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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

June 5, 2009

Kris Tamulis

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

JASON TAYLOR: You had a nice start with a birdie on No. 1.
KRIS TAMULIS: Thank you. I hit sand wedge to probably six feet.
4, I hit wedge to probably about 18 feet. 5, I hit 7-iron to probably 15 feet.
8, I hit 9 to about 15 feet.
9, I hit 5-iron to about a foot and a half, maybe two feet.
10, I hit 7-iron short in the bunker. Didn't get up and down.
JASON TAYLOR: Bogey on 12.
KRIS TAMULIS: Sorry. That's what I did on 12.
On 10, I hit it like on the front fringe, then 3-putted basically off the fringe, so 2-putted. It's a 3-putt.
Then 12 I hit 7 in the bunker and didn't get up and down.
JASON TAYLOR: Birdie on 17.
KRIS TAMULIS: I hit 4. I hit it to about 30 feet and made that putt.
JASON TAYLOR: Welcome back to the media center.
KRIS TAMULIS: Thank you. Nice being here.
JASON TAYLOR: After two days of the LPGA State Farm Classic, you're 9-under, which puts you one shot back from the lead. Not too shabby.
KRIS TAMULIS: No.
JASON TAYLOR: If you would, talk a little bit about your day.
KRIS TAMULIS: I had a great day. Started off, made a birdie. Hit it in the fairway, hit a lot of greens, was able to make a few putts. That was kind of nice. Kind of unfortunate bogeys on 10 and 12. Those were mostly having in-between clubs, tucked pins. The wind kind of picked up. Just not really that sure of my club selection and my target and everything. Made a bad swing.
JASON TAYLOR: Questions.

Q. You had a couple frustrating holes, 15 and 16. I think you got up and down on 15.
KRIS TAMULIS: 15, that is the worst hole. I am going to bring it up to the rule officials. Unless you're hitting it really far, I mean, you can hit it over the corner and hope that you get a good kick, unless you hit it really far. Otherwise, yesterday I drove it straight through the fairway, into the rough, didn't have a great shot.
Today I thought I would be smart and hit a 3-wood. Did the same thing, hit it in the rough. Luckily I was far enough through the rough, I was able to kind of hook it around the tree, the big tree in front of me. I got up and down for par.
But really that hole is just so frustrating. I could hit a hybrid tomorrow and have 3-wood in or hit driver over the tree. I'm going to discuss with my caddie. Maybe it's hitting driver over the tree and hoping that you have a good kick.

Q. 16, a lot of birdies and eagles on that hole. You settled for par there. Off a couple frustrating holes, you get a birdie on 17.
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah, definitely. I kind of did the same thing with my tee shot, right of my target. Hit a decent chip shot up there. I had 53 yards to the hole. Hit the hole. Just didn't go in. I mean, there's nothing else that you can do. So unfortunate.

Q. On 18, had a chance.
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah. That putt, actually it just broke a lot more than I thought. I kind of picked it to go -- maybe fall in the hole around 4:00. It just broke right across the hole. It's okay. I made a good one on 17.

Q. Some of the golfers earlier today talked about the fitness aspect of it. Are you a work-out freak, somebody that spends a lot of time doing those things?
KRIS TAMULIS: I work out much more during the off-season. I love to eat. I really enjoy sitting and watching television a lot.
But fitness is a really big thing out here. I worked out twice this week. I'll probably work out again tomorrow maybe, depending on our tee times. Really I just try to do a lot of cardio. I lift weights. I do weights during the off-season. When I'm out here, it's more maintenance. As long as I'm fitting into my clothes, I'm doing all right.

Q. Do you consider yourself an athlete? Don't take that the wrong way.
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah, definitely. I think, you know, we're out here during just the tournament 72 holes. I think the average golf course is five or six miles or something. Say you play a ProAm, then you play nine holes maybe again, so we're walking probably 30 miles a week maybe. So definitely.
Hitting a golf ball I think is probably, you know, pretty difficult, to make contact. You have to have good hand-eye coordination, everything else. Definitely I think we're athletes.

Q. Afternoon tee time today. Do you traditionally look at some of the morning scores?
KRIS TAMULIS: I did look at the leaderboard I guess when I got to the golf course, and the scores were really low.
But the greens are so much nicer in the morning. Usually the wind is down. It's usually easier, I would say. I made the turn, and now you've had three-quarters of the field walking all over the greens, around the cups. Everything gets beat up, so...

Q. Front, back, is one of the two easier? Is this a pretty even 18 holes?
KRIS TAMULIS: Hmm, I'd say it's fairly even. There's some good tee shots that you need to hit and pay attention to on both sides, so... But I'd say it's pretty even.

Q. Except for 15?
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah (laughter).

Q. You teed off on 16. You weren't happy with that tee shot. I don't know if you needed a little decompression moment. There were little kids. You signed some autographs. Do you do that all the time?
KRIS TAMULIS: No, I'd say I do that all the time. I really appreciate the fans, everybody that comes out, especially the volunteers that come out to support us. I can't tell you how many times I've seen girls walk by little kids that just want your autograph. I will not do that. I will always sign. I don't care if they come inside the ropes. There's nobody else there. It's not like they're interfering with us or anybody else by coming out. I think it's important that they see us as role models. I'm flattered that all these people come out. So I will always sign.

Q. Looked like they were taking time out from their pool party or something.
KRIS TAMULIS: I wish I was there with them. That would have been nice.

Q. Your aversion [sic] for the Golden Girls and whistling, where does that come from?
KRIS TAMULIS: Golden Girls, I think I used to watch that show when I was little, with my grandmother. They are hilarious. Bea Arthur died a few weeks ago. It's a sad deal. They're truly comedians, amazing timing. It's a great show. I think it's one of the most, at the time, a few years ago, probably one of the most syndicated television programs in history. Why wouldn't it be? I think everybody needs to watch the Golden Girls. It's hilarious.
The whistling, I have no idea. I used to get in trouble for whistling when I was in middle school. I just do it randomly. I could be walking down the fairway. People turn around and wonder where the bird is. It's something that I've just done my whole life.
My goal actually is to be in the World Whistling Championships, which I believe are in North Carolina. You have to have a classical and modern piece prepared. I sorted out my classical piece, but I have to work on my modern one, so...

Q. Is there competitive whistling? Obviously there is.
KRIS TAMULIS: I did look it up once on a website. There is a World Whistling Championship, or American, I don't know.

Q. Sample, please.
KRIS TAMULIS: You want me to whistle?

Q. Do you take requests?
KRIS TAMULIS: I do.

Q. Can you do the Andy Griffith song?
KRIS TAMULIS: No. Give me something else. I'll whistle Vivaldi's four Seasons.

Q. Midway through, as far as being in this position, is this the best position you've been midway through?
KRIS TAMULIS: Yeah, probably in a long time. Long time.

Q. How do you handle that now?
KRIS TAMULIS: There's 36 holes left. You know, it's a long tournament. I'm happy to be in this position. I'm happy to have a later tee time tomorrow, be able to sleep in. If I do get nervous, the thing I've always done my whole career, even when I was in college and high school, junior golf, is just play the golf course in my head or think about where I want to hit my shots and just be relaxed. I'm happy to be here.
JASON TAYLOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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