SYBASE BIG APPLE CLASSIC PRESENTED BY GOLF MAGAZINE

July 21, 2001

Betsy King

BETSY KING: 16, the par 3, it was 160 to the pin. I hit a 6-iron, hit a good shot about a foot from the hole. 17, I hit 3-wood off the tee and I had 114 to the pin and I hit a pitching wedge and made about a 20-footer for a birdie there. Then 18, I hit a good tee shot and I hit 5-wood and just got it a little too far right and was in the bunker and hit the bunker shot out about six, eight feet and made that for birdie. Actually, I chipped in on No. 2 for a birdie. I've yet to hit that green. I hit 8-iron. It was 154 to the pin. I think I thought I had to hit it a little hard. It's downwind and of course it's downhill, and I turned it over a little bit and went just over the green and chipped it in for birdie. I was probably 30 feet from the pin. Then No. 3 I just played very stupidly, the par 5. I hit driver off the tee and hit it to the right. I was just trying to kind of punch/slice it back in play, and then I turned it over. It was behind the trees. I tried to punch it through the tree and it came down. I had 334 to the pin for my fourth shot there, and I had a tree where I just hit 7-iron to keep it under the tree, and it went just over the green. Chipped it back about eight feet and made that for bogey. Once I did that, I said I didn't want to make anymore. That was just the stupidest move off the tee to hit driver. It necks down and you can't really get it in there. I should have just hit 3-wood. Anyway, I birdied 4. I hit 4-iron. It was -- it was 189 to the pin. I hit a good shot about eight feet and made that for birdie. Then bogeyed the next hole. I hit my 3-wood just into the left rough. 8-iron it, kind of jumped out of the rough, hit flag high by rolled over. I had a pretty easy chip, but left it maybe six feet short and missed the putt. After that, I played a little bit steadier. Birdied 8. Hit middle wedge about six feet and made that. Actually -- what am I talk about. I got up-and-down on 9 and 10 for par from just off the green. Then 15, I just parred through 15, but I played No. 15 -- there again, I hit 3-wood off the tee on the par 5, just because it necks down again, and I hit a poor shot where I had to lay up my second shot; and had a wedge to the pin and hit it about six feet and missed the putt. The first day, I made five birdies and an eagle. Yesterday, I made six birdies and today I made six birdies. I'm making a lot of birdies, but I'm just making too many of the bogeys, and this is the first day I haven't had a double. I've made two doubles this week. I'm playing very well in spots, and I think overall, I've putted pretty well. I've missed a couple putts, a three-foot yesterday, but I've made some putts, too.

BETSY KING: At least I hung together with a string of pars. I've been so up and down the first two days, it's hard to play that way. I mean, obviously, you don't plan to do that. But I'm hitting some good shots, and other times, I'm not hitting great shots. It's the kind of golf course that if you hit a bad shot at the wrong time, you can make a number. The rough is pretty tough around the greens. It's funny, I don't think the course plays quite as long as it used to. The equipment, it's just ridiculous. It is. I'm hitting the ball now further at my age than I ever have. It's not that I'm stronger, per se. Maybe a little bit, but I think it is the equipment.

BETSY KING: I think it is a combination. So, you know, like Rosie is a very straight hitter and it helps to hit the fairways here, and because it is not playing quite as long as it used to -- it helps to hit the ball high on some of the par 5's. But 15, I never really hit 3-wood off that tee and now you're trying to hit driver to get it down there -- and now you're trying to hit 3-wood and where you're hitting it, it's down so much. I mean, I hit 6-iron into there the first day. I've never hit 6-iron into that green in my life. It's just interesting what the technology has done.

BETSY KING: I switched to the Callaway Blue ball and Callaway driver and I have Hogan irons. I think with everything, I'm hitting a little further. The driver and irons have made me half a club longer than I used to be.

BETSY KING: Ten years -- I think Atlantic City I won the first time -- I forget what they said, '87. So '90 would not be that much of a stretch. I don't know, you stay out here long enough -- I've played in the Open every year since '76. So you feel like you should win if you play it that many times. I don't know, I've just been very fortunate to play this long, I guess.

BETSY KING: It's okay. Now and again my back gets a little stiff, but compared to most people, I had all my injuries in other sports. Golf-wise, I've been pretty healthy. But I try to work it, too. But it definitely is harder. It's harder to get yourself psyched up to play. It's harder to practice when you do feel a bit more of the aches and pains and watching what you eat. You didn't have to do that when you're 25.

BETSY KING: You know, I do like the course. I think that helps, too. You know, you feel as though you have an advantage when you've played somewhere that you like to play and you've played well before. I think that's a plus. Certainly, I mean, any win for me -- I've love to win anywhere. But I just want to be in contention going into tomorrow. That's what makes it fun. My brother is actually caddying for me this week, too, Lee. He caddied for me in Atlanta this year. I'm kind of in between caddies right now so I've just been taking different people. I've been on Tour 21 years, and I think this is probably the sixth tournament that he's caddied for me. So it's not like he does a lot. This is the first time he's ever done more than one tournament in a year, I think. He's an attorney; I don't think he's going to give up that. But I think, you know, he's excited so, that's nice.

BETSY KING: Hasn't Rosie won here? She hasn't? I was going to say she's played well here. I'm going to be three or four shots back when we. I'd like to be closer, but I guess you go with where you are.

BETSY KING: I think probably her straightness. She's not overly long, but she's long enough. She's very much of a competitor. She's a good putter. I think if you can keep the ball in play here and putt well, that's what you need to do.

BETSY KING: Definitely. I like to know where I am. If you're two shots ahead, you're doing to play differently than if you are two shots behind. So I'm not one of the people that never looks at the board. You want to know what you need to do. So, yeah, I think in the position I am in, I'd like to come out and play a steady round tomorrow and make some birdies. I think I've made plenty of birdies. Just don't make the mistakes. Try to hit a few more greens and get it in the fairway off the tee.

BETSY KING: Actually, it was his third day. We played it as a par 72 the first couple of years so; it was 9-under. 10 was a par 5. They moved the tee up. I think they put some tents where we used to play from so they just decided to change it to a par 4, but I think it might be a 5 for the members, I'm not positive.

BETSY KING: Actually it was not a very good year up until Atlantic City. I'm working as hard as I ever have. I don't know, I was kind of starting to lose my patience a little bit. It's kind of interesting, I met with a lady that does our Christian fellowship group on Tour the week of Atlantic City and asking her to pray for me and find a couple of people to talk to; should I still be out here, and then I win this week. So, I don't know, I think that's sort of a God thing, but I don't know, it just kind of comes and goes.