WENDY'S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CHILDREN

August 1, 2002

Juli Inkster

MODERATOR: Let's get started. Juli, welcome to Tartan Fields.

JULI INKSTER: Thank you. Good to be here.

MODERATOR: Do you want to give some comments on the course today?

JULI INKSTER: Well, I think it's a good golf course. You know, I don't know what the weather's going to do this week, but I think the premium on this golf course is your iron shots to the greens. You want to make sure you're on the right side and not above the hole, to the side the hole.

I think there's some good par 3s out there. I think there's a couple good par 4s out also. I think you can make some birdies out there if you hit it in the right spot.

It will be interesting to see what the scores are.

MODERATOR: Questions for Juli.

Q. Some of the players have said they can hit driver on so many holes because the fairways are so wide, that a long hitter should probably win this week. Do you see it that way? Who are some of the long hitters?

JULI INKSTER: Well, I think a long hitter has a good chance to win this tournament. I also think someone that's real good with their irons and is a good putter can win this two. I think Rosie Jones has a good chance. This is a good golf course for her. She hits her irons real well.

You don't have to be real long on this golf course. You know, a couple of the par 5s you can reach in two. A couple of them you have to lay up anyway. So pretty much brings everybody into play. You know, I think a good iron player, you know, probably looking at greens in regulation, will probably end up winning this tournament.

Q. You've turned your game around recently. '98 you had one win, 12 Top 10s. '95 five wins, 18 Top 10s. What's the explanation there, if you have one?

JULI INKSTER: You know, I'm a little more focused on my golf. My kids are a little older. They realize what their mom does. A little easier to get out there and practice. I've been working at it. That's what it takes. I've been working with a guy named Mike Magetrick (phonetic), trying to get my swing to where I think it should be.

I mean, a lot of that put together kind of makes for a turnaround.

Q. How much, if any, of your decision to play here this week is related to feeling an obligation to give a tournament a strong field because of some of the people that were not coming?

JULI INKSTER: You know, it's tough. It was big. I mean, I'm on the executive board now, and I'm trying to help out a little bit. I mean, it worked out really good for me, too. The only problem is I didn't get a practice round because I already had an obligation in Seattle on Tuesday that I had to do. So I didn't get here until Wednesday morning.

I mean, that's the only negative part about it. Wendy's is such a great sponsor, it's such a great corporation. It's just at a bad time, you know, most of the European girls head home. Being American, Wendy's being American, it's kind of nice to play for them.

I'm happy to be here. Hopefully I can make it worth my while.

Q. In your preparation for trying to win a major next week, is this ideally what you would do?

JULI INKSTER: No.

Q. Or would you leave this weekend?

JULI INKSTER: I would leave early and go to Scotland.

But you know what, it's going to be fine. It's going to work out. I'm going to be ready to go in Scotland. I think the weather will probably be similar. Just kidding (laughter). The fairways will be probably as wide (laughter).

It's going to work out fine. I'm glad to be here. I'm going to do my best to play well for Wendy's, see if I can do something with it.

Q. Have you ever played Turnberry?

JULI INKSTER: I've played Turnberry about 22 years ago in a torrential downpour, wind. I can't remember anything about it. All I know is my caddie called over there, getting his accommodations and stuff. The guy goes, "The weather, the weather is crap over here." (Said with a strong Scottish accent).

Greg goes, "What?"

He goes, "Crap."

I think it's really bad.

Q. Looking ahead to the Solheim Cup, given the events of 2000, are you anticipating an increased rivalry there?

JULI INKSTER: Well, you know, Solheim Cup, it's so strange. I mean, we play with these girls all year long. Most of them are my friends, I get along with them fine. As soon as the Solheim Cup comes around, nobody talks to anybody. I hate to see it get that way because I don't think that's the way it was intended to be.

But there is a rivalry there. We got spanked last time in Scotland. So hopefully in Minnesota this year we'll at least get a few points. We didn't get a point the first day, so it's kind of hard to win not getting a point.

Q. Do you think, though, some of that I don't want to say animosity, but some of that tension, sells the event better than if it's all camaraderie?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, I think so. I think a lot of people want someone to root for. I think if it was just a friendly match, no one would really have anybody to root for.

I think it does help sell. You know, it's a week where you really bond with your teammates. You know, there's no other feeling like that all year round.

Q. You mentioned earlier that given ordinary circumstances you would take this week off and go over there early to get prepared. Given the way the heat and the humidity is out here this week, is it going to be important for you to get your rest?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, I think so. But, you know, I've got some things I got to work on in my swing that I'm not real comfortable with right now. So I need to get out there and hit some balls. I've taken some time off. I just feel a little off with my swing, so I want to get out there and work at it. Unfortunately, it's a hundred degrees out there. But I need to do it, so...

Q. Is this your first tournament since The Open?

JULI INKSTER: No. I played last week in New York and missed the cut. I need to work on my game. I went to New York, went back home, because I wasn't going to play, I was going to take this week off. I went back home, then I played in Seattle, then flew back out here.

Q. I don't know what your junior career was like before you won all your amateurs. As far as Michelle Wei goes, the 12-year-old, can you tell me what you were doing at 12? Have you ever played with her?

JULI INKSTER: No, I haven't.

Q. Just talk about her, relate where she's at to where you might have been at 12.

JULI INKSTER: I have a 12-year-old daughter. She was out there chipping and putting in the heat. I told my caddie, "Greg, can you see Haley out there?" She would be, "Can I go to the pool now?" She would no more be out there...

You know, I didn't start playing till I was 15. It's kind of hard to compare the two, where we're at. I mean, a 12-year-old, to have the composure. You know, she hits the ball a ton. It's pretty phenomenal. I can't comprehend it.

You know, I just hope she doesn't get burned out. I hope she enjoys the game and keeps after it, still has the passion when she's 22. That's a long time. That's 10 years. I just hope they don't push her, they just let her do what she wants to do.

Q. We were talking about the Solheim Cup. You're on the executive board. Because of the September 11th stuff postponing The Ryder Cup stuff, it's played the same year. Do you think your competition might get a little bit lost?

JULI INKSTER: I think it's good we're the week before. I think that's going to help us a lot because people will be gearing up for The Ryder Cup and they will be paying attention to the Solheim Cup. I think if it was the week after, it would be tough. But, you know, after next year we're going alternate years again, which will help us.

I think this year with the men taking The Ryder Cup off the year before, I think people are going to be really into it, so I think it's going to be good for us.

Q. If your 12-year-old daughter wants to play as much as she plays, you don't want her to get burned out?

JULI INKSTER: I mean, I'd let her play golf, there's no doubt, but I'd also get her into other things. I'd let her play basketball if she wanted to. I'd let her play softball if she wanted to. I just think you have a lot of time to play golf. A lot of people, when I started playing when I was 15, I mean, people were beating me, just drumming me. They started when they were eight, nine, 10. Now none of them are playing. They weren't playing 15 years ago. They just got burned out.

I just think you got to let them go at their own pace. I think it's great that she's playing in some events to get the experience, but also I think she needs to play in some junior tournaments, too, to play with her crowd.

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