	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

SBS OPEN AT TURTLE BAY

February 15, 2008

Momoko Ueda

KAHUKU, HAWAII

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for coming. We have one of our 2008 rookies who is on the top of the leaderboard, doing very well. She won the classic in Japan. You had a great year, great round. Can you please just go over how you feel about what was going really well for you today?
MOMOKO UEDA: I think the thing was that I was able to switch my gears quite quickly. And the other thing was that I think my course management worked out really well.
THE MODERATOR: Can we go over your scorecard, your birdies.
MOMOKO UEDA: No. 3, 5, 6, 7, 9. 17. 18.
THE MODERATOR: Bogeys.
MOMOKO UEDA:4. 13.
THE MODERATOR: Can you kind of go over how far out on No. 3?
MOMOKO UEDA: About 210 yards to the pin. So I used the 3-wood, and I hit it to the back of the pin, which landed at about 15 meters from the pin.
And I had the 2-putt.

Q. You were able to switch gears or your motions, how did you do that?
MOMOKO UEDA: I think, first of all, what I did was I thought about each shot that I was taking and the other thing was by thinking how I approach each shot, I thought about it and I think that was what worked out for me.
And yesterday I wasn't putting so well, but today it seemed like the putts went in a lot better.
So with a combination of the two, I was able to switch gears.

Q. What did you work on preparing for your first year of professionals on the LPGA?
MOMOKO UEDA: So I worked on my short games as well as I worked on the face shot.

Q. How would you compare yourself to Ji as far as your game and personality and how much does she mean to you as far as your career is concerned?
MOMOKO UEDA: First of all, as a person, I have very high respect for Ji. And especially at the golf course, it's great the way she just puts herself, how she puts all her concentration into the game itself once she gets to the golf course. And the other thing is that her approaches are really, really fantastic.
I think I'm more of a shot-maker. I don't think I'll have any problems with distance. And I'm also able to stop the ball. Or by that what she means is it doesn't roll off the green; she's able to stop it.

Q. I was wondering how if Ji inspired you at all.
MOMOKO UEDA: Of course she inspires me.
When I was still a student, she had already been playing professional golf. And she had started playing on the LPGA two years earlier than I did. And, of course, not only she's improved on her English and she's studied really hard and in that sense not only is she good at the golf course, but she's also giving her best to study English.

Q. What are your goals as a rookie in 2008?
MOMOKO UEDA: First thing is to get one win under my belt. And the second thing is to try and play with as many different players as I possibly can, and learn from their skills and their technical skills.

Q. How are you handling all the media attention? Do you see the pressure to win?
MOMOKO UEDA: So when the galleries are here and when everybody's watching me, I feel really a sense of professionalism. And right now, in the Japanese golf industry, the women's tour is getting quite a bit of attention.
And there's quite a bit of following. But to be honest with you, if and when that completely, all of the following disappears, that's going to be quite sad or I'll miss it.

Q. The question was if you could describe your round in one word in English what would it be?
MOMOKO UEDA: I wonder what would be the word. (Laughter) Good play today.

Q. With all the interest in Isoka and Ji, is it tough to make your own break-through or get your own attention?
MOMOKO UEDA: I'm pretty sure if I can produce the results, people will start paying attention.
So every year so far I've accomplished all my goals, and so by being able to accomplish each of the goals and producing the results, I'm sure that I could become just as good a player or good as they are and make a name for myself.

Q. There was a time when you really got into the zone and you were really able to concentrate on your play?
MOMOKO UEDA: Rather than being in the zone, what I did was I had to concentrate, or a lot of my shots I needed to really concentrate on what I was doing. So, therefore, I think that was the part where I was able to just get into myself and just concentrate on what I was doing.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297