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KIA CLASSIC

March 22, 2011

Karrie Webb

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Karrie Webb to the interview room. Karrie has won the last two events on the LPGA Tour. Looking for her third in a row this week at the Kia Classic. If you would just tell us what's going right for you right now?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, I definitely like the sound that I've won the last two events. It's been a while since someone said that, but it feels great.
I guess I don't want to question it too much as to what's going right, but I think it's such a fine line between having great results or having okay results, great results and winning.
I think I'm just on the right side of that, doing the right things at the right time. Getting up and down when I need to, and making a birdie putt to keep some positive momentum going. I think I've lacked that a little bit in the last year or two.
THE MODERATOR: Following up on last week, obviously a tournament where all the proceeds went to charity. A lot of people said there is no more fitting winner than Karrie Webb, a Hall of Famer, who is obviously very good friends with the Founders and understands the history. How do you go from a week like that to a week where there's $1.7 million on the line, and a great sponsor in Kia here in L.A.?
KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, obviously it's different. Even last week during the three rounds, well, not Sunday, but Friday and Saturday, because my concentration wavered a little bit. And I was like it can't be because we're not playing for money. It just can't be because of that.
Obviously, when Sunday came and I played a great front nine and then I was tied for the lead, it didn't matter really that we were playing for charity or playing for ourselves. When you're out there and you've got a chance to win, you want to win.
I think it's going to be the same this week. I've got a new course again this week, so the challenge is getting to know it before we tee off on Thursday. I think it's going to be a pretty tricky golf course, and one where you're going to need a lot of patience.
But I played 13 holes today. So I think if I'm swinging at it well, I think it's a course that I could have a good chance on.
THE MODERATOR: Is it kind of reminding you of when you were winning more often earlier in your career, the amount of responsibilities, doing more media, that kind of thing? Does it kind of bring you back a few years?
KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, well I don't normally talk to you guys on Tuesday or Wednesday very often anymore. But, yeah, it's nothing to complain about. I'd like to be in here on a Tuesday for the rest of the year if I can.

Q. The last time the tournament was here was like 30-some years ago, the course was considered really hard for everybody, but especially the women. How is it playing? What do you think of it now? What is going to be a good score this week?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, it's going to be hard to predict the score. It will depend on the weather. I don't think we're supposed to have great weather this week. So I think that's going to make it challenging.
I think scores won't be super low by any means. I think it might take us a while Thursday and Friday to get around the golf course and get everyone done. There are just holes out there where you can be just a little bit off and not have a shot to the green.
Then I think the second hole is a perfect example. If you're right center of the fairway, you can't hit at the green because of a big tree, so your option is to miss the green left. Well, if you miss the green left, it's really, really hard to get a chip within ten feet. So those are the sort of challenges the course poses.
I think someone hitting the ball well and hitting lots of greens will definitely have a chance.

Q. Is it better to be long or to be accurate this week?
KARRIE WEBB: I'd say accurate. More just being in the right position to drive the ball really well. That's not just hitting fairways; that's hitting half of a fairway. So I think driving the ball well and then iron play's going to be a key into it. You just don't want to have to be getting up and down all day.

Q. Do you enjoy this kind of course?
KARRIE WEBB: I think so. I Hope so (smiling). I Hope by the end of the week I tell you that I'm enjoying it.

Q. Can you talk about the designation, half of the money of the $100,000 that you allocated toward the Japanese earthquake relief efforts. Can you talk with about why you wanted that money to go there.
KARRIE WEBB: I actually donated it to Peace Winds, it's called. There is a branch of the charity here in the States, but I donated it directly to the Japanese branch. Donating -- because originally all of my winnings I had decided to go to the Christopher Reeve Foundation. But obviously winning was a reason to change.
And then when it was that much money, I knew $100,000 would go a long way in Japan. The Japanese people and Japanese businesses and companies in particular have been very, very supportive of me with sponsorship dollars and associations with them for my entire career.
I've always loved my time that I've spent in Japan, and I love the Japanese people. I think you can watch what's going on over there now and just see what a wonderful race of people they are because you watch them in their shelters and they're lining up for food, and no one's racing in and trying to get there first. Everything's very orderly.
I think that's one of the things I appreciate about the Japanese culture. Just to give back to them in a time of need is very rewarding.

Q. You won twice in a row. As you've gotten a little bit older, is the game getting a little easier now? Have you had to change your preparation or your routine at all that's made the difference?
KARRIE WEBB: I don't think the game's ever easy, and I don't think it gets easier as you get older.

Q. To make a difference, have you changed your routine, your preparations?
KARRIE WEBB: No, I still work very hard at the game. There are just certain times now, like this week, I want to practice hard, my coach is here this week. Anything that needs fine tuning I want to get that in tip-top shape for next week.
But I know also that winning a golf tournament takes a little bit out of you, and not to push too hard and waste too much energy and then be so spent by the time you get to next week that there's nothing left in the tank. That is the sort of thing that I guess I've learned. I still have to tell myself to do that. I don't do it naturally.
But, yeah, my preparation's still pretty much the same from week to week. And I just realized because Pacific Palms is in my head, it's Peace Winds that is the charity, Peace Winds.

Q. It's been a while since the TOUR is back here in L.A. is it good to be back in the Los Angeles area to play golf again?
KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, someone just asked me about that. I don't know when the last time it was.
THE MODERATOR: Six years ago.
KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, six years. So it's been a while. Yeah, it is good to be back, though I haven't experienced much of L.A. yet. I got in on Sunday night, and I haven't left the resort yet. So I had an LPGA Board meeting yesterday. I have yet to get off property, so I have to do that to actually feel like I'm in L.A.

Q. What's been the difference this year for you early on in this season versus last year when you didn't win a Tour event and already two this year, what's been the difference?
KARRIE WEBB: It's just really a fine line. I don't have a specific answer. I could have played exactly the way I have for two weeks and finished second both times. It's just that sort of fine line. I'm glad I'm on the good side of the fine line, because I know I've been on the other side of it for a while. I just would like to keep the run going as long as I can.

Q. How quickly can you adapt yourself to a new maybe a course that you're not very familiar with? How long does that take you to go out and get familiar with it some?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, I think Thursday and Friday, I think we'll probably still be learning. I think everyone will be still learning to some degree how to play the golf course. But I think everyone's in the same boat. Rookies are like that every week.
This week everyone pretty much, I think, has never played here before. There will be times when you're just going to have to be patient that your caddy's saying this is where the pin is, and you can't really remember what that section of the green looks like, and you're just going to have to get up there and commit to hitting a shot. Hope that what you remember is correct.

Q. When you came into this season, did you feel like I'm ready to start fast or did you know that? Did it surprise you?
KARRIE WEBB: I always hoped that that's the case. That's what I work towards in the off-season. I'm hoping that the work that I do there gives me a chance to get off to a good start. I've always enjoyed the start of the year just because my mind's fresh. I've had a couple of months off. I haven't missed a five-foot putt for two months.
The game doesn't always come easier, but it's easier to be patient. It's easier for me not to be so hard on myself. Now I'm particularly getting off to such a great start, hopefully my attitude remains the same for the rest of the year.

Q. Do you remember the last time you started a year with two straight wins?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, not on the LPGA. That was probably 2000. I think, I started with two straight wins. But 2007 I started with two straight wins in Australia. So that's the last time I did that.

Q. Can you talk about it was Ai Miyazato and Mika and Momoko who are helping in their Japanese relief efforts. I'm wondering what effect they could have, the three of them, and other players such as yourself in helping and raising awareness. They made buttons and they said they were going to talk about it in the players' meeting tonight. Just what sort of effect they could have working together to help them?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, they're three very big names in Japan themselves, so I think it's great that they've gotten together and shown a unity because I think that's what the Japanese people themselves need to do too.
They're great girls. I've watched them start as rookies and come through. Ai especially, I think, I've known her since she was 18. She's one of my favorites. And to know that really she went to school and her family, both her brothers went to school in Sendai, so I know that's touched pretty close to them and their families.
Ai has already seen me to wear the button this week, so I'd be more than happy to.

Q. Did the Christchurch earthquake effect you? How big a deal was that in Australia? How did that effect you at all?
KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, we were actually in Singapore when that hit. But my dad's sister, my aunt was actually driving into Christchurch when that happened. She was over there on vacation. Fortunately, hadn't gotten into the heart of the city where most of the destruction was.
But I even know one of our board members, Katie Future, she had played in the New Zealand Open right before that, and had left her golf clubs and her luggage in the player hotel and went touring -- well, she was supposed to do that for a couple of days.
When the earthquake hit the hotel that she was staying in or left her luggage in it had fallen to the ground. She was very lucky that she wasn't there. But she didn't get any of her stuff back, obviously.
Just talking to her about the devastation was -- you just can't even imagine it. I'm sure out in California it's pretty close on people's minds especially when it's going on around the rest of the world.

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