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KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIPApril 1, 2012Natalie GulbisRANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: We want to welcome Natalie Gulbis to the media center. Had a terrific round today, best round of the week by anybody thus far. NATALIE GULBIS: Thank you. THE MODERATOR: Tell us about it. What are the highlights? You're all smiles. NATALIE GULBIS: I made nine birdies, so that helps, and it feels even better when it's on a major golf course on a Sunday when the conditions are tough. I hit it good on the range, and I had been hitting the ball pretty well all week and had been getting better, and just all came together. THE MODERATOR: What does this sound say about you and what does it do in your mind for you moving forward? It's been a while since you've posted a Top 10, especially at a big event like this. NATALIE GULBIS: It's been a while since I've been asked to come in a media center. I think that's the best thing after a round when they actually want to talk to you and you're not just going to the driving range to work on things. THE MODERATOR: Do you want to tell them what you thought I was coming to get you for? NATALIE GULBIS: (Laughs). No. I just had a really good off season with Butch, and I've been working hard on my golf game, so hopefully it continues to get better and better. THE MODERATOR: Questions from the audience. Q. You and Stacy seemed to have similar trajectories for the week in that you didn't get off with great starts on Thursday and then you came on as the week went on. Was there something that changed in your game or was Thursday just one of those days? NATALIE GULBIS: On the first round? Q. Yes. NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah. Stacy and I play quite a bit of golf together, and when we were paired together the first two rounds, I don't think either one of us struck it very good, but it got better for me the next day and I hit it even better yesterday, and we obviously both played well today. But I love this golf course. It's one of my favorite golf courses all year, and obviously as a past champion Stacy does, too, and I think that always helps when you're going into a golf course that you feel comfortable on and you feel comfortable on the greens and know the different shots you have to hit. Q. What is it about the golf course that you like so much? NATALIE GULBIS: The greens are in wonderful shape, and just the tradition of this event. This is, I think you were telling me the 30th year of the Kraft Nabisco. There's just so much tradition whether it's just walking. I know the jump is so famous, but as a player walking from the third shot or the second shot to the green and looking at the past champions and looking at Hall‑of‑Famers, and I've watched many great players jump into that lake. It's just a great event. I have a funny story. Phil Mickelson works with Butch Harmon, and when I was going into Nabisco he wished me luck and said, "That's always one of my favorite events because it's an event that has so much tradition and it's on a golf course that I've actually played on." We feel the same way when we're watching Bay Hill or we're watching the Masters. We get excited to watch a golf course that we've seen so much tradition on or seen past events. So this event really stands out in golf. Q. When you have a closing round like this, how much, if at all, do you find yourself thinking where was this round earlier in the week? Is your predominant thought excitement or do you feel a little bit of why couldn't I have summoned this earlier? NATALIE GULBIS: No. Just excitement. For me as long as it's continuing to get better, it's positive for me, and especially any time you can shoot a mid or a high‑round score in the 60s on a major championship, it does nothing but positive. Q. Natalie, you have a caddie on your bag who's won quite a few tournaments. How is he helping you these last few weeks? NATALIE GULBIS: He helps me tremendously. He's really helped me this week, especially with reading greens, and I trust him. So if I say a break is outside right edge and he says right edge, I have confidence in him that he's right, and he always is right. Same thing on a day like today when the conditions get tougher and it's on a major golf course, he got better; and good caddies and good players get better when the continues are tougher, and nothing showed up more than today. Q. Did you wear all black just in case? NATALIE GULBIS: No. I like to wear black on Sundays. Adidas scripts me and they script Paula. Paula wears pink on Sundays and I wear black. But thank you. I didn't think of that. Q. You're the only player who made any kind of run who actually teed off on 10 today. NATALIE GULBIS: You have nothing to lose when you tee off on No. 10 at the Kraft Nabisco on a Sunday. Q. That's exactly the question. What's your mindset on a Sunday when you're teeing off ‑‑ I had somebody come up to me and say, this is where Natalie Gulbis teed off, right, at 10:10. I said, yeah, but over there. And she said, doggone it and ran over real fast. NATALIE GULBIS: Yes. You always want to be off the first hole on a Sunday in a major, and you just know that you have nothing to lose, nothing but positive things to either build on and you know your game is going to be tested. Just the opportunity to go out and shoot a low score and take something positive for the day. And once I saw the pins and saw that you could be aggressive on a lot of these holes, I just tried to make as many birdies as I could. Q. You said it's been a while since you've been in the press room. It's not like you haven't been given media attention. You have been in a magazine or two this year. But this is really what you want to be talking about; correct? NATALIE GULBIS: This is absolutely what I want to be talking about. I love answering questions about golf or about the conditions or about the tournament, especially an event like this. You always want to spend as much time as you can during majors in the media room or seeing you show up on 18 green. THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Natalie? Great to have you here. NATALIE GULBIS: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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