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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 22, 2008

Karine Icher

CORNING, NEW YORK

THE MODERATOR: Karine, thanks for joining us today. Great round out there, 5-under par. 67. Tied for second place right now. Can you talk about the way you played, six birdies, one bogey out there, in the cold and rainy conditions?
KARINE ICHER: Well, the first one, first hole bogey was almost a par 5, so I missed my drive a little bit on the last one. Then I was short of the green and chipped it this morning. And the second hole was a short par 5. So I had the drive, hybrid 25 degrees, and then 2 putt.
THE MODERATOR: How far was the 2-putt?
KARINE ICHER: I was maybe 10 yards to the hole. Then on the other par 5, which is a short one, too, I had driver, 3-wood. Chipped. And one for 10 feet. Then on the par 3 I hit 6-iron to 15 feet. Then on the 10th, it was a good birdie. I missed my drive on the left rough. And then I hit 7-iron maybe 12 yards to the hole. I don't know, eight feet. And then I had one set, it was a good set. Then on the 12, driver, 3-wood. 7-iron. We had the wind and 15 feet.
And on the 14, driver, 3-wood, wedge, two feet.
THE MODERATOR: Karine, you still put together a great round out there despite the cold. Was the cold affecting you much?
KARINE ICHER: Yes, this morning it was really cold. And very happy to score a 67, because it's a little bit tough to play under these conditions, especially when you have wind. The wind would stop and blow again. And you never know which side is coming. It was tough today, but I had the good driving, good putting and try again tomorrow.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Is that a small victory in itself playing so well, as you said, in the cold, rainy, these conditions?
KARINE ICHER: Yeah, I'm from France, so I'm used to playing in cold weather. But it's more difficult to play with this, versus 80 degrees. Now I had a good round of golf today.
So I don't know if it was sunshine or warmer than that. I don't know if I can score better. But I have tried to keep my hand warm and that's it.

Q. Seems like it's been kind of an up-and-down season for you. Talk about what's been going on with the game. How have you been playing?
KARINE ICHER: I've not done really well this season. I had a good finish in Mexico. And then it was up-and-down. The last two weeks my caddie was suspended was not able to caddie for me. So it was tough again because it was kind of a bad luck for me. So to come back today, it's proved to me that we are a good team together and it's really important to come from that in my mind.

Q. (Question about caddie incident.)
KARINE ICHER: I can tell you why. He touched the badge of a volunteer who was sitting just behind me on the tee at the Ginn Open, so maybe a month ago. When I was starting my swing, a cell phone rang. So I start again my routine. I hit the shot. And then I look back and I saw this volunteer sitting on his chair keep talking on the phone.
So my caddie went to him and said: Well, listen, you are a volunteer and it's not really nice to do that. And he took his badge to show him no cell phone. Then a week later I heard that my caddie broke the phone. He never touched the phone. It was my word against the word of somebody else.
So for that I had $200 fine and he was two weeks suspended. So for me, to me, it was a little bit unfair, because I had a fine for something my caddie never did. I never did something wrong. He never did something wrong. This guy did something wrong because it's not right to have a cell phone on the golf course, especially when you're a volunteer.
Then for that I was suspended. So I was really disappointed. Sad to see that we can't do anything as a player. So just for that he was suspended for two weeks. I had my dad on my golf bag last week, it was not too easy, because he know me but not enough. So that's it.

Q. What's the name of your caddie?
KARINE ICHER: It's my groomsman. Fred Bonnargent.
THE MODERATOR: He's your husband?
KARINE ICHER: Yeah.

Q. What event did that take place at, the situation?
KARINE ICHER: The situation was at the Ginn Open in Orlando, Florida, like the end of April, just after my good finish in Mexico. And I've been aware of the suspension the week after Miami at the Pro-Am.

Q. So both you and your husband were suspended?
KARINE ICHER: No, just him.

Q. You could still play?
KARINE ICHER: I played the last few weeks, but it was more difficult. But he was not allowed on site. So for the last two weeks he didn't put any foot or anything on the golf course.

Q. Did that happen early in the tournament, the first or second round?
KARINE ICHER: No, it happened to me on my 17th hole. It was the eighth tee. But I started on the back nine. At the eighth hole I was like almost in the cut. So I missed my drive in the rough. And I don't know if it's because I heard the cell phone. But anyway, and it was just on the second round I missed the cut and that's it.

Q. As I recall, I think it might have been three years ago, after three rounds, just your thoughts on that and how like the last round that had to be disappointing, did that still play in your mind or did you kind of know now what you might have to do to finish?
KARINE ICHER: It was in '05, it was my first year on the LPGA. I played really good for the first three rounds and a half. And I remember, I had bogey, double bogey. And I've learned during this round, I've learned that golf, it's just about patience and hitting one shot at a time and not be focused on the future. So, yeah, I remember this round. I was paring with Annika, it was a little bit impressed for me to play with her because it was my first year, really first event on the LPGA, because I got my card during the '05 season.
But I still have good memories on this golf course. I love this golf course. And the greens are great. Fairways are in great shape. So I think we are lucky to play this level of quality on the golf course.

Q. With the experience now, did you feel like it was a little -- were you awed being with Annika or wondering maybe if you could handle it?
KARINE ICHER: No, the experience is just play every shot like every single shot and not thinking about next hole or the score or the finishes or anything. I think three years ago I was a little bit more towards the future.
And like today I've tried to play one shot at a time with tough conditions. So if you begin to think about the end of the course or about tomorrow or whatever, it's more difficult to score.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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