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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

August 31, 2007

Sherri Steinhauer

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: You're the 36-hole leader in the clubhouse, 11-under, 133, and your 66 today is a season low. Congratulations on that.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Thank you.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Can you talk about your round a little bit?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yeah, it was just a real consistent round. I tell you the difference is I just am making a lot of putts again today. Just made one bogey and had seven birdies and a lot of those putts were 20- to 25-footers. So that's been the difference, and it sure is fun to watch them go in.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Speaking of those, can we go over those birdies and bogeys, starting on No. 11, your birdie there.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: This is probably a good thing, because it's like I'm kind of in a fog. I don't really remember. So I'm kind of thinking this was probably a good thing.
But on No. 11, I had -- do I have to give the distance? I hit an 8-iron in. I had to play it out to the right and I made about a 25-footer.
15, which is the dogleg-left, I hit a big drive off the tee down the left side and just had a little 60-degree, it's my considered L-wedge. Hit it about 12 feet and made that for birdie.
No. 16, the par 5, I hit driver and I kind of -- I just played this hole the last two days, I've laid up with a 6-iron just to the right of the green and had just a short, about a 50-foot pitch and almost made it. Just hit the edge. Hit it to about two inches. Made that for birdie.
No. 17, the par 3, I hit a 6-iron and hit it past about 20 feet. Made that for birdie.
No. 1, I hit a driver, 7-wood, little flip sand wedge from about 50 yards and hit it about, I guess that one was about eight feet, made that for birdie.
And then the bogey on 3, I hit a really good drive and unfortunately I went for the pin and tried to bounce it up with the downwind and it hit the flag and kicked left over the green. Had a poor pitch, had about a 35-footer and 2-putted for bogey.
No. 4, I hit a 3-wood off the tee, and then I had just a 9-iron in. And again, made about a 25-footer for birdie.
Then No. 8, I hit 3-wood off the tee, hit a 9-iron to about six feet, and made that for birdie.
On 3, I lost my concentration, hit a poor shot. Kind of one of those amateur shots; I dubbed it.

Q. No. 16, I guess they call it like a bail-out area --
SHERRI STEINHAUER: On 16?

Q. You said you almost chipped it in there.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yes, out to the right, yeah.

Q. Sometimes they say, oh, go for something like that in two, but is that almost -- sometimes it's as easy to maybe have a chance to make a pitch from there as a putt, I don't know.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Well, the hole is playing downwind, and I just know that I have the carry -- 177-yard carry uphill downwind. That's going to be a good 9-wood.
So if I hit that and it hits on the green, I don't know if it's going to stop. So I choose -- I hit a 6-iron, and I play to hit it 177 yards, and it's hard so I can just run it up there to the right of the green. And then I've got a great look at the pitch.
You know, the last two days -- you know, the key is hitting the 6-iron in the correct spot. That's the hard part, and I've done that very well the last two days.

Q. How long has it been since you've put together two days like these?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: A long time. I think that's what makes me feel so good about today's round, to back up yesterday's round. That just really made me feel -- well, it gave me a lot of confidence. I just want to -- we're only halfway done. There's still a lot of golf to be played. So I just want to stay focused, and tomorrow is another day.

Q. How does it feel to have Annika on your tail?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yeah, it's tough, but I just have to worry about what I'm trying to do and, you know, knowing you have Annika behind you is not always easy. She's a great player and obviously having a real hot one today.
So just looking forward to tomorrow. Maybe we'll be paired together.

Q. You categorized yesterday, you said "just a nice, easy round." I mean, is it the same feeling today or do you feel like you had to work a little more today?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: It definitely didn't feel as easy as yesterday. I think, you know, just -- I think today the hardest part for me was, I had a hard time staying focused. That's what I worked on the most out there, just staying in the moment and not letting my mind wander. It was a little more difficult doing that today.

Q. The greens, you played this afternoon, obviously the greens are a little more -- were they generally, though, in fairly good shape still?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: I thought they were. You know, now that you say that, I didn't even think about that. I think for the afternoon round, they were in great shape. You just spend a lot of time fixing ball marks. I think that's one reason why we're playing pretty slow is because we're fixing a lot of bal marks and trying to make our lines smooth.

Q. How was the wind today?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Definitely died down compared to yesterday. Wind was not as much a factor. Definitely had to still think about it, but it wasn't blowing as hard as yesterday, and I think that's the reason for all of the low scores today.

Q. (So not the same wind as yesterday)?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Actually I kind of felt like it was constant but it was just more breeze. It wasn't a heavy wind like yesterday. You still had to pay attention to it, though.

Q. Is one of the reasons why you did so well today is most of your game coming together, do you think?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Well, I feel -- I hit it very, very well, don't get me wrong. I hit it very, very well. You know, I think one of the keys is getting in position off the tee box, and I drove it extremely well today. I think I could have hit my irons a little bit closer, but you know, I'm very, very happy with how I hit it. Like the driver was very important today.

Q. You won the British last year and you've been out here for like 20-some years, but do you feel like just that competitive fire or whatever you want to say, is it still just like it always was for you, even when you were younger?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: I just love to compete and I love this game. It's why I do what I do. People ask me how long I'm going to continue to play. As long as I'm competitive, I'll continue because it's what I love to do.
And when I finish -- whenever my career is over, I still won't stop. I have four older brothers, and we play golf together all the time. I'm going to have to earn some money from skins games from them after my career.

Q. Were you the only girl in the family?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yes, I have four older brothers.

Q. So you had to scrap.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Well, they are very, very good to me. Actually all four of them are going over to Solheim to watch me play. Just the boys are going; they are leaving the wives and kids at home and just planning a trip with themselves. They are going over a week early and travel around and then they will come and watch me play starting on Friday.

Q. A quick local question. Somebody said, I don't know if you or your folks, went to Darcy's last night, did you have one of those famous horseshoe sandwiches?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: No, but my dad did. When I heard how they described it, I knew my bad would have one. So he had a sausage horseshoe sandwich and he was in heaven. (Laughing).

Q. Did you try it?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: No, I didn't. I didn't taste it. It looks really good. There's a lot of cheese on there, though.

Q. Artery-clogging.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yeah.

Q. There was a family friend that gave you a big hug before you came in, blonde; who was that?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: A friend of mine. She's been watching out for my mom and dad on the scooters and helping out. My mom unfortunately is about 90 percent blind, so she really doesn't see much out there. But she's just following dad in the cart, if he would slow down for her. So that's what she's been helping out with a lot, with them.

Q. From your perspective, is it better to have someone chasing you, or do you like a cushion?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: I don't know, you know, it's an interesting question. I think that I'm just taking the approach that I am where I am, and I'm not paying attention to the leaderboard, not paying attention whether I'm behind or in the lead.
And just, you know, I'm one of these players that tend to generally shoot around par when I'm playing -- on tough golf courses like a U.S. Open or those types of courses. I tend to -- I'm one that's usually around par. When I played at The Rail, I always was around par. So for me to get to 11-under, it's different for me. I don't normally, you know, get this far under par. But I'm not going to think about that. I'm just going to continue what I'm doing and not worry about where I stand, just keep going out making birdies.

Q. Do you like being in this position?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: I love it, absolutely. It's great.

Q. How old are your folks?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: My dad is 78 and my mom is 76.

Q. I guess it goes without saying how much it would mean to you to do something with them here. I know you've already done a lot here.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Absolutely. They watched me win my very first tournament in 1992, the du Maurier up in Winnipeg. That was really exciting. That's the only tournament they have seen me win. Obviously having your family -- your mom and dad who have done so much for me and given up so much for me growing up in order to play this game, I'm just very, very lucky to have wonderful, wonderful parents. And to have them here, it's great.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks, Sherri, and good luck this weekend.

End of FastScripts

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