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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 26, 2004

Juli Inkster

CORNING, NEW YORK

PAUL ROVNAK: Juli, thanks for coming in and joining us. Defending champion. Sunday last year was a pretty special round, 10-under. You set a lot of LPGA records with that round and just kind of coasted to victory. Tell us how it feels to be back and we'll take questions after that.

JULI INKSTER: It feels great to be back. It was a memorable Sunday round, one that you don't forget. You guys have got a great field here this year. I think the course is in great shape. It's playing a little longer this year than it did last year. I think you're going to have a good week, an exciting week.

Q. You have Annika Sorenstam back for the first time in nine years. You have players like Karrie Webb, yourself, Laura Davies. It seems the fields in the LPGA are stronger as a combination with both the fact they have reduced the number of tournaments the last few years. Do you find, in general, fields are stronger as a result of that and is it a good thing?

JULI INKSTER: It's a great thing. The sponsors want to see the Annikas and the Karries and Se Ris and the Graces. I think it's a thrill for Corning to be able to see Annika this week. They will be very impressed with what they see. You've got Karrie here. She is also a good ball-striker, and Laura Davies. Maybe sometimes when you're picking out your schedule and you think, especially the long hitters, Corning may not favor them, because it's a one in four, or there is a shortened season that condensed tournaments that you see these girls coming to these areas. I think it's great for the town. I think you have got a great field here, probably one of the best fields ever. And it's over Memorial weekend, so I think you're going to have some fantastic crowds out here.

Q. As you focus on the first round tomorrow, what do you take from last year's tournament? What do you look as the keys for yourself, your focus, as you head into tomorrow?

JULI INKSTER: My focus is get the ball in the fairway, that's the key. And from there, you have to hit good iron shots, you have to play the par 5s well. I think that's where you can score on. You have to do everything well. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, get yourself in the hunt so come Sunday you have a chance to win. You don't want to try to win the tournament on Thursday, because that doesn't do much good.

Q. Juli, I was speaking with your caddie Greg Johnston yesterday and he said it's been ten years that you've been together. It's really rare that a player and caddie would be together that long. What does having Greg there mean to your game and what do you think has kept you paired together for so many years?

JULI INKSTER: Well, Greg is a very hard worker. He is a good guy. He's like a brother to me, a nicer brother than the other one. (Laughter.) He's very good at what he does. He's easy to talk to. We get along great. We've had a lot of good times together and he's stuck with me when I haven't been playing that well either. He's very loyal. He knows my game. He knows when to say something and when not to, and he's not afraid to say something, which is what you want as a player. If he doesn't think it's the right club, you want somebody to -- the bottom line is it's your decision, but you want somebody not to be afraid to put some input in there.

Q. Talk about your thoughts on the course. A lot of people have been raving about that it's in really good shape.

JULI INKSTER: It's May and you guys are just coming off a tough winter. The golf course superintendent has done a great job. The greens are probably in the best shape they've ever been in. The fairways are in very good shape, the rough is up. I don't think the scores are going to be as low as they were last year.

Q. This is regarding the Open and Hilary Lunke, who has struggled this year. Now that it has become old hat for to you win the Open, and it certainly wasn't your first victory, but I want you to speak to the demands that brings on, not that she's asking for advice, but just something for her to maybe get back on track.

JULI INKSTER: The good thing about winning the Open, no matter how you play after that, you still won the Open. The bottom line is she is a U.S. Open Champ. Everything came together for her that week and she played great. She made the putts when she had to, she hit the shots when she had to. The thing with golf, it's a tough game. You win one week and then you struggle and you wonder why you can't do that consistently. It's just the game of golf.

That's what makes Annika's record and Tiger Woods' record so phenomenal, they do it week in and week out, whether they're tired or sick or hurt or whatever. They're just consistent players, and I think every player strives to be that way, but not a lot accomplish it.

Hilary is just -- she's young, she's got a lot of golf ahead of her. She is a hard worker and she's just got to keep doing what she's doing and hopefully things will turn around for her.

Q. Can you speak to coming back this year as the defending champion kind of compared to last year at this time? Are you feeling any more pressure at this point?

JULI INKSTER: I really don't. Every year is different. If you would have told me last year when I arrived here that I was going to win the tournament, I would have said, You're dreaming, because this golf course, I didn't think, was set up really for my game. I drove the ball well and I got it in the fairway, putted awesome, had some good iron shots. It shows when you're playing well, you can win on any golf course. I'm looking forward to coming back.

I had two weeks off the last couple of weeks and I felt like I played very good in Williamsberg and worked really hard on my golf swing. I felt like I had some things I needed to take care of. Hopefully this week I can see some results.

Q. You're obviously very familiar with winning. You've won 30 times in your career. A player like Sherri Steinhauer is coming off a win from the previous week. Do you find coming into the next week right off of a win, is it easier to play the following week because the confidence is up, or does that work against you because you might be a little overconfident?

JULI INKSTER: For me, it's easier. I'm a momentum player and when I start playing well, I kind of keep it going. That's another thing, you talk about Hilary Lunke, but Sherri Steinhauer has struggled. She just kept after it, I'm sure she had some doubts, is she ever going to win again, and, boom, she wins. She's changed putters and she's struggled with her putting, but she's stuck after it and she wins. Now you can tell it's just a whole new confidence with her. I look for her to play well the rest of the year.

Q. You said the course is not set up well for you. How do you mean?

JULI INKSTER: Well, I mean, it's very tight. I usually kind of drive the ball sometimes where I'm not supposed to. Last year I drove the ball very well. It's a short golf course, I don't hit a lot of drivers, and so it kind of takes my driver out of play. I played well last year and I won at Evian, which is probably another shorter golf course that we play. It shows when you're playing good, you can win.

I think this golf course is playing longer this year. You're probably hitting a few more drivers where you would hit 3-woods. I don't think the scores are going to be as low, but the key to this golf course is playing the par 5s. You've got to make birdies on the par 5s and then go from there.

Q. You said last year prodded by a reporter, but you said yes, you like to play the best and you would like to defend against Annika this year.

JULI INKSTER: Yes. You always want to play against the best. I don't care whether it's a lady's country club or whatever, but you want to play against the best. That's why majors, everyone puts emphasis on majors, that's the best field, you always get the top players, and when you beat the best -- that's why you're out here.

I think it's great, Annika is coming this year. She played in Colonial last year and did an awesome job, not only with her golf but with the media, and the notoriety it brought to the LPGA was phenomenal. And to come back here and play here, I think it's just a testament to her doing the right thing for the LPGA. And I think Corning is going to enjoy having her here. Hopefully she'll come back and it won't be just a one-time thing. I think the community does a great job here of putting this golf tournament together. We would like to have it around for another 26 years.

Q. Would you like for it to come down to her and you on Sunday, or does it matter?

JULI INKSTER: It doesn't matter. I just would like it to come down to me on Sunday. I would love it, but you've got 142 other great players here that have a chance to win this tournament. You can't just put it on two people. I think you're going to see a good week this week and a lot of good golf.

Q. You spoke to how your game sets up to this course. Annika hasn't played here since '95. Can you talk about how her game fits on this course?

JULI INKSTER: She's a great ball-striker. She gets it on the fairway a lot. She hits phenomenal irons. I look for her to play well. Basically, if you probably ask her, probably her weakness is her putting. She's streaky. If she putts well, she dominates; if she doesn't putt well, she finishes in the top 5. I think she's had a couple of weeks off, too, so I look for her to come in and be ready to play.

End of FastScripts.

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