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MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 8, 2005

Cristie Kerr

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

CRISTIE KERR: I am going to attempt to try and remember all 36 holes. I don't know if it is going to happen. This is from 3. Okay.

Nope, can't even remember what my first birdie was. Geez.

PAUL ROVNAK: Cristie, congratulations. This is not a major but it has is that major feel.

CRISTIE KERR: Absolutely does.

PAUL ROVNAK: Here a great tournament $330,000, what does this say about you?

CRISTIE KERR: Well, what does it do for my career? I definitely feel like I was able to extend my lead instead of protecting, which was it is a hard place to get to mentally because it is really easy to go the opposite way. I didn't do that. I kept fighting and fighting to go forward and shoot under par today. I hit it so far right, I almost hit it in the James River to the 18 hole.

At that point it was not so important with that many shot lead. It was nice. I never won a tournament by more than a shot. I feel like I have reached new level in my game.

Q. You never won a tournament by more than one?

CRISTIE KERR: I don't think Longs Drugs was by a shot, last year Vegas I won in a playoff, ShopRite I birdied 18, State Farm was the duel to the end there where I made a putt to win by a shot on the last hole. This is a good feeling, really good.

Q. How important was that third round at 68?

CRISTIE KERR: It was very important. It was very, very windy. I played great. I played very solidly. I was fresher during the day.

The second 18 was hard for everybody because on this golf course is mentally demanding. The wind didn't die down until the last three holes. To have that wind going 25 miles an hour, winds all day, and to play 36 holes, it was really a test for everybody. And I just knew that I wanted to extend a lead and try to get out ahead, and you know, so that you don't let it come down to like, if you lose a couple of holes. When the momentum is swinging crazy different ways, anything can happen.

Q. Do you have to play mental games with yourself, like set goals?

CRISTIE KERR: Absolutely. You know, I kind of found I just was out of my routine a little bit. We got timed on the fourth round, it is such a delicate balance. You have to do everything the exact same way, have the same feels. I got out of that a little bit and was able to get mad at myself and say, "You know, you are better than this. You have to get right back into where you were," and, you know, that is what I did. And you know birdieing 11 was huge and I played 12 and 13 very solidly.

15 that was a great up and down. 16 was even though I was still out ahead, it was very important to make that putt. So, it just felt great.

Q. When you made a bogey today, you didn't let it become two bogeys, do you feel that was like a corner turned out there?

CRISTIE KERR: Sometimes when you make bogeys you feel it slipping away. I didn't let that happen mentally today. I was right from there. I was getting mad at myself. I wanted to shoot under par today it didn't happen. Conditions were pretty tough. The greens were hard for the fourth round, really hard and faster in some spots.

Even with the wind, you know, those pins on the tenth hole the third and forth rounds, we are hitting 3 , 5 wood in. They could have given us a front pin, come on. Those were really, really tough holes. But what I did really well all week was, you know, when I made a bogey, "Come on, kid. Get it right back," and I did.

Q. Did you feel you had owed Kingsmill a beating?

CRISTIE KERR: I don't feel I owed it a beating. I think I feel it owed me one from the finish two years ago.

You know, with that said though, you know if the God of Golf favors you, that will happen. I really worked for it this week. Especially today it was a lot of golf.

Q. Are you much of a scoreboard watcher, and what goes through your head knowing that you had at least some cushion?

CRISTIE KERR: I never until recently was, now it doesn't bother me to look at it. I think it is great because you know where you are a little bit more. With playing with Annika so much, I notice that she is always looking at the scoreboards to know where she is. I said, "There's nothing wrong with it. It's not going to bite you. Why not look at it?"

I think it helps to realize the gravity of the significance that you are in, and to be able to save par when you need to save a par when it is important to keep the momentum going. I have done that really well this week.

Q. Were you aware of what she was doing?

CRISTIE KERR: No.

Q. Did you see anything like that

CRISTIE KERR: I noticed they had put her on the board when I was finishing the third round. I don't know where she was at the same time. I new I was out ahead. If I play a solid round I was more concerned to the people closer to me than with her.

Q. The strengths off this field

CRISTIE KERR: It definitely feels like a major championship to me. You know, to know that you can play that well and beat the best players in the world, perhaps be one of the best players in the world is a great feeling.

Again, I think I reached a little bit more of a maybe not a physical different level of my game, but maybe a mental higher level of my game. I will draw upon that for the Solheim Cup coming up.

I wasn't nervous hardly at all. I was able to control my game well. That is a pretty dangerous thing to do.

Q. Do you have a special relationship with your mother? It is Mother's Day can you speak about that?

CRISTIE KERR: My mom is great. I actually spoke to her right before I went to sign the autographs. You know, also for Worthie's wife Myra, it was a lot of different meaning behind this win. You know, with my mother, with the breast cancer, it being Mother's Day, it is a great gift. It is Myra's birthday.

I lost my grandma last Tuesday of last week. It would have been good for her to see this, but she is seeing it now.

Q. Cristie, whenever anybody talks about Annika's winning streak being snapped, your name will be mentioned from now on, how does that feel?

CRISTIE KERR: It feels great. You know, I played as good as I could, and I won by a few shots. You know, when you are against the best players in the world, that is truly remarkable. I don't know how she finished up, but it feels nice to know that she was in the field when winning this tournament. It makes it sweeter.

Q. Is this as well as you have played the entire week professionally given circumstances, field, course, everything?

CRISTIE KERR: Yeah, absolutely. I think the first three rounds were I don't feel like I played great golf the fourth round. When you have a lead and you are trying to hang on to it or extend it, it is as little bit more difficult. Just because you are running out of holes or whatever, it is a great win, and to know you can do that against this field is amazing.

Q. You said yesterday you had some problems with your blood sugar, maintaining nutrition, what did you do today?

CRISTIE KERR: I ate a lot. I ate a lot for breakfast and, you know, I probably ate a banana and three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and half of another ham and cheese sandwich.

I have this emergency packet of Gatorade without all the sugar that I put in my water. I know especially when you are playing 36 holes, when you start to feel you are hungry, it is too late. My blood sugar will drop.

You know, I am probably not going to eat as much tomorrow I would say, but, you know, I had to be prepared.

Q. But your stamina was not an issue?

CRISTIE KERR: Not today.

Q. Cristie, your mom's situation recovering now?

CRISTIE KERR: She is in remission. She has to go back in six months for a mammogram. Two and half years ago she got it. She had lumpectomy and radiation, and it is terrible disease. Kelli Kuehne's mom got it and Jennifer Rosales' mom has had it. It is awful.

Actually my Godmother in Oregon had surgery a month ago for it. We are hoping to raise lots of money in our event in Las Vegas on September 25 at the Trump course in LA. Karen Kucher (phonetic) will be co hosting with me. We are going to try to get a celebrity to do the MC'ing. We will make it a star studded LPGA tournament, so it will be fun.

Q. Natalie Gulbis

CRISTIE KERR: She is like my kid sister.

Q. Does she surprise you?

CRISTIE KERR: I knew she would be there. She is the best. You know, I am so proud of the way she is playing this year. She is growing up. She is realizing her potential. She is working on the right stuff in her game now, and I am very proud of her.

Q. What did you think when you saw her name pop up on the leaderboard?

CRISTIE KERR: I said, "No, I am not letting that little one get too close to me."

Q. Third shot or on 16, how many yards?

CRISTIE KERR: I think it hit 90 to the pin. It flew 80. It released out to the rough with the sand wedge.

Q. What one aspect of your game seemed to be going best for you today?

CRISTIE KERR: I played solidly in the third round. I just didn't make any huge mistakes in the fourth round. That is the key to my successes in this tournament because, you know, I just had to play a solid round. Didn't hit it great, didn't make that many putts. Of course I shot 1 over. I played an awful 18th hole. I was glad to get it over it. It is just amazing.

Q. Was it course management? Did you get an A plus for that this week?

CRISTIE KERR: Yes, and not giving up on myself and having that attitude, that I need to get further and further ahead. That is what Annika does very well. I have learned that from her. She is never really satisfied with being too close to anybody. I have learned how to do that this week.

Q. What is the biggest difference in your game this year?

CRISTIE KERR: Maturity, technique, my game in all aspects is better. I have more of that "want to win/hate to lose" attitude that I had back in junior golf.

You know, I think my fitness is more, you know, rather I am doing my I have upped my fitness. I am tired.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you, Cristie.

End of FastScripts.

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