U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 12, 1997

Donna Andrews

DONNA ANDREWS: Actually, I started -- I got off to a slow start today. I hit some good shots, but my putter was off the first couple of holes. And really just one thing clicked with my putting, and started getting my confidence back. I was hitting the ball solid, and the backside made four birdies. So it was just a good, solid ball-striking day for me, which was a good, even for me, I guess. I've been working hard. Thursday I didn't feel like I hit the ball very well. Yesterday I started to hit it better. And today I felt like I hit it really solid. I'm looking forward to another good round tomorrow. As far as starting out, I hit a 4-iron on 2. I hit it right. I was just on the fringe. I had about 45 feet and ran that putt by about six feet and missed that. So I bogeyed 2. Then 3, I hit 5-iron from 145 yards out of the rough to three feet and I missed that. So I made par. 4, I had an L-wedge to the green, I hit it 12 feet and made birdie. 7, I hit 9-iron from 110 to 6 feet and made birdie. 10, I hit 3-wood from 200 yards, to 15 feet and made birdie. 11, I hit 9-iron from 120 to five feet and made birdie. 14 was the only green I missed all day.

DONNA ANDREWS: On the par-3, my ball looked -- the ball mark was about two and a half, three feet short of the pin on 12. It did hit the pin but it backed up about 12 feet and missed that one. Actually I left it just short there. So that was one I could have made. 14, as I said, was the only green I missed. I actually landed it on the green and it went just over in the light rough, chipped it up to three feet and made that to save par. 15 I hit 5-iron from 156, to 18 feet and made birdie. And then 18 I hit sand wedge from 85 yards to eight feet and made birdie.

DONNA ANDREWS: I think so, we both sort of got off to a slow start. Then we both got it going. And I think it was a matter of who was going to make birdie first. We birdied a couple of the same holes. But I think we would have beat any group out there best ball today.

DONNA ANDREWS: I think after I missed the 3-footer on the third hole I really -- something that I'd worked on yesterday just sort of clicked. I hit a very poor putt. The 3-footer that I missed started left. And I said, wait a minute, you worked on that yesterday. After that I felt like I was getting the putter through square, and that was the most important thing for me was just getting it started on line. And I felt like I rolled it well the rest of the day. The greens are definitely getting faster. I rolled -- my 30 footers I rolled by four or five feet, and had to make a couple of those coming back. The greens are starting to slick up.

DONNA ANDREWS: No. Michelle McGann is one of my best friends out here. And I play practice rounds with her all the time. I'm used to being 50 yards behind her. I know I've won my fair share with the distance I hit it. My goal is to hit more fairways and greens than they do. If I do that I can play with them.

DONNA ANDREWS: We both started 3 over.

DONNA ANDREWS: You know, it was just -- Karrie has been playing real well all year. And I don't think things have quite clicked for her. I think today was one of those days we both got on a roll. We both made some putts, and that's what happens. You get it going and you make a few putts and you feel like you can sort of make anything out there, and I think that's what happened with both of us out there.

DONNA ANDREWS: Well, it probably is. I've had some real good finishes at U.S. Opens but I don't know that I've ever had a really hot round. This is probably the best one I can remember, at least in the last four or five years.

DONNA ANDREWS: I definitely think that's a good possibility. We actually -- my husband and I were discussing that yesterday that by getting out early you do feel you do have an advantage. The wind started picking up a little bit towards the end of our round but the greens were a little softer starting out, you can throw it at the pins early on. The greens are going to get harder and faster as the day goes on.

DONNA ANDREWS: My first Tour victory was out here in Portland. So I do have some very good memories out here.

DONNA ANDREWS: I guess I'll get to sleep in a little bit, that could be good. But I'm going to go out there and try to do the same thing I've done the last few days. For me on an Open course I try to go out and hit fairways and greens, if you make the putts all the better. Today I made the putts. Tomorrow they may or may not drop, but if you hit fairways and greens you can shoot a good score out here, and you've got to keep that attitude. And I had a bet with my caddie and husband before I started today. My husband told me if I shot 64 he'd go up in those little gliders. And my caddie said I only had to shoot 66, so I guess he has to go up in one of the gliders.

DONNA ANDREWS: Chris Fitzpatrick.

DONNA ANDREWS: He's saying he said 65, but my husband and I heard him -- he said if you shoot 65 I'll go up, then no, if you shoot 66 I'll go up. So I think we have to send him up.

DONNA ANDREWS: Yeah, that was the bet. We got to kidding about it, because on 16 they started going up for the day. They only do it Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Two of them went up when we were on 16. I was sort of punching him that he would have to go up if he didn't watch out.

DONNA ANDREWS: Probably to put an engine on the plane to get me up there.

DONNA ANDREWS: My back is doing great. I do rehab every day before I play, do some stretching and crunches and stuff every day before I play. And I think that's what has kept me playing 100 percent. Especially this year, I felt great. I used the magnets over a year to keep my back loose so I could play, even if it continued to hurt. I don't think I could have kept playing without the magnets. I'm thankful right now I'm not having to use them. But anytime I have problems that flare up I pull them out. When I'm at home I have a mattress pad that have magnets on them and I definitely sleep better when I'm at home.

DONNA ANDREWS: The magnets increase your blood circulation to that area, so they keep it looser. Mine was a muscle problem, so it kept my muscles a lot looser and freer. It's like having a stim machine on, but a more natural way of bringing the blood flow to the area, to keep your muscles loose and keep you able to swing. A lot of players swear by them. They put them in their shoes. I have some insoles with the magnets, but I wear them in my tennis shoes. A lot of people that do a lot of standing around at work swear by them. They swear their back doesn't hurt when they stand around, because it keeps the blood flowing better through their legs.