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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

July 16, 2008

Sherri Steinhauer

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Sherri, thanks for joining us. Welcome back to Springfield as the defending champion. Talk about your season so far and coming back this week and playing.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Well, obviously this is a highlight of my year right now, coming back and defending. I've gotten off to a pretty slow start this year. I haven't played really well.
You never know when it can turn around, and just had a lot of good feelings coming back here.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: And you're playing in the morning Pro-Am today. Impressions on the course?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: I think the golf course is in great shape. It's really lush out there, green. The fairways are beautiful. The greens are in wonderful shape. I think Panther Creek is looking really, really good this year.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Questions.

Q. You've been out there now. It's lush and green compared to a year ago. Somebody pointed out around the greens even it's a little thicker. Last year that last putt you made, as I recall, what do you remember about that putt? It was just around the greens.
SHERRI STEINHAUER: It was just off. As a matter of fact, yesterday in the practice round I went back there and put it back in the same place and actually I could have putted it again this year. It all depended on the lie I said, but it looked like I still would have been able to putt it.
I know that might be surprising because it is more lush, but I wasn't off too far so it would have worked out. No, around the greens it's going to be different with the longer grass. As I said, it's in great shape. It's always nice when it's in good shape because then you can -- your play -- I don't know how to say it. There's times when it's kind of sparse and long. Here it's really consistent and long, so you can really put your talent to use.

Q. A lot of top players aren't here this week. Is that a little bit disappointing from your perspective?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: I just, you know -- really personally, for me, I feel bad for State Farm and Kate Peters and her staff. They put on a great show here, and there's no reason why players shouldn't be here.
Unfortunately, the only reason is it coming the week before Evian. It's just tough in the schedule for players. I know players would love to be here if it were in a different -- under different circumstances.
Unfortunately for State Farm I just feel bad for them, because as I said, they put on a great tournament and the field should be better.

Q. Are you in France next week also?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yes.

Q. Just as a player, I mean you've played out here a long time and all the travel and issues. There are more international tournaments these days. Is the toughest aspect of going overseas, does it take a few days to get used to the time difference? What are the maybe unique challenges when you have to go on a long trip like that?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: For me that's the biggest issue, is getting over there and adjusting to the time. I leave Monday afternoon and I don't get in until Tuesday morning. Somehow I've got to get in a practice round, and then the Pro-Am is on Wednesday and be ready to go Thursday. So it's a really quick turnaround.
I planned it that I was leaving Monday afternoon because all the flights on Sunday go through London Heathrow. More often than not the players that go through Heathrow, their golf clubs don't make it. So I opted to wait here longer. I know on Sunday night I'm going to be going, I want to get going because I know I'm going to be tired when I get there and I got to wait until 2:30 on Monday to leave.
But I do need my golf clubs. Now I'm going through I think Frankfurt. Same could happen there, too. That's just the hardest -- to answer your question, the most difficult thing is the time change and adjusting to the jet lag.

Q. First two days here you're going to play with Christina and I think...
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Angela Park.

Q. Christina was talking about last year that last day I think you were one group apart. I know it's somewhat ironic after last year. I don't know how often you've played with Christina over the years, but she's a pretty lively individual, correct?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: She's a great gal. I love playing golf with her. She's extremely pleasant out there. Courteous. Great player. So playing with her, that'll be a lot of fun.
It'll be the first time that I've played with Angela Park. I have never played with her before. She's obviously a very good player, and I think I'm very lucky to have a good pairing tomorrow.

Q. Being the defending champion is there a little extra pressure on you? Do you feel that at all yet?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: No. I just -- I actually just enjoy the position. You just get the warm and fuzzy feelings walking around. Finishing today on No. 9 I looked over and, you know, looking at the clubhouse and I'm like, Oh, that's where the party was.
You have a lot of good feelings, so I just tend to soak that all in and enjoy it.

Q. Coming here or coming to any tournament as a defending champion where you have a few more maybe obligations or press conferences or whatever, it's obviously a fun thing, but do you have to budget your time even a little bit more this week just with certain things?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yeah, but that's -- you know, heck I've only won eight times. I'm not like the Hall of Famers and Annika and all their wins. I don't figure the time constraints are that difficult every now and then. It's actually a pleasure.

Q. Some of the big names, top 10 people aren't here this week. Do you look at the field in a given week and say, Well, player X, Y, Z isn't here, this maybe creates more of an opportunity for me or the field in general?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: I think, you know, the talent on tour goes so far down the list. There's a lot of players who have a chance to win week in and week out. You know, we've had Lorena and Annika and they have won a lot of tournaments this year, so it is going to give somebody else a chance.
But as far as the talent pool, it goes down so far that there's a lot of players that have a chance to win this week. As always, it's going to come down ball-striking and putting. I think the key this week again will be putting. You got to make some putts.

Q. Mom or dad, will either of them be here this week?
SHERRI STEINHAUER: Yes, both mom and dad will be here. I don't know if you remember, but during my media my dad wasn't doing very well. Things are great. He's doing wonderful. He's a little nervous about the drive down. He hasn't had a long trip, but he's driving down now.
Hopefully they're here and they made it. It's only about four and a half hours, but he had a little problem with his driving leg was where his problem was. So this is his first big trip. Just really happy that they can be here.
I hope it doesn't get too hot out there because it's going to be tough for them even with the scooters.

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