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SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC

June 4, 2011

Catriona Matthew

GALLOWAY, NEW JERSEY

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome our current leader, Catriona Matthew, into the interview room. Congratulations on your round today, 7-under now for the tournament. Kind of compare yesterday's conditions to today and what went right for you today?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Obviously, not nearly as windy today. Just a slight breeze today so that made it a little bit easier.
But, yeah, overall I played well out there today, couple of poor shots, but I still made a lot of birdies which you have to do on that course.
THE MODERATOR: Which holes stood out to you as good ones that kind of maybe turned it around?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: I think probably I holed a good putt -- I three-putted the first, my first putt past and missed the next one. Kind of raced that putt past in the second as well, and held an 8-footer for par, and that kind of got me going for the day.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Obviously the greens are still pretty quick out there. Was it tough to kind of get the pace early on?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, the greens are pretty quick. I just kind of raced -- we all kind of raced our first few putts, I don't know. Maybe just slightly quicker than yesterday. Yeah, once we got the speed, the greens are really good, rolling well, but they are pretty quick in places.

Q. I was looking at your bio and couldn't believe that it's 17 years on Tour. Do you sit down -- I don't want to say at your age -- but do you sit down and say how many more years am I going to do this? How many more chances am I going to have to win? Or do you just keep playing until you don't feel like it?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: No, I feel I'm still improving and working hard on my game. But I feel I'm playing as well as I've ever played. So, yeah, when my older girls start school, I probably won't play quite as much, but it feels like I've certainly got another good two or three years.

Q. How do you feel your career has gone since the birth of your first and then your second child? What were the differences in the career after their births?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, I don't know. I just relaxed a little bit more. Golf wasn't everything then. Obviously, I had something else to take up just about all of the time in a good way, but I think it just helped me relax a little bit more and put golf in perspective a little bit.

Q. Are your kids with you this week?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yes, they are. Yeah, they're out for the next six weeks.

Q. You started out the year with a couple of top eight finishes and then recently you haven't played as well. What is the difference between what you're doing now and the couple of events where you hadn't fared as well?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: A lot. Obviously in the Match Play event that is just one where anything can happen. Played well last week, finished sixth, so there just haven't been that many tournaments. I missed one. I didn't fly all the way back to just for Mobile just for the one week so, just haven't had too many opportunities yet.

Q. (No Microphone)?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, I think you just tend to play in all the events now. You don't really pick and choose now. You tend to if there is an event now, you play in it now. I think I'm going to miss two events this year, Mobile and Portland, because I promised to play one in Scotland. So apart from that I'm playing just about everything.

Q. You buried at 18. Can you just kind of take us through that hole and how much momentum does that give you?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, obviously a great way to end. Hit a good drive there. I was kind of between a rescue and a 3-wood, so I go with the 3-rescue, and just came up probably, I don't know, 20 yards short of the green.
Hit a really good chip-in to like two feet and obviously holed that one. It was a great little pin to chip because the pin was right at the front. So nice to finish with the birdie.

Q. And going into tomorrow, what are your thoughts and what will you do tonight? Going through the mind.
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Obviously, just trying to do more of the same. Hit the greens and give myself birdie chances. I feel I'm putting well. So if I can keep the ball out of trouble and get it on the greens, I'm confident with my putting.

Q. Six birdies, most of them average length?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, most of them were pretty short. I haven't had a long putt yet this week. Yeah, all within probably 15 feet.

Q. And the bogey?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: That was just a poor drive. I had to kind of hack it out of the rough from then on.

Q. Having Jiyai in your group and obviously Sandra played well yesterday. How does that impact the way you play seeing the ball go in the hole often?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, I think when you play people that are playing well, it pushes you along as well. I made a few birdies and Jiyai made a few birdies, so I think you keep pushing to make those birdies.

Q. What do you prefer to have tomorrow? Thinking you are going to play in the last group, I think?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Just like today would be perfect. Yesterday was a tough day. It makes it tough just even for putting it was so windy. So another day like today would be perfect. I don't know what the forecast is.

Q. You seem to be a person that you're pretty comfortable with things. Do you feel any pressure or are you just taking it as it comes a little bit?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: Obviously you feel pressured when you get out there tomorrow. I think now, as you said, I've been on Tour a long time. I've learned from these situations before and I'll be nervous for tomorrow. So I just need to hopefully learn from being there in the past and cope with it.

Q. When you're playing, does your family follow you on the course?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: No, that wouldn't be a good idea (laughing).

Q. Where are they while you're playing?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: The Tour has a really good day care, so they're there at the moment.

Q. Do they have any idea what mom does for a living? Can they tell if you played well or poorly that day?
CATRIONA MATTHEW: They know I play golf. That's about as far as it goes, I think.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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