U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 4, 2003

Juli Inkster

Q. You just said you didn't have your best stuff today but you got around the golf course?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, I don't know what it was. I just think I tried to maybe hit too perfect a shots out there coming in. Instead of just doing what I was doing starting off. It's just hard when you're trying to hit it to a certain area, you got -- say like 17, you got 177 and you know you only have to hit it 150 and but it's down wind and you just got a lot of tangible things working. But I shot even par today, after playing late last night, coming out here in the morning playing, very happy where I'm at. If you would have told me I would be 2-under after two I would have taken it.

Q. You kind of had a couple of rounds in one round. You got to five and then you gave a few away, but you birdie 18?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, that's going to make my lunch taste a lot better. A birdie on 18.

Q. Is it going to be that way though up-and-down?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, you know, it is. You're going to have your -- I wish it wouldn't be that way, I just wish it would be all up. But that's why they call it the U.S. Open. You just got to just keep playing a shot at a time. And 8 hurt me, but I felt like I played pretty good. I missed a couple short putts out there, I'm not exactly thrilled, but life goes on.

Q. Is it more physically or mentally exhausting out there?

JULI INKSTER: More mentally. Physically I feel fine. I think that you just get so tired of playing 36 holes of cautious golf that it can wear on you. Just one time you'd just like to just rip it. But you just can't do it.

Q. It looks like Michelle's going to make the cut. Does that kind of -- she did it at Nabisco, obviously, now she's going to make the cut at a U.S. Open are you just going, "Wow"?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, she's a great player. I have never seen her play. But according to you all you guys say she is.

Q. Well we know?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah.

Q. Is it pretty exciting, obviously being the defending champ, here you are in position again to maybe repeat. Is everything kind of falling into place?

JULI INKSTER: I got 36 holes of golf left. But, yeah, I'm very happy. It's tough to defend. You want to put on a good show. I like the golf course here. So it's two more days.

Q. What do you know about Mhairi McKay? She's never won a Major or anything and you have. And just do you watch to see if she comes back to the field or you got to go and get her?

JULI INKSTER: She's a strong player. She played at Stanford. I practice out a lot out there. I have known her for a long time. She works really hard on her game. She's got all the skills. She's going to be tough to beat. Because she does have some confidence and she's playing well and she's a great ball-striker. So I'm going to have to play really well to have a chance.

Q. Good up-and-down on 16 from a very tricky lie out there. Is that the kind of stuff that saves you at a U.S. Open?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, you got to get those up-and-down and take your lumps.

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