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WENDY'S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CHILDREN

August 25, 2005

Marisa Baena

DUBLIN, OHIO

PAUL ROVNAK: Thanks for coming in and speaking with us. 66 put you in the tie for the lead. You have one win this year already, so you're having a great year. Talk about your day.

MARISA BAENA: It was a really good day. My ball I'll have to say my misses were excellent today. I think it was all about when I hit it close I made birdie, on the other holes I didn't hit it very close but I was able to two putt and make par.

No. 1 I hit about 2 feet for birdie. And then on No. 2 I hit it about 6 feet for birdie. And then on the par 5, I tried to go for two get in the bunker, up and down two feet for birdie. Then on the par 3, No. 8, I hit it maybe 8 feet for birdie. No. 9 I two putted for birdie.

And then on No. 11, again I hit it about maybe 6 maybe 7 feet for birdie. And then on the par 3 15, that was the only long putt I had with I don't know. That was a really tough one. That was maybe 10 feet, maybe longer. You know, I played really well.

Every time I had an opportunity for birdie I made it. The other holes I didn't have good chances for birdie. Besides No. 16, I had it about 3 feet and I made that for birdie. But beside that it was a sold round I putted real well today and I think that's what comes down when you have the opportunity to make birdie, you can do them.

Q. (No microphone.)

MARISA BAENA: Yes. It very likely. I thought I had it actually, and at the end it went a little bit left.

Q. You've had a good year. Let's talk about the mental attitude that you have right now and how confident you are out there right now.

MARISA BAENA: Well, I mean, I've been playing really well. Winning of course at the Match Play gave me a lot of confidence. I started shooting really low rounds, so I just need to put the four rounds together.

But I think the biggest difference, that my misses are so good. I mean, when you're making the ball on the green and you're having 20 feet, 15 feet for birdie (indiscernible) I think that's the biggest difference. So even when you're having a bad round, you're only shooting even par or one over, I think that when you're hitting it good, then it (indiscernible). But winning, it was very, very big for me. A lot of confidence and hit it good.

Q. Does missing well mean that you worked a lot maybe in the off season on your iron play, or your approach play?

MARISA BAENA: I worked very hard. I changed coaches last June, so I've been working on my approach, make a few changes, new grip, new setup. So I think it's just the work of a very long year. I didn't take my time off like I normally do. I didn't take the month off in December, I just kept playing, had to go back to Q school, so I had to get ready for that as well.

So I just think that finally normally takes about a full year to really see results if you're making the right changes, I guess. So I think that's why (indiscernible) playing well and doing all my qualifying, that really helped me to feel good.

Q. You had to go back to Q school?

MARISA BAENA: I did.

Q. When the morning leaders finished for the day, it seemed like the wind was coming up a little bit more about that time, more than they had to play with this morning. Was the wind a factor for you out there?

MARISA BAENA: No. Not really. It was a little bit gusty and I think that was why we were kind of waiting. Only got a little bit of wind, got to hit at the right moment. But, no, the wind wasn't bad at all today.

Q. It sounds as if the greens have been very, very receptive.

MARISA BAENA: Yes. And I think that's why the scores are so low. The ball is receiving the greens are very receptive, so you're not just shooting darts out there with the wedges and 9 irons. So I think it's playing shorter than last year. You know, we had all that rain. So we had a lot of 2 irons in there.

Q. What makes the ball so (indiscernible)?

MARISA BAENA: I'd just say that it was playing shorter than last year, so we were getting more roll from the tee to you know, from tee shots. And then the greens are very soft, so very receptive. And the ball is rolling pretty good. Even in the afternoon, I felt that if you got the good line. So the greens are putting good, fast. But I think because of the greens being soft, you know, that helps.

Q. What was for lack of a better description, what was wrong with your game that put you back in the Q school last year?

MARISA BAENA: I just had a not a very good season and, you know, I wasn't feeling confident and started working with a new coach in the middle of the season, which that's not easy to do. I played better at the end, but as I said, once you start playing bad, you can't concentrate, your confidence is down.

I just think everything was just off. My grip got off, all my basics, which is setup, grip, all that stuff, it was just all very bad. So I went back, we changed it.

But to explain it it's just complicated because the year worked, and a lot of people can't see it. And if you asked me what would be the biggest difference of all is that before my swing was very aggressive and not smooth, You know. So hips were going one way and arms were going another way and it was all timing. I worked really hard at getting a better timing, where my hips and my shoulders are moving together, not just one one way. So that's what I've been working on for the last year.

Q. And who's your new coach?

MARISA BAENA: Robert Baker. And he works with Logical Golf, that is the technique he teaches. And I was a little bit off. I just actually went and saw him two weeks ago in New York. He's during the summer in New York, and during the winter in Miami. So I just went and got a little lesson. So I guess it helped.

Q. Any (indiscernible) on the tour?

MARISA BAENA: You know what, on the Women's Tour it's only me. And he works with some of the guys on the Men's Tour, but I can't tell you who. He has worked in the past with Ernie Els, Greg Norman, Nick Price. But he doesn't work with them anymore.

PAUL ROVNAK: Marisa, you told us about the putts. Can we go back and can you tell us what clubs you hit in on the birdie hole?

MARISA BAENA: Yes. No. 1 I hit a grip 9 iron.

PAUL ROVNAK: 9 iron to two feet. No. 2?

MARISA BAENA: I hit a 58 wedge.

Q. And you got an up and down on No. 4. So No. 8, what club did you hit on the par 3?

MARISA BAENA: 7 iron.

Q. And then No. 9?

MARISA BAENA: So that was a 4 rescue club.

Q. Do you know how far the first putt was?

MARISA BAENA: A long way. Maybe 40 feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: Okay. What happened on the 10th with the bogey?

MARISA BAENA: I hit it left, hit the tree, came back. Chipped it, hit it on the green and two putted. So bad tee shot, I guess.

PAUL ROVNAK: Okay. No. 11, par 5?

MARISA BAENA: I hit a 52 wedge.

PAUL ROVNAK: Okay. And 15, the par 3.

MARISA BAENA: 7 iron.

Q. How much wedges do you have?

MARISA BAENA: Two. 58 and 52. That was one of the changes I made this year. I used to carry three wedges, and I went back to two wedges. And I put the 4 rescue in. And actually that has helped me a lot with my wedge play because I feel it goes more in sync with the rest of my clubs. Before I had the three wedges, where even if you had three, you always felt if you didn't have a good shot, it just wasn't a good number. Now I'm able to manage better, just the half yardages. And I don't care so much about the perfect number.

Q. Which might be the reason why your misses is better?

MARISA BAENA: Yes, probably too. Because I think that half shot, by taking that wedge out, I think it just flows better.

Q. A year ago you said you played fairly well toward the end. If you were to shoot 66 in an opening round, I would assume that you might not be confident that you could continue that where now you feel like you're on a roll?

MARISA BAENA: Yes. I absolutely think that that's something that the 66s are not, oh, my gosh, what I did I do today that you know, question what will be tomorrow.

I think shooting 66 is I know what I'm doing. So if you know what you're doing, there's no reason why you're going to question tomorrow. You know you can do the same round or something similar to it.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thanks.

MARISA BAENA: You're welcome.

End of FastScripts.

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