U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2008

Hilary Lunke

FULL AUDIO INTERVIEW

Q. Talk about playing in front of a hometown crowd. What was it like on the first tee, hitting the first ball of the championship?

HILARY LUNKE: I was unexpectedly actually very emotional. I'm not someone who usually gets nervous on the first tee. I thought I was prepared for it, but I had tears well up in my eyes and was wishing I had a few more moments to kind of collect myself. It was kind of overwhelming when they first introduce you and they go through the whole history of everyone trying to qualify for the event and the number of players and it just kind of hits home that I'm a former champion of the event and playing in my hometown and it was really special.

Q. Did you settle down pretty quickly after that?

HILARY LUNKE: Well, I hit a horrible first shot. So that kind of settled me. It's like let's get together here now and figure this out. I hit a quick hook off the first tee and then after that I was able to, once I got out in the fairway, and just kind of get into the flow of the round.

Q. Do you have any idea how many people were here to see you today?

HILARY LUNKE: Considering that it was 7 a.m. when I started it was really a pretty impressive number. I'm not sure what the total was but definitely felt lots of positive energy from the crowd and was able to hole some longer than my average putts today and did it on holes with a lot of fans. So that was fun.

Q. Was there still dew on the course when you were starting?

HILARY LUNKE: The first couple holes it was a little bit wet but really not a factor at all.

Actually, the balls were bouncing on the greens more than I expected early in the morning and then they actually seemed a little bit softer on the back side. And I expected them to be getting firmer and firmer. So they were pretty good if I remember right from the get go this morning. Not too much dew.

Q. Did it start earlier than that, earlier when you were younger you probably started earlier?

HILARY LUNKE: I'm used to being a dew sweeper out here. Exactly. The birdies I had -- I started out with that bogey and then No. 2 I was pretty much able to reach the green in two. It rolled off back down over the front and I got up-and-down.

And then on No. 3 I was in between clubs. I was in between clubs a lot today and was kind of trying to decide what to do and I hit a choke down 9-iron. Came up a little bit too short and rolled in about a 30-footer.

And then I guess, let's see, when did I make my next birdie? Did I not make another one until 13. The par-5 also. Again, kind of a tweener shot, right in between hitting a wedge and 9- iron. Tried to hit a 9-iron and just hit it a little bit too much in the heel and had to roll in another 30-footer uphill. Pretty much the exact same putt I had rolled in on 3.

And then 17, I kind of mishit my 7-wood a little bit it bounced right up on the green and rolled in about another 35-footer.

Q. After the initial attention did you find it was actually more relaxing or more nerve wracking being on your home course this round?

HILARY LUNKE: I would say I found it a little bit more nerve wracking actually, just knowing how many people are rooting for you. Normally you're kind of out there for yourself and the fans aren't caring too much if you make the putt or miss the putt and you kind of wanted to make them all today for the fans.

So I felt a little bit more nervous than usual playing in front of my hometown and also just having not played in competition for as much this year and coming right out to a U.S. Open where those one footers are pretty scary, you don't have that any other week, you're kind of -- your knees are shaking right away, so.

Q. 1-over, are you happy?

HILARY LUNKE: I am. I didn't hit the ball very well especially on my first side I really didn't hit the ball well. Started hitting better on the back side, but still a few loose shots. And so I was really pleased that I was able to finish at 1-over with that.

Q. (Inaudible.)

HILARY LUNKE: Yeah, you're going to see the scores be pretty low right now if the weather stays like this. Wind's not really a factor, so far no rain. So the ball is still going a pretty good distance, you're hitting short irons into the greens and if you're hitting the ball well you can really score out here.

If we get some rain the shorter hitters are going to have some trouble because of the length of the golf course. Or if it keeps staying dry like this, the longer hitters are going to keep having to cut back off the tee and hit shorter and shorter clubs off the tee in order to stay in the fairway.

Q. On a course this difficult how much of an advantage is it to know it as well as you do? Or does it play so tough it doesn't matter?

HILARY LUNKE: I think the experience I had here was under such different conditions that it really isn't much of an advantage at all. There are a few -- for the most part you got to respect every green out here, but there are a few that you really have to be careful on and I know which ones those are. So that is a little bit of an advantage.

They all look like they're slopey, but there's a few that are really slopey and will get you. So having a little bit of inside knowledge might help, but for the most part everyone's trying to stay below the hole anyway so it doesn't matter.

Q. Which holes are those?

HILARY LUNKE: I'm not going to tell my secrets.

Q. How many times do you figure you've played this course over the years?

HILARY LUNKE: I probably only played 18 holes here maybe 10 or 12 times. I've played this side, which is normally the front side, a few times more than that because in high school we played our nine hole matches on this side.

Q. What family was here? Big huge contingent, what was it?

HILARY LUNKE: I got my parents and my sisters and my daughter was out there for part of it. And then my husband's family came in from Texas with his aunt and uncle and his uncle's brothers and so we have got people coming over from Wisconsin from his family and quite a contingent.

Q. Take us through the last hole, could you. 18. Are you familiar with it, it was --

HILARY LUNKE: Yeah.

Q. Were you nervous?

HILARY LUNKE: No, not so much. Just, it's a really tight tee shot and they moved the tee up a little bit so now I can reach that fairway bunker, but I don't want to give up the length off the tee by hitting a three wood to stay short of it.

So you really got to lace your tee shot through there and I just pushed it a little bit and it clipped the tree and came down in the rough. I had a horrible lie so it was an easy decision just to pitch out. And then I had 225 yards left into the green. Hit a pretty good 4-wood. Not quite perfectly solid just on the front of the fringe there and had a tough 2-putt so I was glad to make a five.

Q. That little 4-footer or whatever it was, you felt good about that?

HILARY LUNKE: Yeah, you don't want to end missing a short putt like that. Actually didn't have too many of that length putt today. So it was a pretty dicey one. Had to kind of play it out on the outside of the left of the hole. So just tried to keep my head down and hit a solid stroke and luckily it went right in the center.

Q. The gallery was nice to you, obviously they were pulling for you. That had to feel good.

HILARY LUNKE: Absolutely. My husband had tears in his eyes when I came over to give him a hug on the side of the green. I think that he realized this morning too with that introduction and just really what a unique experience it is, a once in a lifetime opportunity to come back here as a former champion and to play the greatest event in my sport in my hometown, to get a reception like that on the last hole is just awesome. Especially to get it after making the putt instead of missing it for sure.

Q. What do you think about the rest of the next three days? Do you feel like you're in the right spot?

HILARY LUNKE: Yeah, I do. I just told my husband after the front nine that I said, I'm just going to stop thinking about my swing. I was out there trying to have a few too many swing thoughts I think, still working on the things I've been working on the range for the last month. And I said I'm just going to forget it. You've done your preparation, just get out there and swing the club.

And I'm feeling really good with my putter, so if I hit the ball a little more solidly like I did on the back, get rid of a few of those loose shots and keep putting well, I feel really good about where I'll end up this week.