	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

April 5, 2009

Kristy McPherson

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA

KRISTY McPHERSON: 5, hit it up there about 15 feet and made that for four with a 6-iron.
7, hit a 6-iron up there about 20 feet and made that.
9, hit a very bad tee ball. Had to chip it out to 207 and hit 3-iron on the front of the green and chipped in from 40 feet.
10, I hit 7-iron up there about 20 feet behind the hole and made that.
13, hit a bad tee ball left and hit it -- 3-putted from the fringe from 30 feet. I punched a little 6-iron underneath the trees.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: So Kristy, you really made it an exciting tournament out there. Just what was going through your mind all day as you were going around the course and coming up the 18th hole?
KRISTY McPHERSON: I was trying to stay calm all day. Started off, I could not find the clubface. Could not find it until No. 7. After that I settled down. Made a poor bogey on 15 and gave away a shot there. That should have been a pretty easy par.
But going down 18, told my caddie, tees are up, we have got to make birdie, because Brittany is one of the few people that can hit a club in there that's going to stop where it did, and so we were just -- it was a very awkward yardage. It was either a baby pitching wedge or bust a gap wedge; and hit the gap wedge just like I wanted to, was counting on a big kick to stride to get it close. Wanted to make the putt to take it to extra holes.

Q. 17, all three shots that you guys hit in that situation and your putts?
KRISTY McPHERSON: 17, it was just -- not even sure what it was to the flag, hitting a 160 shot, as soon as I hit it, it was out of line and just lipped it out for the one. That would have been a nice way to play No. 17 today.
But the putt, you know, my caddie and I both read it exactly the same and we decided to give it a little bit more for the Indio factor and just happened to miss it; just barely missed it on the high side. Thought it was going to drop in. Hit the putt just like I wanted to, but just didn't come down as much as I thought it did.

Q. How far?
KRISTY McPHERSON: About eight feet.

Q. What was it like to see a final pairing where all three of you were in the lead at one time? Someone came out of that group and had to win it because of how well you guys all battled. What was it like to be part of that?
KRISTY McPHERSON: It was fun. I felt like I was out of it early. Brittany started off slow, as well, and made a couple of good par saves. Cristie, I think she was springing up on both of us at one time, and Brittany and I both started playing better on 7; she birdied a couple in a row, 8 and 9.
But finally until the back nine we got it to where it was a good match between all three of us. Cristie and I made a few mistakes, and Brittany made a couple of great par saves to stay in there and bring it down to the 18th hole.

Q. Talk about on 15, it was kind of a surreal scene, all three of you and the caddies looking for a ball; that's the sort of stuff we do. Talk about what that was like.
KRISTY McPHERSON: She hit a poor tee shot there and knew it when it came off the clubface. Had a chance to hit one tree to stay inbounds, nobody saw it come down. She was pretty sure it was out-of-bounds the whole time. You get five minutes to look for the ball, and you want as many people looking for the ball as you can, just in case it did come back in. Unfortunately for her we didn't find it.

Q. What did you take away from this week?
KRISTY McPHERSON: If I can come out here, obviously you've got the best in the world playing out here this week in tough conditions. And, you know, didn't play my best today, but I hung around even par when I felt like I was really scrapping it. Made a couple of putts to keep me in there when I needed them and just know that I can compete out here. Today didn't turn out how I wanted it to, but somebody's got to win and somebody doesn't, and I just happened not to.

Q. After what's been said about the lack of American players; three Americans battling it out in the final group, should we take anything away from that?
KRISTY McPHERSON: I hope so. Like I said yesterday, the Americans have to step up and play better golf. Everybody says that there's not enough Americans up at the top of the leaderboard, and nobody can really do anything about that but ourselves.
I think seeing this week's leaderboard, there were quite a few, I know, going into yesterday, or going into today, the Top-10 up there. I just think that we all just need to keep working harder and push ourselves.

Q. (Do you think that's important for the LPGA Tour)?
KRISTY McPHERSON: I think that's important. We have a fairly large international tour and so many people do so many great things for our tour. But I think, you know, if I'm watching the Olympics or something, I'm pulling for the USA and I think a lot of the people who are tuning on the TV are doing the same.
I think we need to step it up and play better golf for our viewers.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: What does this mean for you for the Solheim Cup coming up in August?
KRISTY McPHERSON: It would mean a lot more if that last putt went in the hole. I don't even know. Should help me out some, but I've got a lot of work to do. I've got a long way to go.

Q. How much interplay did you and Brittany have, or was it just too tense out there for you guys to do much talking?
KRISTY McPHERSON: She wouldn't shut up -- no, just kidding.
No, we were great. She was telling me at the turn, "Dude, I'm good to have a heart attack. My heart is beating out of my chest." Anytime she was nervous, she came over to me to calm her down: "Just help me calm down. Help me calm down." She was pretty funny out there. Yeah, we talked a good bit, and yeah, it was good to have a good friend in the last group with me.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Thank you very much and congratulations on your finish.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297