE KLINE: My parents have been great. My little sister. She's awesome. She's a great soccer player, all this stuff that's happening to me she takes it well.
She's only nine years old and she's a great little sister and so much fun to have around and she supports me. Same with my coach, he supports me a lot.
Same with my caddie, S.C., he's awesome to have. My whole family, they're just awesome. They're very, very fun to have and very supportive.
THE MODERATOR: What's your caddie's last name?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Montgomery.
THE MODERATOR: And you said S.C.?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Yes. His first name id Hugh, but I call him S.C.

Q. What tournaments have you played in since you were here in January and how have you done?
MACKINZIE KLINE: I've played a few qualifiers. The U.S. Women's Open qualifier, the U.S. Women's Pub-Links qualifier. The U.S. Open Women's qualifier I didn't make the cut, but it was a beautiful golf course. It was very fun to play there.
And then the U.S. Women's Pub-Links, I'm actually a first alternate for that. That was a monster course. That was pretty hard, but it was really fun.

Q. Refresh my memory. I know the USGA gave you a cart for the women's amateur or which tournament?
MACKINZIE KLINE: For the U.S. Girl's Junior and the U.S. Women's Amateur, yes.

Q. Okay. Sis you qualify for those without the cart, or were you able to get those from the very beginning?
MACKINZIE KLINE: No. The qualifiers I qualified without the cart.

Q. The, for lack of a better word, negotiations or whatever with the USGA, how did you take all that? Were you pretty upbeat about it? The fact that you were able to play the qualifiers without the cart I think showed a little bit about your desire and drive to get in the tournament regardless.
MACKINZIE KLINE: Right. Like I say, it's my summer. The USGA events are my summer, and making those cuts are what my summer is based on. I've been working pretty hard and I want to play those. I didn't want to miss the summer.
What was I going to do, just practice and just hang out. I really wanted to go places and make those qualifiers.

Q. Would you have played those events without a cart if you had not gotten the exemption?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Yes. I would have definitely really talked to my parents about that and really tried really hard for me to be able to play in them. But it worked out fine. I don't know what would have happened, but I definitely would have played in them no matter what I think.

Q. When you play without the cart or without the oxygen, what kind of risks do you potentially run if it's a really hot day, et cetera, et cetera?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Well, it's mostly the fact that I just get really tired and I really won't be able to concentrate. There's no point of me even playing because I'm just tired and completely out of it.
But it's not like anything horribly bad is a going to happen to me. I just get extremely tired and I really can't finish 18 holes if it's really hot outside.

Q. Can you talk about the course here, RiverTowne, the parts that you like, the parts that are going to be difficult for you, what plays into your game here, and how you expect to do this week?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Well, it's a beautiful golf course, of course. It's incredible. But it's definitely a hard golf course. The greens are really nice. The fairways are great and the rough definitely seems pretty thick.
But I think if I just play my game and hit some good shots I'll be able to do pretty well, and hopefully just keep in the fairway I think and we'll see what happens.
Of course, I would love to make the cut. That's one of my goals, but I really just want to come out here and learn from the other LPGA ladies and watch them. It's going to be a great time.

Q. I understand you're playing a practice round with Paula Creamer this afternoon. Is there going to be anybody else in the group, or just you and Paula?
MACKINZIE KLINE: I'm actually not quite sure. I think it's just Paula and I, but we'll see. I'm really excited to play.

Q. I'm curious, I guess you were nine or ten when it went down, but did you follow the Casey Martin case at all when it went on six years ago?
MACKINZIE KLINE: I really didn't follow it that much. I mean, I knew about it but I wasn't completely following it. But I've always known about it.

Q. Have you had any interaction with Casey Martin? Has he said anything to you?
MACKINZIE KLINE: He talked to my dad and I talked to him a little bit. He just said if we need anything or need any help just give him the call and he'll try to help or do the best he can to help.

Q. How much do you think that what he went through might have helped your situation in terms of being a trailblazer and getting the issue out before you came along?
MACKINZIE KLINE: I think what he did was great. Truthfully, if he haven't hadn't done it it would be me doing to for someone. . The fact that he's done it I get to use it, and it's really great and I'm really thankful that he did do it. It's just amazing that he did.

Q. I'm curious, your goal is I guess to play as many rounds as you can. In terms of what the public might be able to derive from watching you play, what would you like to send as far as a message or anything like that?
MACKINZIE KLINE: Well, because I'm the national spokesperson for the Children's Heart Foundation, I just try to get that message out there about the heart conditions and there are a lot of them and I'm raising money for the Children's Heart Foundation.
And if there are people out there or kids out there with heart conditions they should do what they want and try really hard to do a sport. Just keep working at it.

End of FastScripts

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