LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 23, 2003

Lorie Kane

Q. Great day out there. What was working for you?

LORIE KANE: It was all pretty good. I didn't miss many fairways. I hit a lot of greens, gave myself some chances, the putter was rolling well. I was quite comfortable.

I made a good save on 14. That was probably the only hole that I hit a bad shot. I just miss-hit a wedge, and this is the hole right out here by the putting green, and made a 15-footer. That was kind of one of those putts that keep you in the game instead of causing you problems.

Q. (Inaudible.)

LORIE KANE: Very much so. You know, I just spoke with The Golf Channel folks, and it's been since Tucson that I put myself in any type of situation to contend with a tournament. I'm happy with the way things are. I'm not getting ahead of myself and just letting things happen. There's still two days left. I'm having a lot of fun.

Q. Can you go through your injury again?

LORIE KANE: I don't even know how I developed it other than the fact that I flew out to Tucson. I have been in pretty good shape, and I think if the therapist were to talk to you about it, they would say I started to run, and I'm probably not a body that should run. I usually do my cardio on the bike, and I got kind of bored with the bike in late February and started running on the treadmill. I think that may have been a problem with my hips. That's the only thing I can think of and the only thing they can think of. I'm fine. I have been working very hard with the core strength, which helps your back. I haven't been running and been back on the bike; taking doctors orders and staying away from running.

Q. The leader board is full of players from Northern cold-weather climates. Why is that?

LORIE KANE: You know, I was asked this question earlier in the week about the weather. You know, you're probably right. Growing up in it, you either played in it or you didn't. It's not something I concern myself with. If I'm warm, I'm fine. Thus, the turtleneck and that kind of stuff. The girls who play in it growing up, I think there definitely is an advantage.

Q. If Annika misses the cut at Colonial, how will that affect the LPGA?

LORIE KANE: I don't think it's going to affect us at all, Michael. I think what she was able to accomplish yesterday in getting herself in the position she needed to be in and deal with it the way with she dealt with it, I don't think there is any negative, at least from where I stand. I think the most exciting thing is it's going to bring more people out here to watch her and in return watching us. I feel for her. I thought after yesterday there might be a little let-down today coming to the course, but I'm going to cheer her on until she finishes, and she'll get a big thank you from me. What she accomplished yesterday was unbelievable.

Q. At any point during your round today, did you ask anyone for an update on Annika?

LORIE KANE: I did. I asked a couple times, but we weren't as lucky today as we were yesterday. She had teed off later, so it wasn't -- I was thinking about her, but I didn't have an opportunity to ask anybody.

Q. If this is a trend that Annika is starting where players like Michelle Wie or the Tour's young stars start playing on the PGA Tour once or twice a year?

LORIE KANE: You know what, I don't know that that's going to happen. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I hope that, you know, the players realize that this is home, and this is where we need them to be, and, you know, we'll just have to wait and see. I really can't -- I guess I can't answer your question for you either way. I mean, look at Michelle Wie. I guess it might be speculating so far in the future for me. If you want to project into the future, Michelle Wie, she probably is the one I could see playing there, but she's still 13 years old and hasn't experienced tournament golf as a professional. So, I would wait and see to make any judgements on what it will do to us. I don't think it's going to do anything.

Q. This could be a one-time shot.

LORIE KANE: Yeah, to be honest with you, I'd love to see Annika try again. I'm sure she would like to. She has said she will not do it again. Who knows. I'm just very proud of what I saw yesterday and today. What a media circus it's been. I think she now feels probably what Tiger feels on a daily basis. I have said from the get-go what that woman did last year for golf, male or female, was by the wayside because of the situation in Augusta and that to me was an injustice to her. She's getting her due call now.

Q. It seems you corrected what you did wrong yesterday.

LORIE KANE: You know, I had -- it's not often you play a round of golf where you have two eagles in the first 9 and also in that 9 have a double bogey. Today where I did have chances for eagle, I gave them a good shot, but I minimized the mistake in the other department, not having any bogeys, making a good save like I explained on 14, coming through the 7th hole knowing I had to hit the same club because that's the same shot, and to be able to walk away with par, and I almost made birdie, to get over those little bit of hurdles, it was a positive thing.

Q. Looking ahead to tomorrow, with the conditions possibly being bad, what is your strategy then?

LORIE KANE: Well, if it's really wet, the key is to stay dry. That's when a very good caddy comes in handy in keeping yourself dry and yourself warm, if it was going to be cool. I thought it was going to be colder today. That's the biggest thing when playing in the rain is you have to try to stay try. I think we lucked out today.

Q. Holes two and five are birdie holes, so do you feel that if you don't birdie those that you're losing a stroke?

LORIE KANE: I definitely feel it is. I think on any golf course, you have to look at the par 5s, and those are the holes you start with. Making birdies on par 5s is a good way you can start a round.

Q. With the forecast being what it is for tomorrow, was it in the back of your mind that you needed to go low today?

LORIE KANE: I think, you know, if you ask that golfers tend to watch a lot of the Weather Channel, and, you know, if we ever retire, we will probably become weather people. That's how you plan your day by what you're wearing, how cold it's going to be, how many towels do we need, make sure the umbrella is there. All those things are like a little checklist. If you don't have them, and you're out there, you get caught, and it's a problem.

Q. But did you feel that you needed to go low?

LORIE KANE: Yeah, I mean, I thought we were going to have rain today, so I was trying to get as low as I could yesterday. I think this afternoon was lucky that we didn't have any rain. The wind settled down. It was quite comfortable to play golf out there today. It was a good way to play. I'm glad I have a low number.

Q. What would a win at this point in your career mean to you?

LORIE KANE: I come every week, Michael, to win. That is the goal starting Monday when you arrive in the city, and I'm here in Corning hoping to win.

Q. Do you have confidence in yourself now in your career going into the weekend with a lead that you didn't have in the past before you had won a tournament?

LORIE KANE: Yeah, yes, you know, I think the last number of years probably since my first win and then the other three, there is a difference in the confidence that I carry, and I will not lie to you, watching Annika on the TV, I'm very motivated by what she's done and watching her play. She's raising the bar, and I'm hanging on for dear life, but I'm going to make sure that I continue to get better.

Q. Has Annika inspired you in other ways besides what she's done this week?

LORIE KANE: I think, Michael, when you look at a top player and you try to, say, if she's out there looking at the guys, the way they practice, hitting shots, the time she spent with Tiger, I guess I look at the same thing. The top players coming out here, coming out on tour as late as I did, I looked to them to see what was different between my game and theirs. I know I have strengths and I need to continue to work on those strengths. One of the things that impresses me most about Annika is her mental toughness and the ability she has to push herself to the limit. I look at how I can be Lorie, not Annika, and push myself to be better and not be so hard on myself, as I can be; as anybody can.

You know, there may only be a few of you here, and you're not at Colonial, and you don't get to watch, but we do appreciate what you do for us here.

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