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KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

March 30, 2011

Sandra Gal

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: We're here with Sandra Gal for the 40th anniversary of the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Sandra was a Rolex first-time winner at the Kia Classic last week. Welcome. Can you talk a little bit about how it felt to have your first LPGA victory and what it's like to follow that up with the Kraft Nabisco Championship?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, it's an awesome feeling to win for the first time. It's been crazy couple of days I have to say, but I'm just kind of soaking it all in and really enjoying the feeling.

Q. Crazy in what way, lots of people, lots of appearances, things like that?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, I mean, first of all, all the people, all my friends congratulating me, having your mailbox full and your phone constantly ringing. It's a good thing. And then wherever you go, people wanting autographs and congratulating me, and just very thankful for that.

Q. Can you talk about your new wedges that you got last week or the week before from Callaway? I was just in the truck talking with the guys so I heard about this.
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, that's right.

Q. You must have felt really confident when you made that shot there on 18.
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, Nick, our Tour rep, suggested I get new wedges for this tournament because the rough is high and you want to spin it, and I was like, okay, sure, let's just put them in last week and kind of get used to them, and you know, they did their work.

Q. Did you actually change the wedges, loft, anything different?
SANDRA GAL: No, it's the same wedges I had, just new grooves.

Q. Just the new grooves.
SANDRA GAL: They spin more.

Q. You really felt good with them?
SANDRA GAL: I did.

Q. And how was the pressure on that shot there?
SANDRA GAL: I can't really remember. I wasn't thinking about the pressure, I was just thinking about how to possibly hole the shot because I knew she hit it close. I'd been trying to hole a shot all week. I had one that I flew in the cup earlier in the week and it bounced out, and then I had another one that hit the pin. I was like, okay, she's going to make birdie, I need to do something. I just came close.

Q. How are you feeling health-wise? Everything okay as far as injury-free?
SANDRA GAL: I'm injury-free. I'm still kind of dragging along a cold from last week, but nothing serious, so I'm good.

Q. I'm just curious, Martin Kaymer's rise to the top of the men's rankings, his first major win last week, has that acted as much of an inspiration to you?
SANDRA GAL: Um, I think so. I don't know Martin very well, but I've grown up with him playing junior tournaments because he's from the same area in Germany, so kind of seeing him succeed, you know it's possible, and I know he's a great player, so anyone who achieves what he did is definitely an inspiration.

Q. That was the other question that I had and I lost track of it thinking about your wedges. Is there something special about what they're doing for regional golf there?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, there's this big secret.

Q. Come on, let's hear about it. Martin wouldn't tell me, either. We've been talking about it for two and a half years now and he still won't tell me. Is it something in the water there?
SANDRA GAL: The secret is there is no secret. No, I can't tell you really. I mean, everyone has to do their own thing and figure out what works for them to play good.

Q. But would you say that the German Federation has given you a lot of support?
SANDRA GAL: Definitely, that I can say. I've been on the national team for, let's see, I think five years, and they support you really, really well. I mean, we travel to so many tournaments, and in the winter when it was cold we'd travel to warm places just to get some practice in. We had great physios, and that is something that definitely helps your development as a junior golfer.

Q. Cristie Kerr was in here a little while ago talking about players who have won majors and players who haven't and how players who have won majors maybe feel more comfortable in this situation. People might have thought the same thing last week with you never having won on this Tour. But you seemed to be as calm as anybody on the golf course last week. Can you carry that into a major, or does it feel different?
SANDRA GAL: We'll see (laughing). I don't know, I mean, I really love this course. And it is a major; everything is bigger here, but at the end of the day -- you know, it's funny, last week when I was on 17 or 16, I was walking and I was in the lead or shared with the lead, and I was like, well, this is how it feels. You're still on the golf course, you're still playing the shots, you have the ball there, your clubs, your caddie. At the end of the day it's not different than anything else. So I'm just going to try and carry the same feeling on to this week.

Q. Did nothing surprise you about how you felt on the final day in the last round, or did you just take it all in your stride?
SANDRA GAL: I think what I just said surprised me. You would think in that moment maybe you get overwhelmed by the situation. I didn't, you know, on Sunday. But that was something that I think I can take with me, just to keep that calmness.

Q. Last week several times you didn't take driver off the tee. Some of the players talked about that. One of the appealing aspects of this golf course is that it's not just hit driver down the middle, sometimes 3-wood, sometimes rescue, left, right. Do you feel comfortable on this golf course? You say you like it.
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, I love this golf course. That's going to be my strategy this week. I won't be hitting a lot of drivers.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Sandra. Play well this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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