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LPGA CORNING CLASSICMay 25, 2008Leta LindleyCORNING, NEW YORK ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Leta, congratulations on your first LPGA career victory. LETA LINDLEY: Thank you. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: 295 starts, ties the third in LPGA record books, but a win is a win, and everyone here is so happy for you. Can you just kind of talk about your emotions right now? LETA LINDLEY: I am thrilled. I dreamed about this day for over 13 years. And, gosh, for awhile you kind of wonder if it's ever going to come, is it ever going to come. When it comes down to it, am I going to be good enough to make those clutch putts coming down the stretch or to win on 18. And I was in another playoff way back when. It was so long ago I don't even know the year. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: 1997. LETA LINDLEY: Thank you, 1997. That was a long time ago. And I didn't play so well in that playoff. But I just -- I'm thrilled. I'm absolutely thrilled. I can't even believe I'm living this experience. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Well let's go over your scorecard, the birdies, bogeys and the playoff hole. LETA LINDLEY: What I can remember. (Laughing). I birdied two. The Par 5 I hit it just short of the green, chipped up above the hole, which is what you don't want to do, but I managed to make about a 6-footer for birdie. And the Par 3, number 3, I hit a 7-wood in, and I hit a great shot. That's a tough hole to hit it close, and I hit it to about 10 feet and made that for birdie. The next hole I bogeyed. I hit my drive in the left rough and pitched out just in front of the green, and I wasn't able to get it up and down. And I actually missed a short putt on the Par 5 right after that. I had hit a phenomenal chip. I hit my approach shot left of the green into the rough, and I hit a phenomenal chip shot to about 3 feet, and I missed it. I remember thinking to myself, You can't miss putts like that and expect to win a golf tournament; you just can't. Everyone -- you have to make those clutch putts, and I was a little disappointed. And I kind of played a couple holes and saw that J.J. had eagled that hole. By then I was like four or five back. I turned to my husband and said, Well, there's no reason to be nervous because I'm so far back, I might as well just go for it and go and play and do the best I can and see, you know, see what happens. And, let's see. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Birdie, birdie, birdie, 10, 11, 12. LETA LINDLEY: 10 was tough for me this week. I had bogeyed it Rounds 1 and 2, managed to par it in Round 3, and hit an 8-iron in there to less than a foot. So I was really excited, felt like I conquered that hole. The Par 3 I hit a 6-iron a little thin but it still managed to -- it was about 10 feet above the hole, and I made that one. I told myself that the hole owed me a putt because I lipped out the day before so it owed me one. And then the Par 5, I hit, I'm trying to remember how far I was, I don't even remember how far I was or what I hit it, but I did hit it to a foot I would say like 9-iron or 8-iron. We laid well back. I hit my drive in the left first cut and I just hit a 7-wood out there just wanting to get it back in play and hit that close. Then 17 I hugged that right side, and I was in the first cut with my drive. And I had the perfect number for a sand wedge, 94 yards. And I hit it, and I hit it, it was right on the flag. And my husband's yelling, Go in, go in. And I hit I about five inches for a tap-in birdie. Those are the birdies you like when you are coming down the stretch and are nervous. I had just seen J.J. stuff it in on 16 too, and I knew she would make it because J.J. makes everything. I'm like well we're going to be one back now. Then I hit it to those couple of inches. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Could you walk us through the playoff hole? Your club selection and everything if you remember. LETA LINDLEY: Well I drew Number 2 out of the hat which I actually with happy about. That's just luck of the draw. But seeing J.J. hit it down the left side, and I knew that she was probably going to have tree trouble especially with that left pin. And I think that's a tough driving hole as it is; the fairway kicks to the right. And if you hug too far left you get caught up in the rough. And I was down the right side the first time around. But you can play it from the right side. It's much harder to play from the left side. And I just tried see my line and hit it right there. And I didn't hit it quite as good as I did the first time around which was probably a good thing. It was a little shorter so I had one more club than in regulation. And I hit a 7-iron in. And I watched J.J. play first. She was just away. And seeing that she hit it in the right bunker, I thought, well I'll take dead aim, go right at it, to the perfect club. I just tried think about all those times on the range when I was hitting my shots I practiced with a stick down my target line and I just hit shots. And I just tried to tell myself just like you do on the range. And I flagged it. I hit it perfect. It was the best shot, one of the best shots I hit today. And I said well, you know, you gave yourself a chance. And my husband said, She's going to get it up and down. You have to expect she's going to get it up and down. Just like you do in match play, you always expect your opponent to make it, which she almost did. She almost made it out of the bunker. She had a tap-in. I would have given it to her if they would have let me. (Laughter). I said, Well I don't want to play this hole again; I don't want to play it again; I want to end it here; I might not get another chance. So I took my time, and Matt and I read the putt about a ball-and-a-half to two balls outside the left edge. And I've been -- just like I practiced, all I wanted to do was put a good stroke on it and a good roll on it. I didn't want to wee ball it as I call it. I just wanted to hit a good putt. I couldn't even believe it when I watched it roll into the bottom of the cup. I couldn't believe it. It was awesome. Q. How far was it? LETA LINDLEY: Probably 6, 7 feet. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Questions for Leta? Q. Do you think -- you talked about how when you were about midway through the round and about four strokes ahead, do you think had it been closer, you know, the fact you said you weren't nervous had it been closer maybe it would have been a different story? LETA LINDLEY: That was the only time, except on 18, that I looked at the scoreboard. I was just kind of plugging along and trying to stick to my plan, which was to pick my lines and to see my shot and be committed to that. So I didn't really give it another thought. I was just more disappointed I had missed that putt on, is it 5? I was disappointed because I said, winners don't miss putts like that; you have to take your birdies when you get the opportunity. And so I was a little disappointed. But what are you going to do? I was trying to my best. And I let it go, and I never looked at the scoreboard again. I knew J.J. was going to play well. She always does. She is a great player. And I expected her to make birdies. I certainly didn't expect anybody to give me anything. I knew especially with the weather conditions the way they were today being less windy that the scores were going to be low, and I was going to have to make birdies to win or to even have a good tournament. You know, I didn't want to go out there and just play average and then be passed by 25 people. So I didn't look at the scoreboard again until 18 when I was on the green. And I turned around just to see where I was at and what I needed to do. And I gave my putt a good roll the first time in regulation. But obviously it was quite lengthy. I was going up and over a hill and around the bend. And I gave it a chance but then it was up above the hole a couple feet, not exactly the one you want left. But I've been practicing those, and I've been putting well all week and it just -- just like you do with the girls at home, is what I was telling myself. I play lots of games with the girls back at my club. Just like I was playing against them, and I made it, and I was thrilled to give myself the opportunity to win or be in a playoff. Q. Was there any one moment as you are were making the comeback that you said to yourself-- and I know you weren't watching the scoreboard but just kind of sensed that you were back in it? LETA LINDLEY: Not until really 17. I knew J.J. had put a close on 16. I watched her because we were waiting to not disturb her by walking around the green. I saw her hit a good shot, and I laughed because she is such a good player, and I fully expected her to hit a good shot on that hole. I struggled with that hole all week. And so it really wasn't until I hit it so close on 17, I thought, wow, you might have a chance. And, you know, I really tried to take my time on the tee ball on 18. Because it's really important that you get it in play. I didn't want to give it away there. I wanted to give myself a chance. Q. Could I just get a little quick biographical stuff? LETA LINDLEY: Sure. Q. You mentioned your husband. What is his name? LETA LINDLEY: Matt Plagmann. Q. And your children? LETA LINDLEY: Cole. He's four. And Reese. And she's 22 months. Q. She was in here with us watching on TV. Did you want her out on the course or did -- LETA LINDLEY: I knew they were going to come to the 18th green to see me finish regardless of how I played. I knew that was the plan. They don't ever come out on the golf course to watch me. They'd be too excited and distracting. But I knew they were going to be here this afternoon. Q. I see they were kind of having fun rolling the ball out there? LETA LINDLEY: Yes. Q. And was this your 295th event? LETA LINDLEY: Yes. Q. And 14 years on the Tour? LETA LINDLEY: This is my 14th season, if you count three events the season when I was pregnant with my daughter but yes. Q. When you started out back when did you think it would take-- LETA LINDLEY: This long? Q. To win. LETA LINDLEY: I wasn't that good when I started, to be honest. When I started I was 20th conditional my rookie year. And I got in 20 events and I actually played in the U.S. Open and I finished fifth. It was my very first U.S. Open. I never tried to qualify before. I won $30,000 and I was thrilled. I thought, wow I kept my card I can buy a car. I was just happy to keep my card. I didn't know if I could stay out here one year let alone 14 years. And I was lucky when I came out, you know, I don't know that the Tour was as deep then as it is today. And I was able to learn about myself and my game while playing on tour. I don't think you can do that now. You have -- the Tour's-- the depth of talent is so great that you either have it or you don't, to be out here. Q. Considering the depth of the talent on the Tour like you talked about, did the doubts start to come into your head if it would ever happen? LETA LINDLEY: It was getting harder and harder. I feel like each year -- like this year we were trying to stay in the top 35 to qualify for the U.S. Open without having to go through the 36-hole qualifier. There just seemed like each year it's getting harder and harder and harder to stay in that top 35 or that top 40 than it was 5, 6, 7 years ago. And each year I would tee it up wondering, I wonder how things are going to go this year. I know I'm working hard, but I do have two children so it's little more challenging for me. But there's new talent coming out each year, and it just gets tougher and tougher. So to win this year, my 14th season on tour, with the talent as great as it is really makes it so special. Q. After that putt, was it just a combination of everything, relief, joy? LETA LINDLEY: I don't know if it was relief. I was just so excited. I couldn't believe that the putt went in for me. Because so many times I come to 18 and, you know, you see other players and they're making birdies and my putt would lip out or, you know, it just would never go in. And to see it go in the hole, I was just so excited. You know, I did it. I saw the putt. I executed the putt. Even though I was nervous and it went in. Q. By the way, who hit you with the champagne out there? LETA LINDLEY: That was Danielle Ammaccapane, a fellow mom. I passed her on 15. She's like, come on Leta, come on Matt. Just really trying to pump us up. Then I saw her on 18th fairway and she's yelling at me, come on finish it off. (Laughing). She's so funny. She is such a competitor. I really appreciated that you know. Kind of got me fired up. I'm like, okay, I'm going to go do it. (Laughing). That was very, very nice of her for so many of my fellow players to stick around watch me finish. Q. I heard you mentioned something about your husband you forgot his birthday? LETA LINDLEY: I didn't forget about his birthday but when your husband works for you and you travel together and spend 24 hours a day together it's really hard. If we go to the mall he is there with me with the kids. So it's hard to get time away especially when we're on the road to get to a mall, to get a card or to do anything because he's right there. And so of course, you know, I asked him what do you want for your birthday; what do you want for your birthday? I don't care about my birthday, it's just any other day. Probably stopped counting after he turned 30. It's not that big of deal. I think for both of us now, it's not the birthdays it's Mother's Day and Father's Day that's super special. So I thought last night when I was thinking about what I would say if I won, you know, that this would be his happy belated birthday present and hopefully that would suffice. (Laughing). ASHLEY CUSHMAN: When was his birthday? LETA LINDLEY: It was on Tuesday. And we had a player meeting so I couldn't even -- a mandatory player meeting on my husband's birthday. So I was there with 143 other women in a conference room and he was with the kids on his birthday. Q. Will you be heading out right to the next tournament or you going to get stick around and do some celebrating? LETA LINDLEY: Well I'm suppose to fly out tomorrow morning out of Rochester. My husband was suppose to drive the van with our son all the way down to South Carolina. I don't know what our plans are now. I guess I could afford two more tickets out of Rochester and rent a car (laughing) so he wouldn't have to drive. But he seems so determined to drive. I don't know, I think it's because to fly it's so frustrating these days and to pay them extra money for my extra luggage. They're just not my friends these days. Q. I think Corning has a jet. LETA LINDLEY: I don't know if it fits all my luggage. Have you seen us arrive at an airport? We have eight pieces of luggage -- six bags and two car seats. There's not a private plane big enough for my crew. (Laughing). Q. How is your history at Corning? I mean what's the significance of winning here just I guess talk about that here at Corning and getting that first win here? LETA LINDLEY: Well I think both Matt and I have always said this is a great golf course for me. It's tight. It's not super long. And we just like it here. It's just relaxed atmosphere. Coming from the week before when we were in New Jersey, really close to the city, everything's rush, rush, rush, rush, rush. You come here and everybody's so nice. It's the little details. It's the birthday cake in the locker room. They treat the caddies really good here. We like the stay bridge where we stay. It's just all the things that we like. And we like going to Wegmans. It's just the little things. We've just come to love it here over the years. I don't know how many Corning Classics I've missed, probably at least two that I know of because I was pregnant both times, and then maybe two others, so I'll say four. But it's always been one of my top priorities to come here because I think it's good golf course for me and my husband always says, You can win there; you can win at Corning. Here I did. And on the 30th anniversary. Its very exciting. ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Are there any more questions? Leta, thank you. Congratulations. LETA LINDLEY: Thank you very much. End of FastScripts |
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