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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 20, 2009

Leta Lindley

CORNING, NEW YORK

Q. How long before you think you'll be back actively?
LETA LINDLEY: I'm hoping for McDonalds. I'm hoping that worst case scenario would be Rochester. One of those. That's what I'm aiming for anyway.

Q. Can you talk a little bit more in detail about your injury and how it's affected you, and what you've got to do to get back and be back on your game again?
LETA LINDLEY: Well, this has been going on since the beginning of December, and I've been battling it all winter. All season I played four events. Basically with this injury. It's one of those things where I'll teeter on the edge. I'll feel good, and then I'll sleep in a new bed and I'll be in spasms. So I have two bulging disks, C-5, and C-6 in my spine and because of that I get severe neck spasms, neck muscle spasms. They're trying to protect my disks.
So I have done everything my doctors told me to do. And I really thought I'd be back in time to play Corning. I was extremely optimistic. They had me on medication and therapy. When I finished with that, when I was done with the random medication, I still wasn't better, and I continued to have episodes of neck spasms. Of so I had to take the next step, which is the epidural where they shoot the medicine right into the disk to get the inflammation out so that my neck muscles will release.
I'm starting to feel some relief, which is a good sign. Sometimes you have to get a series of three shots. But at least I have permission to chip and putt now so that's a good sign.

Q. So you are on the mend then?
LETA LINDLEY: I believe I'm on the mend. I think the hardest part for me is going to be to get over it mentally and to allow myself the freedom to swing it at 100% without the fear of further injury.

Q. When you're out there long, you've only been in four events, when you are finally physically able to come back, how much is rust going to be a factor? How long will it take to get your game back at a competitive level?
LETA LINDLEY: I'm definitely going to be rusty. I've been away from the tour longer than that when I had my kids. But I anticipate that there will probably be a lot of rust, and I'm going to have to adjust my goals. I think it's going to be as simple as hitting golf shots. And we'll start small and try to make the cut.
It builds from there. I think you have to set some small goals and hopefully by the end of the season I'll be competitive.
It's been disappointing to say the least. I physically don't feel like I'm in the shape that I wanted to be. Because I haven't been able to work out and I'm not known as being a long ball hitter, so it's important for me to feel like I'm physically strong through training and working out, and I haven't been able to do that. But I'm trying to focus on the good things.
It is what it is, and if I can hit some solid golf shots and gain some confidence and show myself that I'm not going to hurt myself again, then I think good things will come and everything will fall into place.

Q. Irrespective of this is the last Corning Classic, how does it feel emotionally to come back to the scene of your first tour victory?
LETA LINDLEY: It's been great. It has been an emotional week coming back for my media day and being here. I won't deny that I've shed a few tears along the way. It was a really hard decision for me to withdraw.
I knew realistically that I had to withdraw, but it was hard for me to come to terms with that. It wasn't until I arrived here on Monday, and spoke to our PT here on the road that I kind of came to terms with I wasn't going to be able to tee it up.
I would feel differently if I knew I was coming back for ten years, but knowing this is the final Corning Classic, and I don't get to participate, it's really sad for me. I'm disappointed. But I made the right decision. I'm not ready to compete. I still haven't hit a golf ball since the Thursday of Kraft Nabisco.
So I didn't want to tee it up and, A, hurt myself further, and, B, come out and shoot 79, 80. That doesn't do anything for me mentally. The good side is my memories of Corning are going to be of me hoisting the trophy on Sunday.

Q. So you were obviously you've been away for a while because of the injuries. What have you been able to catch up on since you've been away?
LETA LINDLEY: What was I doing at home? Oh, I wish I could say I was really embracing my time at home. But I think when you want to be some place else and the level of frustration I think it's been a test of my patience, and I joke that my patience is really thin right now.
I've been a little grumpy if you ask my family. But I try to remind myself that things can be so much worse, so much worse.
So in that respect I've tried to say, you know, I think that there are good things waiting around the corner from me. I've always been a person of faith. I know things happen for a reason. I may not understand what that is now, and maybe I'll gain some perspective in a year's time. But I'd like to think that good things are still ahead for me.

Q. Speaking of perspective, how about for you not playing and being in the clubhouse with the other players? What's that been like for you especially knowing that all those other players are going this is the last Corning Classic. I want to win the last Corning Classic?
LETA LINDLEY: Right, I think everybody -- it's kind of a bittersweet thing. Everyone's excited to be here. They're excited we're celebrating 31 years, at the same time everybody is sad knowing that we won't be coming back here in the future.
As far as me not participating in the event it's actually given me the opportunity to do other things that I probably wouldn't be able to if I was preparing for the tournament. I was able to visit the hospital in downtown Corning, and see where all our charity dollars were being put to use in this terrific breast cancer center there.
I've been able to go to a lot of the different parties and functions and meet with volunteers. I was in the volunteer tent before I came here to talk to you today, and thanked some of the volunteers for all of the years that they've made this classic possible.
So that's been kind of neat to be able to be on that end of the event. I don't often get a chance to do that, so I'm thankful for that opportunity.

Q. The decision not to play, was that a combination of you and the doctors? Or did you decide you couldn't do it? Or deep down, even if you were hurt, did you still want to play, and the doctors pretty much said you could be doing some serious damage?
LETA LINDLEY: My doctors had suggested I take it slow. And I had my epidural shot last Tuesday, you know. My miracle would have been I would feel better 24 hours later, which I didn't.
I think in my mind I had a deadline. If I wasn't feeling well enough on Friday before the tournament week to hit a golf ball, then I probably wasn't going to be able to participate.
My little athlete voice was continuing to hold out hope for a miracle the next couple of days, but really in speaking to Caroline, our PT here in the trailer, you know, she said if you want to play, we can try to get you through the week. But just know that if you tee it up, there is a good chance you could hurt yourself further.
They really want me to take it slow because I've been teetering on this edge for a long time now. It really came down to the fact that I have not hit a golf ball in many, many weeks. And, b, did I want to play in the event and sacrifice the rest of my season for it?
If I thought I could be competitive, I would have teed it up. But I just didn't think that I could even play at 80%, let alone 100%.

Q. Even though you're not playing how important was it just to be here? I know you talked about visiting hospitals, but what you have planned, how long you're going to be here, and what you have planned for the rest of the week? And how unusual it must be to kind of be here as a spectator?
LETA LINDLEY: Right, well, I knew I was going to come either way, whether I was going to tee it up or not. It was important to me to be here and to celebrate the final Corning Classic. So that was never in doubt whether I was going to come here or not.
I wanted to participate in the events and do what I could as defending champion. As far as my plans for the rest of the week, we were actually leaving tomorrow.
I have two kids that are waiting for me at home. Obviously, they're a priority in my life, and I'm anxious to, now that I've had permission to chip and putt, I'm anxious to get that started so I can come back as soon as possible, and also continue with my rehab and everything at home.

Q. I know you've said you've only played four times this season?
LETA LINDLEY: Right.

Q. But the players all know that there are a few Future tournaments this year. Has that made almost for more, at least the perspective from the first few tournaments, was there more competitive fields, stronger fields in those first few events just because there are less to choose from, I guess?
LETA LINDLEY: Well, I think that's evident just with the Corning Classic here we have one of the best fields that's ever been assembled here, I think, in 31 years. Obviously a lot of that is attributed to the fact that it's going to be the final Corning Classic. A lot of that is also scheduling because we have fewer tournaments.
Certainly I've had a level of anxiety as I've sat home not participating and not competing, and knowing that we don't have as many events this year for economic opportunity.

Q. How are you at home?
LETA LINDLEY: Besides grumpy (laughing)?

Q. How tough is it mentally for you. You know you're trying to get back to the McDonald's classic. This game is so mental, especially for those of us who play terribly. How are you going to prepare yourself mentally to come back to the tour?
LETA LINDLEY: Well, I started reading Pia Nilsson book, "Every Shot Must Have a Purpose". And I'm going to have to do a lot of mental preparation and try to maybe make up for my lack of physical preparation, being mentally strong, and drawing on positive energy and all the things I've been able to accomplish in the past 14 years.
Like I said before, I think I need to start small. It's going to be baby steps, and set small goals for myself along the way. . I have faith that things are going to get better for me, and I'll finish the season strong.

Q. Have you already started to -- I'm not saying plan where you'd like to be by the end of the year, but do you have an idea in your own mind as to where you'd like to physically be at the end of the season?
LETA LINDLEY: I would physically like to be without pain: I'd physically like to be past this injury at 100%. I'd like to be competitive. I'd like to have had a couple of good tournaments before my belt before the season ends. I know we're getting into the meat of the season, and I'm ten steps behind everybody else.
But I've always been a positive person, and I think great things are still ahead. And I still think that I can salvage this season, and have some great events coming in.
If I can come back from having a baby and being away from golf and still finish third at the Youngstown events, one of my first couple of tournaments back, then I can come back from this.
I've had a lot of experience of being away from the tour for a period of time and I'm really good at time management with my kids.
I know what it's like to have that kind of pressure, so I'm confident that I'll come back from this at some point. May not be on my timetable, but on my body's timetable. I just need to listen to my body a little better this time around than I did earlier this year.

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