DU MAURIER CLASSIC

July 29, 1999

Juli Inkster

JULI INKSTER: No, it was a lot of fun. It is as fun to play in some galleries, and they were very cordial to Tammie and myself. But they were definitely rooting for Lorie, which is fine. I thought Lorie played very well today. There is a lot of pressure on her to play well here, and I thought she handled it very well today.

JULI INKSTER: I don't know.

JULI INKSTER: I just said everybody gets nervous. You've just got to kind of go out there and play your own game and root for yourself and try to imagine that it is just another round of golf. Because I just felt like she was kind of tense. She wasn't the regular Lorie out there. She got off to a slow start. I was just trying to be encouraging, because I'd love to see her play well here. I'd love to see her win here. I think it would be great for her.

JULI INKSTER: I played very solid today. Got off to a real good start. Birdied 1, I hit pitching wedge about a foot. Then I made a good 2-putt on No. 2, to keep my momentum going. I hit a really good shot up there, but just caught the top lip -- top tier of the green and kind of drifted all the way back down. I sunk about a 12-footer for par that kind of kept me going. Then I hit two good shots on No. 3, I hit 4-iron in there about 15 feet, made that for eagle. Kind of got me off to a good start. Then I just kind of missed a little birdie putt on 4, but made some good up-and-downs on 9 and 10. 12, I didn't par, I got fairway wood in my hand; I didn't par that one. That was kind of disappointing. I thought I played very solid today. I was between clubs a lot today. And it is just kind of hard to play that way. So I thought I played very well today. 18, I hit driver, 3-wood over the green; made a great chip to about three feet; made that for birdie. When I did miss the green today, I got it up-and-down, so. . .

JULI INKSTER: I am just thinking about trying to play this golf course. You just got to play it a whole lot of times, because the greens are very slopey and very undulated. You just got to get it in the right tier, so you really try and focus on that. And I was just trying to just hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens today, and which I did. A couple of shots, I was between clubs, and instead of just believing my club, trusting my club, I kind of came off a couple, like on 17, like No. 9. Because it is almost like you got to hit to a certain spot, then the ball will roll up, or on these tiers, or certain -- it is really hard to judge what it is going to do once it hits the green. Sometimes you get so conscious of trying to hit it in a certain spot that you forget to swing at it. A couple of times today I really felt like I did that.

JULI INKSTER: I think the greens -- I think it is the pin placement. You can get some great pin placements out here.

JULI INKSTER: Not really. I don't really have a fine percentage of what I am taking off or what I am just taking a little off here and there. But I think it affects longer clubs more than the shorter clubs.

JULI INKSTER: For me? I think it is perfect for her. Yeah, I like the golf course. I feel like I have got to play the par 5s well to play well here and today I played them fairly well, so you know, hopefully I will just keep hitting the ball a little better and better each day.

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, everybody has been all over me about two majors and the Hall of Fame and I am just trying to go out there and just keep doing what I am doing. That is what I have been doing all year, just getting myself in position and you know, trying everyday I go out there try to shoot a solid round; that is what I did today.

JULI INKSTER: The men have been doing it so much longer than us as far as the Tour. We have got the greatest women's organization of any sporting organization. We are having our 50th anniversary next year, so I think I look back 15 years ago what we were playing for and you know, it has doubled or tripled. I remember my first tournament I won -- I think I won $25,000, so it is moving in the right direction. Is it going to happen? It is not going to happen overnight. It is going to take time. I just think as much as the younger players coming up can help out with the media and stuff like that, and as far as golf goes, there is no question that the golf part of it is -- just has just been unbelievable. I mean, everybody is just playing so good. So I just think we need -- everybody to just start helping out a little bit with the media.

JULI INKSTER: No, I just figure I was hitting the ball pretty good. I was between clubs and so I had a lot of 15-footers above the hole or 15-footers short of the hole and you are just not going to make those all the time. I was just trying to birdie, but it just wasn't happening. I just -- I got a little impatient on 17 almost cost me a bogey, so you know, I just got to stay patient and take the birdies when I can get them.

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, you just want to stay away from a big number here. Just want to make some smart shots. It is like on No. 12, 13 today, I was just in the front cut of rough. Perfect angle, but if I went at the pin, I would have gone way long. I just went to the right side of the green; gave myself a 15, 18, 20-footer, the gap, so, it has just got to play smart in some areas, especially when you are in the rough.

JULI INKSTER: This is Maggie. She is not mine, but I am in charge of her. This is Haley, and this is Corey. Maggie and Haley go to school together, are good friends.

JULI INKSTER: I feel like if I -- if I have a chance, you know, I feel I have just as good a chance as anybody else. I will -- I am playing with a lot of confidence and playing aggressive and so I don't know what the other players think, but I think I have just as good a shot as anybody if I am right in that hunt with the last three or four holes going.

JULI INKSTER: I think if she had any courtesy she would just give me the win (laughter). I think there is a lot of players are going to have their say in this too. But I think getting your first win is tough. I think when she gets that first win she will be -- I mean, I think she is fine right now. She is playing great; having a great career, sometimes things just don't fall in the place as quickly as other people would like. So I think if she just keeps doing what she is doing - she is a great ball-striker. Everybody says her putting is probably her weak part. I think she strokes the ball very well, and so, I am not going to worry about her. She will be just fine.