	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

MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

June 9, 2009

Michelle Wie West

HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND

DANA GROSS-RHODE: Thank you very much for joining us. Michelle, welcome to the interview room at the 2009 McDonald's LPGA Championship. How are you feeling coming into this week?
MICHELLE WIE: I'm making a lot of progress and hopefully I play really well this week.

Q. How did the course play, a lot of players have told me they are playing long and soft out there; would that be an advantage for you?
MICHELLE WIE: It is playing soft. We had some rain I think. But the golf course is in great condition. They have done a really good job with it. The rough is a bit long, but it is playing a little bit longer than it has been the past few years.
But I mean, I don't know about advantages. I guess the advantage goes to the person who is playing the best I guess, you know, at that time. But you know, just have to hit the fairways, hit the greens and make some putts.

Q. These are generous fairways; does that make you feel a little better on the tee and as you go forward?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it's a good golf course. It's a really good track. You have to be a good ball striker and the greens are pretty tricky as well. It's a really nice track.

Q. Could you talk about your year-to-date and the progress you are making, and are you getting a little impatient waiting for that first win to come?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I mean, I have had a lot of fun this year, playing in tournaments that I haven't played in before, and just being able to play a lot more has just been really fun and I've been learning a lot about my game and how I should play.
But you know, the first win is always a tricky one. It will happen when it's happening. All I can do is try my hardest out there, which I enjoy. But I'm trying my hardest and I think that's all that matters for me.

Q. You talk about learning curve and work-in-progress; where do you feel you are along that learning curve? Are you where you want to be or how do you feel about that?
MICHELLE WIE: I still feel like I have to improve a lot. I feel like I'm nowhere near where I could be. I still feel like I'm learning something new about the game every day. Just working at it and keep -- hopefully keep trying to do better every week and try to feel better about my game.

Q. How are you feeling physically? A couple of years ago you had the wrist injury; how are you feeling now?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I mean, I feel a lot healthier now. I feel good about it. I've been working out a lot, and just trying to be healthy, because that is the most important thing I think for an athlete.
I think being healthy is the No. 1 thing, no matter if you're playing a sport or anything in life. I think being healthy is amazing. Feeling healthy, feeling good, waking up every morning and being excited to play. It's just amazing.

Q. It seems like there's always been high expectations or higher than high expectations on you ever since you've been out here. Do you still feel those expectations, and do you put them on yourself still?
MICHELLE WIE: You know, I definitely have higher expectations of myself. I have very high standards of myself as well and I think that pushes me to work harder and everything. You know, I don't feel the extra pressure just because there's higher expectations, because higher expectations of myself. But like I said, it makes me work and motivates me to become that person.

Q. With the wrist injury a couple of years ago, you talked about being excited to play now. Did that diminish your excitement at the time?
MICHELLE WIE: Well, you know, when you go out and you know it's going to hurt, it's not that great, you know. I mean, the first couple of times, it's like, oh, I can fight through it. But as time goes on, you're kind of just sick of hurting. And it's like, you know, when you wake up in the morning and it's like everything feels fine, everything feels good, you know it's going to be a good day.

Q. People have a lot of interest in you, no matter how your game is going, good or bad, they always have an opinion on your decision-making. What do you think it is about you that people find so intriguing?
MICHELLE WIE: I have no idea. I mean, I don't know. (Giggling).

Q. Are you surprised by it? No matter how you're playing, there's always an interest?
MICHELLE WIE: Sometimes I am. I feel very grateful for that I guess. I'm always thankful for people that support me, and, you know, that went with me through the hard times. I feel so grateful for my fans and for everything. I feel very honored and I'm thankful.
But hopefully I'll start playing really well, and it will be good stuff.

Q. Following up on that question, there's been a lot of talk about with the tour working to get tournaments for next year and beyond, how important is it that there are young American players like yourself, start playing well, and be like the faces of the LPGA Tour?
MICHELLE WIE: Well, I think it's important for all of us to play really well and to come together and to create a really good brand, you know, because the brand is what sells tournaments and everything.
I think we have a lot of personalities out there that the fans love, and I think we have, you know, just really good and up-and-coming players.
Like I said, I think we have a lot of personalities out there and a lot of different type of characters. We are all not the same time of player. There are different types of players; there's short hitters, long hitters. We have got different nationalities.
It's a really different -- there's a lot of different players out there, and I think that's great. I think it's great that we are all not the same, we are all very different from one another and we all bring something really different to the table and I think it creates a really good brand.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Thank you all. Michelle, good luck this week.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297