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CN CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

September 2, 2009

Lorie Kane

CALGARY, ALBERTA

DANA GROSS-RHODE: Lorie, thank you for joining us at the CN Canadian Open. This is obviously a big tournament for you. You're a favorite. It's in your home country. Once again, just talk about what it means to be here in Calgary and at Priddis Greens.
LORIE KANE: Well, you said it. It's our national open. You know, coming home to play is always exciting. Also, I have representation with CN, and they're part of my family and have done great things for women's golf in this country, and it's just an honor to represent them and to be here to play Priddis.
You know, '99 was a big year the last time we were here. The golf course is in fabulous shape. I think it's probably running a little firmer than it did back then.
You know, I'm coming into my own as far as my game goes. I'm looking forward to a good week.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Great. We'll take questions for Lorie.

Q. Lorie, I asked formally this question of you earlier, but this tends to be kind of a new experience for you this year. It's been quite a struggle for the most part. What's your level of frustration right now or is there any?
LORIE KANE: I knew I was going to get that question. There's really no level of frustration from the standpoint that I know I'm doing all the right things.
You know, the scores aren't indicating how well I am playing, and it's just a matter of time before I pull four rounds together. You know, I played two rounds last weekend. I'm 6-under par for the last 21 holes, and that's where I'm building from.
So you know, I finished strong on Friday, birdied the last three and then birdied the first hole getting started on Saturday's round and obviously came up shy of not playing on Sunday.
But I had seven weeks off, and in that seven weeks I spent a lot of time with some friends at home playing as far back on the golf course as I could possibly get and getting back to what I do best, and that was driving the golf ball and hitting it as hard as I could to get it as far out there as I could.
It was fun. I enjoyed the time off. I enjoyed taking a look at everything and saying, you know, there's really nothing wrong. Maybe I press too hard.
The last number of years, I really don't have an answer for you, but frustration would not be a word that I would use. I'm pleased with the progress that I'm making and I'm going to continue to work hard to get myself back to where I know I should be. I don't think I've reached my potential at all in what I can do in golf.

Q. Lorie, you mentioned '99. You've been here before. I'm wondering from your perspective what type of golfer do you think will be successful at this course?
LORIE KANE: Well, obviously some players with length are going to have an advantage. The ball carries further out here, but it's also going to come down to some putting. These greens are quite tricky, and knowing where you are on the golf course with regards to the mountain and that river is, you know, it's kind of -- it's a funky place. So I would say someone that can drive the ball.
You know, the fairways are quite generous, but the rough is thick. If you're getting in it, particularly around the greens, you're going to have to have some really good touch with your short game. So it's going to take an overall game to win.

Q. Lorie, talk about the buzz of the Canadian Open. I mean it seems to be everybody sees it as a fifth major.
LORIE KANE: Absolutely. Well, I think, first of all, CN's and Mr. Harrison's increasing of the purse last year to 2,750,000, we're the second largest domestic purse, not counting the U.S. Open. So that speaks volumes for the way the players are treated, hospitality for the players, just the scene behind the fact that it is our national Open and CN has bought into the fact that they want to be involved in developing women's golf in this country and keeping it strong.
The buzz is the city. I think that Calgary is a great town, a good sports town, exciting to be back here to play.
You know, Friday night CN is hosting a players' party at Ranchman's, and as all Calgarians know, there's only one place and it's Ranchman's, and I think it's going to be a heck of a time. So that's the kind of thing that we play our golf and we work hard, but CN has given us an opportunity to kind of experience the West and experience Calgary.
And the memorabilia I was just telling everyone from the stampede at Ranchman's is something they need to take the time to see.
From the golf side, we've got the strongest field I think of the year, and that's a big buzz and it should be a big buzz because the best players in the world are here, and we're showcasing some of the best women's golf you'll ever see. And the LPGA has a stronghold globally, as you say, and we've got, I've been told, 12 Canadians playing this week, and that's exciting too.

Q. With that in mind and with the Solheim Cup, the way it went down with all the excitement, how does an event like this promote women's golf?
LORIE KANE: I hope so. The Solheim was quite exciting. Obviously being on American soil and the younger players on the American team really getting it a rowdy place to be.
I watched a little bit of the coverage, and it seemed to be quite electric. I hope that that feeds into the remainder of the season, because we need that. We need the base here, we need the base -- the support in the U.S., and I think it can only help the excitement of women's golf.

Q. Morgan Pressel was saying the other day -- and I don't know if she was just being nice because she was talking to a Calgarian. But she said, everybody's so nice here. We need the kind of support on the practice days, the practice rounds at other events that we see here. As journalists we don't see that, as Calgarians we don't see that at other events because we don't know what the leadup is. Is it like that?
LORIE KANE: No. It's unusual to see the number of people that were out yesterday following us around on a practice today. I'm sure today we'll see even more on a Pro-Am day.
Each city or venue that we play in has its own little niche. I think for the fact that as a country and the city of Calgary, we don't have our Tour come through every week, so I think that's why we may be seeing the people that we're seeing now.
No, it's not a regular thing to have crowds on Tuesday, Monday for that matter. There was people out here watching Monday. Tuesday, now we're into Wednesday and leading into tomorrow. So it's good. It's very exciting.
And like I said, and I've said it a thousand times, I know this city is a sports city and people will come out to watch. And we also have to remember, too, one of the biggest bonuses from this whole thing is the CN Miracle Match and the money that will be left for the hospital, and my visit out there in June was quite a spectacular one.

Q. Lorie, I'm wondering, is the altitude something that's difficult for a professional golfer to adapt to, or is it you travel around so much that it's not that big a deal?
LORIE KANE: The altitude as far as walking some of those hills, yes. I'd like to check my heart rate after 12.
No, that's where a good caddie comes in, and I rely heavily on Danny to give me two numbers, the actual and what it's playing.
We play enough in Mexico, we have two events in Mexico where the altitude is an issue. So we get accustomed to it. That's a good question, though.

Q. Lorie, I know the economic times aren't great or anything, but can you see a second Tour stop coming to Canada? Have you heard any buzz about that at all?
LORIE KANE: No, I haven't. Do I think that -- do I personally think that we could handle two events? Sure, but it would have to be the right setup for that to happen.

Q. Lorie, I know you worry about your own game, but when you look at this field and this course, who are the favorites in your mind? Who are the people we should keep an eye on this week?
LORIE KANE: Um, well, I think you can start at the very top. I believe, if I'm not mistaken, Cristie is probably leading. Cristie would be somebody that I would keep an eye on, but Michelle Wie has the length and is coming into her own after her Solheim experience. Lorena, Suzann. There's a number of players. Paula, myself, Morgan. You know, you can go down the line.
You know, that's the great thing about the Tour, and you've got 49 Koreans at any given week. One of those kids are going to get hot, and they're unbelievable putters, so you know, we're deep. I don't think it would be fair of me to just single out one individual, because there's a number of people who could win.

Q. Including yourself?
LORIE KANE: Yeah. Of course. If I don't believe, nobody else will.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Any other questions for Lorie? Thank you all very much. Lorie, good luck this week.
LORIE KANE: Thanks very much. You know we can't do without you.

End of FastScripts

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