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SBS OPEN AT TURTLE BAY

February 15, 2008

Erica Blasberg

KAHUKU, HAWAII

THE MODERATOR: Good round. Welcome, Erica, welcome to the interview room. This is your third year on Tour?
ERICA BLASBERG: Fourth year.
THE MODERATOR: You had a phenomenal round. Only bogey of the day was on the first hole. You're tied in the lead with Annika Sorenstam. How are you feeling right now?
ERICA BLASBERG: It's exciting. I watched the leaderboard today. I wanted to -- I was trying to focus on just playing well, not worrying about anything else but trying to catch the lead, even if I'm not. So it was fun.
It's going to be exciting tomorrow. Definitely.
THE MODERATOR: Let's go over your scorecard. Your approach in, how far out, what club.
ERICA BLASBERG: 7-iron from about, I think it was, playing 155 to the hole.
THE MODERATOR: How close did you putt?
ERICA BLASBERG: Maybe 40 feet. 30, 40 feet.
THE MODERATOR: 3-putt.
ERICA BLASBERG: 3-putted on that in the last two days. Tomorrow that's my goal.
THE MODERATOR: No. 3?
ERICA BLASBERG: I had a little chip and chipped it up close, maybe five feet, made the putt.
THE MODERATOR: 6?
ERICA BLASBERG: I don't remember. Maybe a 15-foot birdie putt.
THE MODERATOR: What did you hit?
ERICA BLASBERG: I can't remember. Sorry. Oh, no, it was like 130, I think hit a pitching wedge a little downwind.
THE MODERATOR: 8?
ERICA BLASBERG: Par 3. Hooked my iron a little bit. Had a long putt, maybe 30 feet and made it.
THE MODERATOR: What club?
ERICA BLASBERG: 9-iron.
THE MODERATOR: 9.
ERICA BLASBERG: I hit the green in two. I didn't think I could reach it. Then all of a sudden I hit it good. Pin-high. Just missed my eagle putt and it happened.
THE MODERATOR: How far was it?
ERICA BLASBERG: Maybe 20 feet.
THE MODERATOR: What club did you use for your approach shot?
ERICA BLASBERG: 3-wood.
THE MODERATOR: How far out was that?
ERICA BLASBERG: I believe to the pin, maybe 225.
THE MODERATOR: No. 14.
ERICA BLASBERG: Just a good, solid putt. Didn't look like it was going to get there. Just barely got there. I had maybe a pitching wedge in.
THE MODERATOR: How far was the putt?
ERICA BLASBERG: The putt was 15 feet.
THE MODERATOR: Okay. Questions?

Q. How close were you on 18 to that birdie?
ERICA BLASBERG: Missed the green a little chip. Almost went in, yeah. Didn't have a very good drive on that hole, left it off to the right, punching out.

Q. You were playing with Annika on the last round of the last day of the tournament, what are you going to be thinking about?
ERICA BLASBERG: I don't think that phases me so much. Just thinking about going out there and playing golf. I think some of those things can get in your head, you're playing with the world's greatest player, you've got the last group, possibly. I don't know how the afternoon is going. But I'm just going to go out there and play golf and not really think too much about what's going on around me.

Q. How about when you see her face, is that going to change?
ERICA BLASBERG: No. Annika is awesome. No, it will be more fun, actually.

Q. What's it like playing behind them?
ERICA BLASBERG: Well, they were around, we didn't see them much on the back nine. We barely saw them.

Q. Can you talk about what you worked on in the off season?
ERICA BLASBERG: Yeah, the funny thing is this off season I moved over to a new side of town in Vegas. Not quite comfortable with the golf courses over there to go out and practice that much. When I was in Vegas I didn't practice that much. I worked a lot in California with my dad who is my coach. So I haven't really been practicing that much.
I did like the last three weeks, I was in Florida and playing Pro Ams and things. But I'm so happy to be here, hitting golf balls and playing golf. I think sometimes when you're practicing a lot in the off season, you lose the excitement of the tournament. And just being out here and being able to hit shots again and just having fun. It's kind of my motto this year, where in the past I was stressed out a little too much about different things. I'm just enjoying it.

Q. (Question about coming out of practice heading into the LPGA?)
ERICA BLASBERG: I wouldn't say that. I think my quality was 100 times better but my quantity was 100 times less. I put a lot of effort in when I was practicing. I just didn't practice quite as much as I should have, maybe not even should have. I just didn't practice that much.

Q. Seems to be working out.
ERICA BLASBERG: Yeah, I'm having fun out there.

Q. The last time you were in a conference, scoring?
ERICA BLASBERG: This might be the first time. Yeah, I think last year at the Open I was maybe in the top three maybe at one point, but definitely first time going into the last day, definitely.

Q. Last time you won a tournament?
ERICA BLASBERG: College. Four and a half years ago, I don't know. I can't count now. No Future Store. I can't remember what it was. But I did.

Q. Do you miss that feeling?
ERICA BLASBERG: Yes. Definitely out here I kind of numbed myself to the feeling of winning, not really being comfortable the way I should have out here and just kind of like almost -- I've taken these last three years as almost a learning process, not really going out and just playing how I've always played. So it's definitely nice to get that feeling back, that adrenalin, don't focus about making a cut, focus on getting to the leader or whatever that might be. So you focus on that exact shot that you're at not 10 shots ahead.
Definitely my mind-set is in a better place this year.

Q. What were you doing on -- you opened with a bogey and then you finished out that front nine pretty well. What were you thinking about right around the tournament, you're at 600?
ERICA BLASBERG: I'm thinking how many more birdies I can make on the back nine. I feel good. I feel confident in the swing, the putts falling where they want to fall. I can't force that. I feel my putting is decent right now, I can make some putts out there. So I was focusing on some birdies.

Q. When did you know where you stood?
ERICA BLASBERG: I watched it all day. It was kind of a game to me. It was kind of fun.

Q. Have you talked to your dad?
ERICA BLASBERG: No, we haven't talked in a couple of days. Maybe we'll talk tonight.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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