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RR DONNELLEY LPGA FOUNDERS CUP

March 18, 2011

Angela Stanford

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

THE MODERATOR: Angela, welcome. Good round today. Start off by some thoughts on the round.
ANGELA STANFORD: You know, I just had fun today. Beautiful day, beautiful golf course. You know, I think when -- I mean I have a lot of fans out there. I think that always gets me kind of juiced when you show up and there are a lot of people. The fans here are amazing. You know, they love golf, and it's a lot of fun to play in front of fans like that.
THE MODERATOR: So walk us through 8 and 9.
ANGELA STANFORD: (Laughs). 8, I'm just not comfortable on that tee box, and then I hit a bad shot, lost it right, had to drop. I actually hit a really good shot off the rocks, and then hit my chip just too hard and then missed the putt.
And got to the next tee shot, and same thing, same type of shot, hit it in the bunker off the tee. And then I got down in the bunker and I -- you know, I was like, you know, let's just hit a good shot. Let's get back on track. Let's birdie, par, whatever, get to the back nine, because I really like the back nine, so I thought just hit a good shot and let's get back on track. And then it went in.
THE MODERATOR: What was that club in distance?
ANGELA STANFORD: 8 iron, 142 to the pin.
THE MODERATOR: Okay. Questions.

Q. What side of the fairway was that?
ANGELA STANFORD: On 8?

Q. On 9.
ANGELA STANFORD: On 9, the right side if you're standing on the tee. It's the right fairway bunker.

Q. What effect did that have on you the rest of the day?
ANGELA STANFORD: The double or the eagle, or both?

Q. Both.
ANGELA STANFORD: You know, I think after our first two events, I really -- I found out that I was struggling mentally, and I just get down on myself really fast. So after the double I thought, okay, well, you know, I have a choice here. I can either stay down and just say, oh, same ol', same ol', whatever, or go to the next hole and try to make it better.
And you know, usually you don't get results that quick in golf. So it was nice that -- and I got lucky, that I make an eagle there and I get those two shots back, and I'm like, oh, it does help to think positive. It's that deal.
But it really helped because I thought maybe I am onto something, maybe. Because it had been a really good day up until that double, and I didn't want to think, oh, here I go again, so it was really nice to see a quick result from saying, no, I'm not going to do that today. I'm just going to keep going.

Q. (Indiscernible).
ANGELA STANFORD: Yeah.

Q. Is it hard to start the season so far away from home and then have two weeks off, and are you sort of looking forward to this stretch now where you got three in a row?
ANGELA STANFORD: Yes. It is tough because you're kind of going, you know, for me I had ice on the ground, and then we go into basically 100-degree weather. So it's tough with the flying and then getting adjusted. And now, you know, if you've been working on things in the off season -- you know, so it is a little different.
But I was looking forward to these three weeks. I think it's a great swing starting in Phoenix. Like I said, the fans are great. It's a great week, great concept. And then we go to Kia and finish at Kraft. I mean it just feels good.

Q. So today you managed to turn things around for yourself mentally and not get down on yourself. How long have you been aware this is a problem for yourself as a player, and how have you been working on it?
ANGELA STANFORD: Forever. (Laughs). I've always been pretty hard on myself, and people have said it hurts me. But I also think it helps me. I mean it drives me. But I got to a point where it was starting to hurt me.
So you know, today I was really focusing on just enjoying hitting the golf ball. The last two weeks I kind of figured out a few things in my golf swing, and it was fun to hit the golf ball today. It wasn't very fun to hit the golf ball the first couple weeks of the season. So that's a lot of it. You know, I just really enjoyed playing the game today.

Q. So your sense is that being angry about the things, trying to motivate yourself with anger doesn't work as well as playing with fun?
ANGELA STANFORD: Well, I think it does. It's almost like a meter. It helps me because I've played like that my entire life. And it drives me. I don't pat myself on the back much at all. But then you can get to a point where, okay, now you're in the red. It's starting to hurt you. So I'd gotten to that point.

Q. What's more fun, holing out from 142 or watching TCU win the Rose Bowl?
ANGELA STANFORD: The Rose Bowl, definitely. Thank you, Coach Patterson.

Q. Those are my Badgers you beat. But anyway, can you just talk about the Founders Cup history here? Are you noticing whose hole you're playing on, the Walk of Fame? Are those things making impressions on you?
ANGELA STANFORD: I think so. And it's really neat. You know, it's really neat that they have the Founders pictures and Hall-of-Famers on the different holes. I think that's a great idea.
I did get a little nervous when I saw the two Founders sitting, I think it was Marilyn Smith and Shirley Spork. Is that right? I got a little nervous because I didn't know they would be there, and I looked up and I saw them, and I was like, whoa. Like all of a sudden I was really nervous over that putt because, you know, you want to play the game right for them. You want to do things to grow the game for them because they put it on the line for us and without them I wouldn't be here.
So you know, just out of respect and to, you know, just to play hard and in the right way for them. So I think it's a great week. It's a great reminder for all of us why we're here and what we're doing, and it's neat to have them here watching.

Q. I was running around and didn't actually see the last putt. What was the putt? Did you make it?
ANGELA STANFORD: No. I missed it. I actually didn't hit it hard enough. I was above the hole like maybe 17, 18 feet.

Q. Was there a conversation at all with them when you came off?
ANGELA STANFORD: Just thank you. Thanks for being here. They like to talk to you. They don't want to listen to you. They're going to tell you. And that's cool. I'll listen to them all day. So I just said thank you. I mean it's hard to say it -- say anything else.

Q. What do you think of the whole playing for free thing, and then I see you're also playing for your own foundation.
ANGELA STANFORD: Well, I think there are two answers to that. I mean as an individual, as a business, it's hard to get over that hurdle in your head. You know, I am an individual. I do make my own money. However, you know, you gotta get over that, and you gotta get over it quickly.
And you know, for me, having a foundation of my own, I know how hard it is to raise money. I know how hard it is to have people interested. I know how hard it is to get people to rally around you, and you know, I think by the LPGA supporting your own, I mean why not?
I think it's a great idea for one week out of the year. I have a golf tournament that supports my foundation. So it's easy for me to be here and play because it means so much to me. I think if you're not connected to a charity or you're not -- I mean I grew up in an area where people help people. And so for me not to be here would be very wrong.
So you know, this week is about, you know, you have an opportunity to help somebody else. So it just -- it's easy to be here in my opinion, once you get over that initial me, me, me.
THE MODERATOR: Anything else? Thank you.
ANGELA STANFORD: Thanks.

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