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HSBC WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS

March 6, 2009

Katherine Hull-Kirk

TANAH MERAH, SINGAPORE

DANA GROSS-RHODE: As you're coming in here and you're done with the second round of the HSBC Women's Champions, tied for the lead in the clubhouse. There are a number of 6 unders out there, but you're still in contention. So tell us your thoughts about the tournament so far?
KATHERINE HULL: Yeah, the golf course has played really great the last few days considering the rain we've had. You can make birdies out there, but you've got to make sure you're below the hole and giving yourself a chance at it.
So, yeah, really happy with it. Can always be better and can always be worse, too. So ball striking was probably a bit better today. And I could have made a few more putts. I'm really happy going into the weekend.

Q. How would you rank Tanah Merah's golf course among the golf courses you play all year on the LPGA?
KATHERINE HULL: In terms of difficulty?

Q. In terms of difficulty and quality?
KATHERINE HULL: I would rank inside the top 10. Yeah, it's a great golf course.

Q. What about it impresses you?
KATHERINE HULL: The layout. The number of holes that are really challenging, and the number of holes where you can be a bit more aggressive and try to make birdies. You know, you can't get too lazy out there and take it for granted, either. But in terms of condition, I don't think there's a blade of grass out of place. So, yeah, it's fun for us to play golf courses like this.

Q. How does the heat and humidity of Singapore, how's that compared to the other places you've played on the Tour? And how does that affect your game?
KATHERINE HULL: This is probably one of the hottest stops on Tour for us, but being an Aussie, it's okay. I'm kind of used to the humidity. Yeah, it's probably harder for the caddies because they're carrying a 40-pound golf bag.
But you've just got to keep drinking water. Maybe jump in the shade when you can. It's not too bad out there right now.

Q. There are a bunch of players on 5-under right now. Angela Stanford is one of your good friends. Are you looking forward to playing in a pairing with her?
KATHERINE HULL: Yeah, it's always nice to play with your friends out here. If we do get playing together we'll probably be encouraging each other.
It's great to see so many players stepping up and playing well, and you want other people to play well, because it then makes you work harder and makes the Tour look good.
Yeah, right now it is very much a jam-packed leaderboard, and it will be exciting coming into the weekend.

Q. In the past years, do you remember a tournament that has been so jam packed on the leaderboard before?
KATHERINE HULL: I'm trying to think back. No, off the top of my head I don't. Some days I would, some days I don't. But right now it's very congested, but it makes it more exciting.

Q. Given the form you showed in the back end of last year, given the fact you came out and won as well, did it feel important to come to this and prove you belong up there?
KATHERINE HULL: It would be nice to start off this year with a win for sure. I think my first goal is to get in contention. That kind of solidifies your confidence. If you're able to keep the momentum going from last season, that's a bonus.
Yeah, it's going to be tough on the weekend, but, very happy to be in the place I'm in.

Q. I saw also that Lorena's caddie was quoted as saying you and your caddie are a bit like Burt and Ernie from Sesame Street. Given the slight incident in Thailand last week, actually better say, given that you shot that 10 on one hole last week, has he been riding you particularly hard this week?
KATHERINE HULL: No, not too bad. We still have our occasional go at each other around the golf course. Coming down 18, we were doing the same. I believe one of the awards tonight at the caddie night is most - I've got the piece of paper here - biggest difference of opinions. So I think we might be in the running for that one, because we're always kind of bantering around the golf course.

Q. So you think just the one award?
KATHERINE HULL: Well, we'll see. Depends who wants to vote on I guess caddie of the year. I would give him caddie of the year, I think he deserves it.

Q. There are some people who think you're going to get like Slum Dog Millionaire did at the Oscars, sweep the board?
KATHERINE HULL: No, I doubt it. There are too many good caddies out here.

Q. Back at the ANZ Ladies Masters (ALPG Tour), you could put three good rounds together, but the fourth one is a bit iffy. So how comfortable are you for this tournament?
KATHERINE HULL: I think I'm kind of over that hurdle now. The last part of last season I was trying to on get myself in contention and put four good rounds together. Then obviously started that way this year. So I'm pretty confident I can have another few good rounds this weekend and hopefully have a crack at it on Sunday afternoon.

Q. What will you be looking out for and working on going into tomorrow's game? Will you be looking out going into tomorrow's game?
KATHERINE HULL: My short game still needs a lot of work. So I'm going to go out there and practice this afternoon on that. Yeah, just go out with the same game plan tomorrow and make as many putts as possible.

Q. What were you and John disagreeing about on the 18th?
KATHERINE HULL: What club to hit into the green. And then the kind of reasoning behind it so, yeah. The usual, yeah.

Q. Who won?
KATHERINE HULL: Actually both in the end agreed. But it was just the process of getting there.

Q. You're arguably the most exciting woman golfer to come out of Australia for a while. What would you say is the current state of golf among women in Australia? What's happening there to help bring the next generation of golfers on to the professional tour?
KATHERINE HULL: Participation in golf declined in the last five to 10 years in Australia, both male and female. So you know, it hit a boom when Greg Norman was number one and doing so well. And even though we've got great players like Aaron Baddeley and Aaron Scott and Geoff Ogilvy, those guys doing so well, we need more female players to step up.
At the same time maybe we need to do more junior clinics and go into schools and introduce the sport to more kids that way. But, I don't know. I think golf's only going to get bigger and better. If it gets added to the Olympics, that will be a huge boost, too.

Q. So you're saying it's not enough is being done in Australia?
KATHERINE HULL: You can always do more, yeah.

End of FastScripts

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