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U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 4, 2001

Nicole Perrot

ANDOVER, KANSAS

RHONDA GLENN: Ladies and gentlemen, she played great today, the runner-up in the 101st Women's Amateur Championship.
Q. What are your thoughts, you had a pretty good two weeks in Kansas?

NICOLE PERROT: Yeah, pretty good. Everything was-- I had two really good weeks here in Kansas. I played really good these two weeks. I had a fun two weeks. And I really made --

ANDRES PRIETO: She really meets a lot of new people. She thinks that these two weeks, she met a lot of people that are very good golfers and are pretty good, how do you say, pretty good golfer, a very good field.

Q. Coming in having basically played two grueling weeks of golf back-to-back like this, you think at this point you could probably be prepared for anything at this point as you prepared to turn pro later this year?

NICOLE PERROT: Yes, I think so.

Q. Nicole, would you talk about the last hole 36th hole, you made a great putt, looked like you might win at that point?

NICOLE PERROT: Yeah, I was 4-under in the first 18 holes I really don't play very good. I miss a lot of putts so in the last holes of the second round I really start to put more pressure, start to playing better, start to putting putts into the hole and the last hole I really make a great putt, but, you know, she plays awesome. She really putt great. I think she make an excellent birdie on the last hole.

Q. Is it disappointing when you make birdie and you look like you are going to win the hole and then she makes birdie?

NICOLE PERROT: No, I don't think so.

ANDRES PRIETO: She thinks -- she knew that she was very close from the hole.

NICOLE PERROT: I know she's going to put it in. I was thinking that I have to put this putt in. It was the only chance to have the opportunity. She was very near the hole.

Q. Was it the biggest margin you had come back in a Match Play to even the match? You were down five holes at one time.

NICOLE PERROT: No, but the other ---

ANDRES PRIETO: She has played a lot of matches in Chile and she also was like 4, 5-under, she came back also. But not here in U.S.A..

NICOLE PERROT: Not in big tournaments -- not in --

ANDRES PRIETO: National tournaments back in Chile.

Q. Who did you call in the clubhouse?

ANDRES PRIETO: She was talking with my parents.

Q. What did you want to tell them?

NICOLE PERROT: I think, say hi.

Q. Let's go to hole No. 5 on the second 18 today when you were 4-down and then you sunk a 15-foot birdie putt. Then on the next hole you chipped in for a birdie. She had answered with birdies on both of those holes. You seemed to have adrenaline going after that birdie on 5 then on 6 the chip-in. Then she putts in her birdies. What are you thinking there? Do you think you have got -- is that disappointing to see that?

NICOLE PERROT: I don't think that it is disappointing. I think it is great. The -- it's great to play with great players that you make a birdie and she make another one. That's the idea. It is very awful to -- you win a hole with a bogey or something like that. It is like better, I think. That's ideal, I think.

Q. When you go into that little break after the first round you are down 4, what are you doing during that time off? It is any relaxation, are you plotting out a plan for the second 18? It seemed like there were specific areas on the course that you were more aggressive later in that second 18. Did you have an idea of where you could try and get back in that match?

NICOLE PERROT: Yeah, I think that when you are 4-under in 36 holes it is nothing. That's my -- I really think that. There are 36 holes and you never know what is going to happen. So I was really -- I start playing the second 18 holes with very aggressive and to make some birdies. See what happens.

Q. On that putt on 18 was there any doubt in your mind --

NICOLE PERROT: No, said to him I am going to put this in.

Q. What did you think of the support, when you hit some of those long putts from birdies, some of your friends and family in the gallery they cheered loudly, what did you think of that?

NICOLE PERROT: That's great. I think it is great to have some family here, some friends that help -- it really helped me.

ANDRES PRIETO: It is like when you hear that you have more confidence and you really want to hear somebody.

NICOLE PERROT: For your country, give you some --

ANDRES PRIETO: Screaming in Spanish.

NICOLE PERROT: Yes.

Q. Did you sense you had made some fans after last week when you were in Kansas already, were you people more familiar with you? Did you feel like that this was almost a second home to you on the golf course, at least where people knew who you were, appreciating your style of play?

NICOLE PERROT: Yeah, I think so. I hope so.

ANDRES PRIETO: Maybe she didn't realize, that but I think for example last week when she played the final at the U.S. junior, I don't think nobody from here from this country was helping -- not helping, supporting Nicole. But today it was amazing. There were a lot of guys that really wanted Nicole to win.

Q. What time do you go home tomorrow?

NICOLE PERROT: At 12 o'clock.

Q. You have the Juniors Girl's trophy with you?

NICOLE PERROT: Yeah.

Q. It would have been a little hard to take both trophies home with you?

NICOLE PERROT: Probably. I am really happy. Sometimes you don't win, but I am really happy.

Q. How often have you played against other players who are not just juniors, players who are older than you?

NICOLE PERROT: A lot of time. Always in Chile. It is like this year is my only year like I am playing in all those tournaments, Junior and here in the States because it is very difficult to me, came here and play like very expensive and it is very hard. I have to fly like 15 hours, you know, I am 17 years old. I cannot be all the time out of my house. It is very kind of difficult.

Q. What did you prove to yourself playing so well against so many good players this week?

ANDRES PRIETO: She really thinks that she was playing very good before she came here. She was feeling very good in her game with a lot of confidence, playing very good in tournaments back home and in South America, but she didn't have the right time to prove it here in the U.S.A. because nobody really is supporting Nicole in Chile, federation didn't support her at all.

NICOLE PERROT: This year three tournaments here Junior World, U.S. junior and this one.

ANDRES PRIETO: So she was pretty confident that she was going to do it well both weeks, especially last week.

Q. In the past two weeks we have had a lot of really hot weather here in the center part of the United States. In your golf career, have you ever had to deal with weather like this, where it has been really hot and really humid?

NICOLE PERROT: Yes, I play in South America some tournaments in Columbia, Venezuela, those countries very hot too. I don't have problem with that too. I don't have a problem with that.

Q. What is the competition like that over there compared to playing over here?

NICOLE PERROT: I think we have really good players in South America. I think the difference is that here are more players that are really good, I think -- I don't think that are better, but are more.

Q. Second round today, it seemed that at some point probably around, after you gotten the birdie on 6 with the chip-in that you started really picking up speed, moving fast toward the ball getting up to the ball and hitting it quickly. Were you feeling like you had more momentum going? You really wanted to move quicker? Were you trying to pick up the pace?

ANDRES PRIETO: No, I think she was very excited to play, just to play and just to hit the ball good. I don't think she was playing fast.

Q. She seemed to not take as much time over hitting the ball. She went up to it and hit it pretty quickly a lot of times. How well she stroked it on 7, she didn't spend any time there.

NICOLE PERROT: 7 ---

Q. The par 4 she hit a strong --

ANDRES PRIETO: We was talking, I remember I said to Nicole right now you must put the pressure. You must try to hit the ball closer to the hole.

Q. What hole was that that you told her then?

NICOLE PERROT: Like when we start on No. 1 -- not No. 1, number 19.

Q. Second round?

ANDRES PRIETO: Yeah.

NICOLE PERROT: I think I start playing with more energy, more excitement. I was very excited playing.

Q. You are turning pro next month; is that correct?

NICOLE PERROT: Next month?

Q. When is it?

NICOLE PERROT: Next year.

Q. What are you going to miss about being an amateur? Is it different? Are you going to negotiate a course differently when there's $50,000 on the line as opposed to a medal?

NICOLE PERROT: I really think that I am ready. I think that, you know, if you play like for money or for fun it is like the same. It is all here. You go there and have fun, if you are playing anything for money or not for money. A good player I think doesn't care about that. Golf is golf and you play golf because it is my passion and play the best I can, that's it. It's not a big deal about that. That's what I really think.

Q. I was impressed by how tough mentally you were today. Where did you develop that trait? Is it just your background?

ANDRES PRIETO: I don't think she knew she was tough mentally. She was just in the zone, inside the zone and just hitting good shots. I think it was a great match. I think both players played very good. She was all the round very relaxed, very confident and she only was trying to hit the best shots.

Q. Would you talk about your choice of shot that you tried to hit at No. 7 this morning. You were in front of the green.

NICOLE PERROT: Yeah. I want to make --

ANDRES PRIETO: We was talking about this shot. We have two choices. First one was a chip shot, like running, and just --

Q. Or maybe even a putt?

ANDRES PRIETO: No, I don't think --

NICOLE PERROT: I think the best shot that I have in my approach was the shot that I tried to do, but I don't make it.

ANDRES PRIETO: Also Duncan was like three feet from the hole, so, it was like "Nicole, go for the hole." You need to make it. She's not going to miss it. Today Duncan made, I don't know ---

NICOLE PERROT: All putts. She putted very good.

ANDRES PRIETO: I said to Nicole she's going to make it, so, try to make it. What do you think? You think it is better to hit the chip shot or a long shot and she was like, no, she was trying to hit a long shot. It was a little short. She hit it not very hard.

Q. What are your impressions of America during your stay here?

ANDRES PRIETO: She really likes the States. She likes here the people. She likes where the people live. She like here because in Chile golf is not like this. In Chile we don't have a tournament like this one. It is a great tournament. She really like the U.S.A.. She probably is going to live here.

Q. When do you plan on coming back after she turns 18?

ANDRES PRIETO: Yes. She's going to play qualifier for the future. (Inaudible) in December, probably going to be here in October.

NICOLE PERROT: Orlando.

Q. What is the largest number of people you have played golf in front of before today?

NICOLE PERROT: I play with a lot of people in South America --

ANDRES PRIETO: In tournaments in South America. She has played a lot of tournaments inside South America and in South America when you play in tournaments there are people like today and the World Cup in Chile in 1998. Today was a lot of people. Maybe you didn't know it, but -- (laughter) No. 18 was a lot of people.

Q. When you go home what will the reaction be like?

NICOLE PERROT: I think they must be very proud, very happy.

ANDRES PRIETO: Everybody is proud of Nicole right now in Chile, everybody. I think the thing that she do these two weeks is amazing for our country and for golf. I think this is going to be a great step to her to turn pro next year. I think it is going to help a lot. It is going to create more confidence in her game, and in her life. It is going to be a great thing good experience these two weeks.

Q. Are you going to buy a vacation home in Kansas or anything?

ANDRES PRIETO: Futures they play here in Kansas?

NICOLE PERROT: No.

RHONDA GLENN: The Women's Open next year.

ANDRES PRIETO: There you go. Both golf courses that Nicole played she was very happy, very good golf courses.

RHONDA GLENN: You have been very gracious, Nicole, thank you very much for cooperation this week and we certainly were just amazed by the way you play golf.

End of FastScripts....

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