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LPGA NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY JOHN Q. HAMMONS

September 7, 2007

Kristy McPherson

ROGERS, ARKANSAS

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for coming in and joining us today. You're tied for the lead with Teresa Lu, and you shot a 6-under 66. Can you talk about how your round went?
KRISTY McPHERSON: It was a solid round. I was really lucky to get 18 holes in. I came out here and ended up with a four-and-a-half-hour delay, and knew I got a lucky tee time by being in morning and possibly getting a round in. I wanted to take advantage of it and you never knew what that score was going to go. I had a good round, solid ball-striking, and got pretty lucky on the greens and hit some good putts with how good they are. It was tough at times but, I watched some of the girls in my group miss some of the putts that I rolled just the same as they did. That's part of it out here today and golf in general.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: While we're here, could we do your scorecard really quick?
KRISTY McPHERSON: Birdied 1, it was a short hole, had 90 wards to four feet and made that.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: What club do you use?
KRISTY McPHERSON: Gap wedge.
4, I hit driver and 7-iron just pin-high left.
5, I hit a 9-iron up there about four feet:
8 it was a good hole today, I hit driver down there, 7-iron up there about six feet and made that.
10, I hit driver, wedge up there about 14 feet below the hole and made that.
13, one of the reachable par 5s and I hit 3-wood just to the very front edge. Probably the longest putt I've ever had in my life, about 120 feet, and hit that first putt up there about ten feet and then made that for birdie.
15, I hit driver, 9-iron up there about eight feet below the hole and made that.
17, I hit what I thought was the perfect tee ball, 182. I hit 5-iron past the hole and hit a decent birdie putt, 2 1/2 feet, a little short one there. The first putt was 25, 30 feet behind the hole and just a big breaker and hit a good first putt, good speed and missed a short one there.

Q. You are a FUTURES Tour alum, how big of a deal is it to be leading this event, an LPGA event?
KRISTY McPHERSON: In our four and a half hours, watched a lot of my friends playing the FUTURES Tour, the last event for them in Albany. And I remember where I was in Albany last year, I was sitting in the fourth spot and the top five automatically get their Tour card. And that's a week I didn't want to go through again, kind of like a Q-School week, and I had not had a great year. It kind of motivated me and something you don't want to go in. I had a solid finish the last three events on the FUTURES Tour. I didn't want to be out there for three years, but now that I'm out here, you know, I needed every minute of it. It helped for situations like today where you get a good round going, and, you know, shooting some low scores out there. I'm very comfortable winning out there, and to be out here today, you know, hopefully the rest of this week, it's just helped me with confidence on the golf course.

Q. Your first time in the lead on this tour?
KRISTY McPHERSON: Yes, it is, after a round. I think at one point early in the round being up there, but after the first round that I posted a decent score, yes.

Q. First time being in an interview room?
KRISTY McPHERSON: It is. Can you tell? (Laughing).

Q. For those of us who don't know you, can you tell us what you've won and so forth?
KRISTY McPHERSON: I didn't win anything. I was on Big Break 6, which we filmed it the end of June last year. I think it showed through like September through December or something. But yeah, I didn't do too well on the show. I was third out I think.
But just being on the show, you know, it was a grind. It was warm up and take a couple of hours and it would be two or three hours before you hit one shot. It really helped me out to really make every single shot count because that's all it is. If you can't hit the shot right then, then you're going home and that's what happened to me early.

Q. How important is it to have played 18 while more than half the field will have to play 36 tomorrow?
KRISTY McPHERSON: It's great. At first I almost just kept my snooze on this morning because I knew we were going to have some kind of delay. But getting out here, I didn't think I was going to get in 18 holes and I was very fortunate. I may not get to tee off tomorrow. You just never know what the forecast is, but that's something that we all prepare for one way or the other.
But I'm definitely lucky to be finished now and hopefully just in time to chill out and get ready for next day, Saturday, Sunday, whatever it may be.

Q. If by chance this tournament was shortened to 36 holes, I guess that wouldn't hurt your feelings too much?
KRISTY McPHERSON: It wouldn't hurt my feelings, I guess. But I feel comfortable with my game out there, and I feel like I left some shots out there. So I'm not in any way afraid to go out and shoot something even lower tomorrow or the next day. You never know what's going to happen in golf. But any time you're tied for the lead after one day, if you can get it over quickly, get it over.
I do hope we get in our 54 holes for sponsors and for spectators and for all of us in general. Either way, whatever happens, I'm good with it.

Q. You pulled your second shot on 17?
KRISTY McPHERSON: I didn't pull it! Yes, I did. You sit there, you see two girls in my group -- I just tried to get it on the edge of the hole and just tried to jam it through and went on the left side.

Q. Can you tell us about this type of football injury?
KRISTY McPHERSON: You know more about me than I know.
It wasn't really a tackle football injury. When I was 11, I was just playing, you know, with my brothers like you always do and one of my brothers tackled me and I felt kind of a pop in my back and went and sat down on the couch and next thing I know, I get up to used restroom and I couldn't walk.
Long story short, I was in and out of the hospital for the next five or six months. Ended up being in the bed and through therapy for 11 and a half months and diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. For a sixth grader, it was not where you want to be, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I was a big softball and basketball player and probably would never have played golf without getting sick back when I was 11.

Q. What did you do today when you were waiting for play to resume?
KRISTY McPHERSON: The first time I went back, took a little nap, could have been longer. I came back and then we went back again and played a little gin. Gin is a big game out here, rain-delay game. Played a little gin and we are lucky to have great housing, staying right there just on the other side of 8 green. We drove back and forth and it was easy instead of having to hike back and forth.
Yeah, we just played cards and hung out and took care of some cards and all that fun stuff.

Q. Do you ever play in Myrtle Beach?
KRISTY McPHERSON: I am not even a mile from Myrtle Beach on the east size of the cosway. I've played pretty much every course there is in Myrtle Beach.

Q. All 128?
KRISTY McPHERSON: They are drastically dropping, building houses, but played pretty much all of them.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for your time and good luck this week.

End of FastScripts

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