DU MAURIER CLASSIC

August 11, 2000

Juli Inkster

JULI INKSTER: Okay. Basically, I played very well today. I've been struggling with my swing the last few tournaments, and it's been tough. But today I felt like I finally hit some better shots and some more solid shots and made some good putts, good birdie putts -- putts I probably should have made. And so I 3-putted the last hole, with just -- I layup in the rough, and hit it on in 3-putts. But that doesn't leave a very good taste in my mouth. But I'm very happy where I'm at. I played the par-5s very aggressive today. So I'm looking forward to the weekend.

JULI INKSTER: Well, I kind of knew where the leaders were. But I'm just, right now, I'm more concerned with getting my swing a little better and my ball-striking a little better. I've really been struggling. I struggled all week at the Open and the JAL, and I took two weeks off. We went to Montana for a week. And then I practiced the next week and just couldn't seem to get it going. And struggled, the Pro Am day here, and I was just hanging on by my fingers. But today I really felt like I hit a lot more shots where I wanted them to go and a lot more at the pin. So hopefully that will carry over this weekend.

JULI INKSTER: Not really. I started out with -- I think I birdied four holes on the front side, and then I bogeyed 8, which is pretty easy to do. And then I birdied 9. So it really wasn't as up-and-down -- I think I made three bogeys today, and a couple of them because I was over the greens. And one I 3-putted. I was glad I made some birdies.

JULI INKSTER: That was nice. I've taught her everything she knows (laughter.) Lorie is playing great right now. She's on a high, and it's great for Canada that she's up there, and it will give them something to cheer for. I try to just position myself in these things until Sunday, and then hopefully make a good run for it. But if you were to say Wednesday after the Pro Am if I could have had 4-under after the Friday round, I would have stayed home and lie in bed all day. So I'm very pleased where I'm at right now, and I look forward to getting out there tomorrow.

JULI INKSTER: It does. I'm very proud of my longevity and very proud of the way I've come back from having kids and having a lull in my career. And I just feel like right now everything I do is gravy. That's not like I'm not trying, because, believe me, I am. I'm trying very hard, and I still work very hard at my game, and I still want to compete with the best. And I feel like I can still do that. So I'm very happy where I'm at right now.

JULI INKSTER: It is. The thing is I have been taking a lot more time off. So really all the golf courses I've played the last five or six weeks have been major golf courses. I've played here, I've played the Open, I played JAL, McDonald's, and Atlantic City. And they're all real tough golf courses. And so I think that has a little bit to do with it, too, that you're not going to shoot 14 -, 15-under on those golf courses. So I think that's kind of got me in a little bit of funk, too.

JULI INKSTER: Well, that's a good question. You've definitely got to get your ball in the fairway, because the rough, with that sun out and the wet, it's grown rapidly. So you've got to get the ball in the fairway. With real small greens like this, you really have to hit good irons. And the thing is, once you're on the green, you have a birdie chance. It's just getting -- you don't want to be above the hole. Like on 18, I was above the hole, and then it rolls by four or five feet; and after 75 or 90 girls have gone through, they're a little bumpy because of the rain they've had. You just really want to -- you need to play the par-5s, you need to make some birdies there. And if you can par all those par-3s out there, you've had a good day.

JULI INKSTER: Oh, yeah.

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, it seems like the rough is growing away from you. And today the two bogeys I made, I missed the green on the short side, where you only have three or four yards. And you can't do that. You've got to miss them on the fat side, if you're going to miss them. It cost me two bogeys. So I've just kind of had a weird week all around.

JULI INKSTER: Did you hear about that? That was unbelievable. I've never had that -- I've been out here a long time, and never had that happen before.

JULI INKSTER: You know how 13 and 14 are real close to each other? We were on 13, and I had about a 20-footer for birdie. And so I'm over my putt, and I didn't even think the group in front of me was on the tee, and so I go to take my putter back, and it sounded like a bomb went off. Someone hit their drive. And I tried to stop and couldn't stop. I hit my ball, and it went about a foot. And I ended up 4-putting the hole. And it was bizarre. I think it scared everybody. I jumped. That's how loud it was. Because it's kind of in a neck, you're at a chute, so it emphasizes the sound. That was my start of the day.

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, so it all works out in the wash.

JULI INKSTER: Hopefully, I'm going to feed a lot off of it. I did hit a lot of good shots today that I'm very pleased about, and I drove the ball a lot better. I'm going to hit some balls after this, and see if I can keep improving that swing. On No. 1, just short, about four steps short of the green in 2, and I chipped up and hit about a foot; made it for birdie. No. 4, I hit pitching wedge about 20 feet; made that for birdie. That was a good birdie there. No. 5, 9-iron 10 feet; made that for birdie. No. 6, I hit a little 7-iron and about 8 feet, and made that for birdie. 8, I pulled it left, short side of the green, chipped out, and about an 18-footer for par. 9, I was just short and 2, chipped up and made a two-footer for birdie. 11, again I hit it over the green. I made a good chip about 4 feet, but missed it for par. 14, I was just short and 2. Chipped up, made about a two-footer for birdie. And 17, I hit 8-iron about 10 feet; made that for birdie. 18, I 3-putted. I missed about a 4-footer.

JULI INKSTER: First length was probably 25 feet.