U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 2008

Minea Blomqvist

FULLAUDIOINTERVIEW

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I'm upset because I forget to put on makeup today. I didn't think I was going to play that well. I should be looking nice for the media.

Q. On nine you were four feet?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: It feels very nice on especially on the ninth hole, because it's kind of -- you can't miss it that much, you can have very difficult shot coming back.

So it felt a little bit very good.

And actually No. 17, or No. 8 I made three putts so I was very happy with the birdie.

Q. The one that went all the way around. How far was that, three feet?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I would say three feet, yeah. Two and a half feet. Three feet.

Q. Right-to-left down or what?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: That's maybe the thing, I thought it straight. But probably it was right-to-left.

Q. You had a 62 or something at the British Open a few years back?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: That's kind of funny. I started to think that after two birdies. So I kind of got ahead of myself a little bit, because I started with two birdies and then I started to think, well maybe of 2 is coming.

So I'm just enjoying this course so much that I had a week off last week and just getting here, I was, I played the Junior Solheim Cup here six years ago so I was watching the Solheim -- big Solheim Cup on this course and I think it was just great to come back and play it yourself.

Q. It this your first time back since that Junior Solheim Cup?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yes. Yes.

Q. You walked the course that week during the actual Solheim Cup?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yes, I was watching the whole week. We played the Junior Solheim Cup on other golf course and then we watched it.

Q. Do you remember any shots or any matches in particular that you saw from watching the big girls play?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: No, I just remember the 18. I was like how are they going to get over the water? I would be so nervous. And actually it has to be a little bit in my mind like getting over that water.

But it's only like 170 to carry if you hit it good.

Q. What did you hit in there now?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I have 5-wood today. And I made birdie. I was just short of the green.

Q. Is this what courses look like in Finland, at all like this?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yeah, sure. Every course is like this.

Q. Well, you get lakes and trees and hills?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: We have a lot of beautiful golf courses. Nice views with the lakes but, no, actually couple of last years we have built couple of very good golf courses. So they are hoping to get like European Tour event, men's European Tour event. But very beautiful views.

Q. Are these greens unique from what you've played in the past?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yes, because there is so much break. I don't think this is the -- I think this is the first tournament that you have to, that there is so much break on the greens. So you really have to drop the balls in.

Q. On the fifth hole when you and Song-Hee were both 5-under I think I counted less than 50 people watching you. On the other side of the course, Annika has got thousands. Is it comfortable playing when there's not as many watching?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Of course, but that's the fun thing here in a U.S. Open. When we got here on Monday, there was already so many people on the Monday watching. And you just get so excited because people are supporting it. I like people around. But of course we had -- I played with Japanese girl so that's why we had -- at least we had a little bit of people. And I think that's always fun.

Q. Are you and Mika pretty much the biggest golfers back home?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yeah, he is the only one on the European Tour and I'm the only one here. We have two ladies on the European Tour, on the Ladies European Tour.

Q. How will this be played back home do you suppose?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: How old?

Q. No, how do you think the people back home will react when they see how you're playing this week? Will they go nuts or is golf that big a deal yet?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I think it's growing and I think five years ago when I turned pro and I played very well the first year, and Mika has been -- he won two times last year, so it helps a lot. I mean it's getting bigger. So I hope I can get little piece in the newspaper.

(Laughter.)

Q. Pin placements today compared to yesterday?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I would actually say -- I don't know.

Q. Did it make it easier being all the way in the back because you had so much room in the front?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I don't think they were that difficult today. There was maybe a couple of tough pins, but other than that, no. And this is kind of golf course that you don't go -- you don't go too much to the pins. You play always to the low side that you try to get the good putt from. So that's why I kind of, you know, did that.

Q. That 6 pin is all the way in the back. It was almost like on the very edge, right?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: 6? Yes, 6 was like, I kind of, I had between 8 and 9 on that hole and I took 9 because I didn't want to go over. Because it was there. So I left myself like, I'm talking meters, so 7 meters uphill putt.

Q. What did you think with the tee being up here what were they trying to get you to do? Go for it?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: They did that on two par-5s today. They did this one and then they did I think it's No. 13. Maybe. 13. So I had a 240 there from the front of the green so I guess some people can get it on.

And I think that this is kind of fun, because it makes it, you can't get over the left, you can't get over the bunkers on the left, so you kind of hit tough to hit pretty good shot here that you get the good chance going.

Q. You haven't played since McDonald's, right?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: No I was caddieing for my boyfriend at home, actually. And now can I understand my caddie again. Or my, yeah, my caddie here.

Q. Where? Who did you caddie for?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: He caddied for my boyfriend on the Challenge Tour. It's like the Nationwide Tour in Europe.

Q. How did he do?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I'm perfect caddie, you know I have like two top-10s and as a caddie. So if this doesn't work out, I go for that. But my boyfriend finished 7th. So it was very good.

Q. Did you get eight percent or what?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Of course, you know. I'm not cheap.

(Laughter.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MINEA BLOMQVIST: He played minus four today as well, so. I kind of had that in my mind on the last time I had a birdie putt. R O O P E. K A K K O. Is his name. And you should feel bad for me about this surname because it's not very nice. Kakko means shit in Finnish. So it's very close.

(Laughter.)

So I'm not very happy about that if we going to stay together.

Q. You've just got to keep your maiden name.

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yeah, probably, I will.

Q. He would take your name, right? Make him take your name?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: You can't do that. Men have to go on with their family, you know. I just have to take it, you know.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yes, I am. We're together seven years now.

Q. How old are you?

MINEA BLOMQVIST: 23.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yeah.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I know my manager actually owns the ice hockey team in Finland. So I know a lot of ice hockey players. My neighbor actually from Finland is playing for Washington Capitols. But he is kind of in the lower, he played only seven games in the big league last year, so. I follow that.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MINEA BLOMQVIST: I think he is home. Partying. That's usually what the guys, the players do in the summer.

Q. A lot of Finnish people up north in Minnesota.

MINEA BLOMQVIST: Yeah, I don't know anybody, but it has been so much fun to hear sometimes Finnish, you know, just normal things, good day. And it's like, I guess that there is just people who are back like grandfather or something like that.