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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

June 4, 2009

Kris Tamulis

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

JASON TAYLOR: Want to run through the scorecard.
KRIS TAMULIS: Sure.
JASON TAYLOR: Started on the back with a birdie.
KRIS TAMULIS: Yup, birdied 10. I birdied 13.
JASON TAYLOR: On 10, what did you hit?
KRIS TAMULIS: I hit driver, 6-iron.
JASON TAYLOR: How far?
KRIS TAMULIS: Probably like 12 feet.
JASON TAYLOR: No. 13.
KRIS TAMULIS: 13, I hit wedge to, uhm, like 25 feet.
JASON TAYLOR: You bogeyed 15.
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah, I bogeyed 15.
JASON TAYLOR: What happened there?
KRIS TAMULIS: I hit it straight through the fairway in the rough. Really didn't have a very good lie. Then I hit it short of the green in the rough. Had an even worse lie (laughter). Didn't get it up and down, so...
JASON TAYLOR: 16, birdie.
KRIS TAMULIS: 16, yeah, I was like chipping to probably about seven feet.
JASON TAYLOR: 17.
KRIS TAMULIS: 17, I hit 5-iron to about three feet.
JASON TAYLOR: No. 3.
KRIS TAMULIS: 3, hit 7-iron to probably about 12 feet.
JASON TAYLOR: And No. 6.
KRIS TAMULIS: 6, I hit sand wedge. I had like 60 yards. I hit sand wedge to about 15 feet. That was in the rough, so... And that's it.
JASON TAYLOR: All right. You're the leader after your opening round in Springfield. Six birdies and one bogey, so not a bad day for you.
KRIS TAMULIS: No.
JASON TAYLOR: If you would, just talk a little bit about how you're feeling.
KRIS TAMULIS: Pretty good. I guess, you know, it was a little chilly this morning. But I got off to a pretty good start. It's always nice to birdie the 1st hole coming out of the gate. Really I've been struggling with my driver the last few weeks and haven't even really putted that well. So my off week, I was able to go to Albany and see my teacher. He actually came to Corning, as well. Through umpteen golf balls, been able to sort that out. Much nicer, makes it easier to hit my second shots out of the fairway. I'd say that was probably the biggest difference.
Really just putted a lot better than I have been. I didn't hit it really close, but I took advantage of closer shots that I hit, which is nice to say. Something I haven't been doing the last few weeks.
JASON TAYLOR: Excellent. Questions.

Q. You mentioned during the off week you worked with your teacher. What's his name?
KRIS TAMULIS: Herb Moreland. He's in Albany, New York. Seen him for about five years.

Q. How did you first start working with him?
KRIS TAMULIS: Working with him?

Q. Yes.
KRIS TAMULIS: Well, I went to Florida State. My boyfriend, he was from Upstate New York, as well, had seen him since he was a kid. He also teaches Moira Dunn out here. After I graduated college, I really needed someone to help me. My dad is a teaching professional, but he's really a business person, he wasn't really a teacher. Not something he really specialized in. Herb is really good.
So I started working with him I guess in 2004. We kind of do basic things. But he's really helped me so much. I mean, I definitely could not be here without him today.

Q. Are the greens fast or fast compared to the last couple days where we had some rain?
KRIS TAMULIS: I think I had one putt kind of get away from me, maybe a couple putts get away from me.
You know, the course is in really good shape. And the greens are great. You know, I think it's so much more lush than it has been in the past few years. Playing here two months earlier has really made a huge difference. I think we're really playing the course the way it should be played as opposed to, you know, like really hard.
I think the greens have really always been receptive. There's a few greens on the front that have always played kind of hard. You know, they're still I think harder than some of the others. But in general, you know, the greens are great. They're rolling nice, so...
Obviously, I'm the second group out this morning. Obviously, you know, they're going to play a little bit different tomorrow when I tee off at 1 something. But, you know, if you're first off, hey, it's nice.

Q. A couple of holes have been lengthened up a little. The par 5, 13. Several players talked about No. 15. It plays different now.
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah, 13 is a big difference because, you know, today I hit driver -- I think it was into the wind. I hit driver, 3-wood. I had like 110 to the front. I mean, before, I'm sure there are girls that hit hybrid into that hole. I've hit 5-wood into the hole. Now I'm hitting a lot more. I'm not chipping any more. That hole played different.
Then 15 is totally different because I think it's about -- it's like 208 to the tree on the corner. Today it's playing downwind. Really you have to hit it over that tree, otherwise the fairway just runs out. You don't want to be in the rough. That's where I was. I don't think I was really paying attention. When I played my practice round, the wind was totally opposite, and you could just beat whatever you wanted down there. You know, you're lucky to get around the corner, let alone hit it through the fairway.
So that hole's really playing, you know, a lot different. We used to hit over the trees and have, like, sand wedge in. You need to kind of pay attention on that hole definitely.

Q. This is the third year for the tournament here. Marty left it yardage-wise how it was. After a couple years, you see how it plays. Is that kind of common at a tournament site, the first couple years keep it status quo, then after a few years they make a few changes?
KRIS TAMULIS: You know, it doesn't seem so. This is only my fifth year out here. So many of the courses we've played, we've played for a long time before I was even on tour. But some of the newer events that we've had, it seems like they've always kind of kept them the same.
I think, you know, even this course, maybe you're hitting a different club off the tee, but you're laying up to the same spot. I can give you an example. Is 4 the par 4?
JASON TAYLOR: Yes.
KRIS TAMULIS: On 4, I hit 5-wood. I hit hybrid on that hole just to get it like down kind of like right at the 136 front pin or marker, just kind of where the fairway starts to narrow up. Now, I mean, I'm hitting 3-wood. So I will end up at the same spot. It's the difference between how much it's running out. That's really all, I think.

Q. For this year, I know this is probably your best first round score. Is this in the last couple years one of your best starts in a first round?
KRIS TAMULIS: I think I actually shot 67 here the first round. When they picked me up last year to come, I went to go to drug testing instead of coming here. I think it's early. I don't think 67 is, like, a fabulous round, so... I'm sure there's going to be lots more.

Q. You didn't get to really enjoy that 67; you had other things to do last year.
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah.

Q. Are you in the McDonald's next week?
KRIS TAMULIS: Yes.

Q. Last week was an off week. Here we are with a really good field. The nature of the field, maybe the course is a little different this year, this is a really good prep or warmup with a major next week. With the field and everything, is this a good run up to the McDonald's?
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah, I think definitely. You know, the course is different. In some ways it's kind of like kind of similar, as well. If you hit it in the rough here, it's thick rough. It's not necessarily really long, but it's really thick. You know, leading up to a major, I think fairways are a premium there, as then obviously here, as well, so...
You know, it's definitely a good warmup. I think everybody really likes to play. Most people I would say really enjoy playing the week before a major. And this is a great place to be, especially the way the course is playing differently this year.

Q. What do you do the rest of the day? Do you go to the range or the green?
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah. Well, I think I'll have lunch. You know, then I'll hit some and I'll putt some. But, you know, I think really all the work that I've done in the past like 10 days or so since after Corning, you know, has pretty much set me going. There's nothing really mind-blowing that I need to go struggle with.
You know, I'm not going to beat myself up. I don't tee off until, you know, tomorrow afternoon. But, you know, it's just another round of golf to me, so...

Q. You were talking about Herb Moreland. Like you said, you probably wouldn't be here.
KRIS TAMULIS: Right.

Q. Does he have certain talents that make him a good instructor, at least for you?
KRIS TAMULIS: He teaches at a course called Western Turnpike. It's a public course. He teaches people all day long. I mean, he teaches the 40 handicapper that's been playing for a year and a half, and he teaches two LPGA girls. You know, he sees everybody in between. I mean, in his section, I don't know what section he is, whatever section he's in for the PGA, a lot of people come and see him.
Really, he teaches people based on their body types, what's gonna be best for them. Not necessarily this is the position you have to be in, this is the swing you have to have. There's not just one swing set for everybody. If you look at my swing compared to Moira's swing, it is completely different. I have like really long arms for my body. So my swing is obviously a lot longer than a lot of girls out here. Probably if you're gonna look at it on video, I mean, I personally don't like to look at it, because I'm like, Oh, my God, it's so long. It's something you have to work with. I can't cut my arms off and make them shorter. He works kind of with what you have. That's really important I think for anybody that's playing golf.
JASON TAYLOR: Thanks so much.
KRIS TAMULIS: Thanks.

End of FastScripts

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