U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 5, 2002

Juli Inkster

JULI INKSTER: You know, I -- i need to start hitting the ball a little better, give myself some chances. I got off to a rough start, but I hung in there and chipped away at it, made some birdies, and got back to even and hit a pretty good drive on 8, and the wind took it and made a bogey there, and a bad iron shot and made bogey there.

Disappointing finish for how I fought back, but I'm still in the red, and I got two more days to work something out with my swing and get back out there.

Q. Tell me about your chip on 7. You put it on half the green and --

JULI INKSTER: Yeah. I didn't hit a good chip, my worst all day. Probably my easiest chip all day, made a good putt, and made birdie and moved on, and, you know, I just got to hit it in the fairways, which I'm not doing.

Q. (Inaudible)

JULI INKSTER: I mean, it's tough out there. You know, I just figured, you know, I got a lot of holes to get this thing back in the red, and I just needed to start hitting some good shots, and hit some good iron shots, and some good wood shots on the backside, and kind of got me going, and I birdied 17. That helped. I made -- made some pars.

Putting was very good today. I couldn't seem to get any of my irons close enough to the hole to have a chance at birdies. I need to give myself a better chance at that tomorrow.

Q. (Inaudible)

JULI INKSTER: On what hole?

Q. 4, and 10 -- (inaudible)

JULI INKSTER: I hit a little 8 -- I was between 9 and 8, and I decided to -- I hit a little 8 there, and I don't know, it probably would have been long if it didn't hit the pin, but I got a good break and made birdie there. So I don't know, it's just tough out there, it's tough.

Q. (Inaudible)

JULI INKSTER: I knew it was going to be tough, but it seems like I'm making it tougher because I'm not hitting the ball the way I usually hit the ball, and I need to hit better to give myself some chances. That's really the bottom line.

Q. Who made the decision about the pairing with Nancy Lopez and (inaudible)?

JULI INKSTER: The USGA did. We thought it would be best to let them finish, but we thought it would be best to be on time, but Patty and I are real good friends, and she tipped her cap, and I told Greg, I said, "God, I wish I was there finishing up instead of just starting," but those were probably the three best -- the best players of the game in their era.

They were a lot of fun to watch, and they are aggressive, and I thought it was a good pairing for them.

Q. (Inaudible)

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, I wish I could, but I had to tee off.

Q. (Inaudible) Do you think some of the things you've been through in the past might help you?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, it helped me today. I didn't panic out there, and I knew I had a lot of golf in front of me, which could have been good or bad. But I knew if I could just settle down and start hitting some greens, I could make some birdies out here, but I hung out and I fought, and it's what you have to do because you're not going to hit every green.

Q. (Inaudible)

JULI INKSTER: I don't know. That wind is not a great wind for me. It's a left-to-right wind, so I don't know. I've got to regroup. After I talk to you guys, I got to figure out my game plan. Thanks guys.

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