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P&G BEAUTY NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY JOHN Q. HAMMONS

July 3, 2008

Morgan Pressel

ROGERS, ARKANSAS

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Morgan, thanks for coming in and joining us today. I know this is your first year playing here at the Northwest Arkansas Championship, for your first time at the Pinnacle Country Club. Can you just give us your impressions of the course and what you think of Rogers so far?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah. It's nice. I'm happy to be here this year. I didn't come last year. Looks like I didn't miss too much with all the rain, except for a little bit of the wet weather.
But the golf course is in great shape. It looks good. So it's kind of more of a fun golf course from what we came off from last week, which was quite a challenge, so we'll be firing at some pins and making birdies this week, and hopefully I can do that.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: And also, if you could, just comment on your season so far. You've really been off to some strong starts here in the last couple of weeks. So if you could comment on where your game is right now and things you're looking forward to this weekend.
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah. I've had some rough times this season and some good times, and that's kind of what -- at the end of the season you look back and you'll have some high points and some low points, but lately I've definitely been playing a lot better than I was at the beginning of the season. And I hope that I can continue to make some putts and that I'm close, because out here, whoever makes the most putts is going to win week after week.

Q. When things weren't going so well for you this year, what was going wrong for you and how were you able to kind of battle back from the low points, as you kind of say?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I think that what happened earlier this year is I was really working hard to try to change my swing, a little bit in the off season, and because of that, I stopped working quite as hard, not -- I mean I just didn't practice as much short game as I would have liked, but I did work a lot on my putting and chipping and bunker play and things like that.
After the first missed putts, I realized that that was really my problem, and I tried to work a lot harder on that, so if I just miss a green and get in the fringe, I'd make bogey instead of a routine up-and-down maybe even a chip-in birdie.
Those are things that can ruin the momentum in the round and get you started going the other way.

Q. In what ways did you change your swing and what brought that about?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, just searching for distance and looking for -- I come out of my swing a little bit early. And just really trying to just put a little bit more heat on the golf ball. And you know, I was working hard on this, and it just took my focus off of the scoring side of my game.

Q. Do you know what change (inaudible)?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Not that much. It's a hard thing. It's a short off season and a hard thing, but I'm hoping -- I'm still working on it. I've still got some things that I'm trying to do, and hopefully we'll find it sometime.

Q. You really seem to wear your emotions on your sleeve when you play golf. Talk about how that helps you, and maybe is it ever a detriment to your play, do you think?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, it's just my personality. I don't know if it helps or hurts or any of that, but it's just the way that I react in not just my golf game, but to everything. And you know, I'm just -- I don't know. (Laughs).
I'm just kind of like this, and that's how I -- I guess that's how I come off on the golf course. I think I've been pretty good lately. (Laughs).
You know, just I'm not going to bottle myself up just because I'm out here in front of people, and that's it.

Q. Can you talk about the state of American women's golf right now, and what do you think has to happen to get more players like yourself up into the Top 10 consistently?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, I think I need to start playing better to see me in the Top 10 more consistently. That's pretty obvious. If you're not up there, just play better.
But I think women's golf is moving forward, and I love coming out and seeing all the young kids that come up to watch.
There was a group, I think, from the First Tee out here today, and it's great to see these girls out and coming out to watch us. I think that shows a great future for women's golf.
And you know, I think that we have so many great story lines out on Tour this year with Annika and Lorena, and international players, Paula playing so well and things like that. And you know, I think it's just a matter of time before we see the benefits of that.

Q. Morgan, how much do you know about Stacy Lewis? Have you guys met throughout the years?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yes.

Q. Do you just know her recently?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I played with her actually in the final round of the Kraft last year.

Q. I mean do you know much about her personality, about her golf game?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah. She played great last week. She finished fifth at Kraft when I played with her, I think, and she really played great last week, and it's wonderful. She's got a great game.

Q. She's just kind of starting to get a taste of what it's like to be a pro golfer, all the media requests, all the craziness. You got a taste of that at a really young age.
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah. She got a fast entry. The first week out and she's got everything that she could ask for.

Q. I can remember even talking to you, I think it was like seven years ago in Lawrence, Kansas, at an AGGA event, and you were like 13 years old and you were already having to deal with all the media and stuff. What was it like, even back then? How did you first get acclimated to all the requests, all the distractions away from golf off the course? How did you get used to having to deal with all that stuff and not get distracted?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I don't know. I just did it. Like when I was in Lawrence, that was right after I played in the Open, and that was -- I don't know. I just thought it was the coolest thing to be out there and have people want to talk to me. I mean it's -- you know, it's great. That's what I wanted. I mean that's what I really wanted to do.

Q. Did you just kind of approach it as it's not a disservice? You just try to stay positive about it and not see it as a distraction?
MORGAN PRESSEL: No. I don't think it's a distraction. I think it's part of what we do. It's not at all a distraction. I mean we're out here. We have our fans and our sponsors and the media, and we have to try to keep everybody happy.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Morgan, thank you very much for your time today and good luck this week.

End of FastScripts

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