LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 26, 2001

Carin Koch

CARIN KOCH: My favorite part. See if I can remember today. I used to have a good memory before I had a son. I blame it all on him. He doesn't know it. Okay, No. 2, I hit -- what did I do? I hit a bad approach shot. I hit a bad shot onto the green. Chip shot, and made quite a long putt. It was probably about 20 feet. Then I made bogey on 4; 3-putted. I was not that far from the pin. I hit my first putt too long. And missed like a 4-footer or so coming back. Misread the putt a little bit. Hit a good putt. 5, I hit it on the green and 2-putted from probably 25 feet. 6, I hit a wedge to about 10 feet below the hole. On 11, I hit a 7-iron, and that was probably about 16, 17 feet. 14, I hit my approach shot short, and didn't get up-and-down. Missed maybe a 5 -, 6 -- 5-footer. Same thing there. I hit a good putt but I misread it a little bit. 15, I hit a 9-iron to probably 5 feet.

CARIN KOCH: It was, I think I'm in a good position. If I hadn't made those two bogeys today, I would have been in even better position, of course. I made some good birdie putts, and missed a couple short ones. I think I'm in a good position. I'm playing pretty steady. I'm rolling the ball good. So if I just get myself some chances, I know I'll make birdies and try to stay away from the bogeys.

CARIN KOCH: Well, yeah, I don't think you can count on anyone to stumble. These are such great golfers that are up top. I think I'll have to, I know I'll have to shoot a good score to have a chance tomorrow. I'm a couple back. I'll try to do what I'm doing, hit a lot of fairways, lot of greens, and not make bogeys. Not make any mistakes. I think that's, like I said, it's two more -- if I hadn't made those two bogeys today, I would have had another great score. I had a good score, but it would have made all the difference. Sometimes these greens, you have to stay below. You get a little too cute easily. That's what I did on 14. Hit middle of the green and 2-putted. That was a shot there. If I can stay away from bogeys, I know I'll make some birdie out here.

CARIN KOCH: It wasn't -- at the time I tried to hit a shot that I didn't quite do it right. I tried to hit a little higher shot into that green than normally. I was in downhill lie. I didn't hit it hard enough. I put a little more loft to the shot. That's why it went shorter. I hit it solid and everything, I just didn't hit it enough. I just try to hit a more difficult acute shot rather than my normal shot. Like I said, get it on the green.

CARIN KOCH: Pretty similar. A little bit of wind. And the greens are rolling great. I think we have been so lucky with the weather. And I looked out the window this morning, I kind of wanted to stay in the room. It looked really ugly. Turned out to be another great day.

CARIN KOCH: Yeah, I birdied 2 and 5 today. Still didn't hit it on the green on 2. I hit a bad second shot. But got it up-and-down. Made a kind of long putt. That felt a little better.

CARIN KOCH: I haven't thought of that too much. It's always great to have a good tournament. Like I said yesterday, it's a good golf course for my game, and I enjoy playing here. Yeah, definitely make me feel a lot better driving up the driveway than I did last time I was here.

CARIN KOCH: It really doesn't matter to me. Either way it will be fun to be in the lead group, both Mhairi and Maria are really great players. They're good to play with. So I think it will be fun. Like you said, I'll be able to know what they're doing. If they play well, I'll try to feed off that and do that myself, too.

CARIN KOCH: Yeah, I know Maria well. We've played golf together since we were probably 10 or so. 10 or 12. Yeah, I know her pretty well.

CARIN KOCH: Yeah. Like Mhairi and I had a good time today. We talked a little bit. You know, most people out here, you can always find something to talk about. It will be fun.

CARIN KOCH: No. My husband and I -- he is caddying for me. We were saying I don't know if there is anyone that shoots as many low scores as Maria does. When she gets it going, she keeps going. That's one of her great parts of her game. I didn't know what score she started on today, to be honest. I didn't know how many under until I saw it on the last hole. I know she was doing really good. That's fun to see. It's always fun to see someone climbing the scoreboard like that. I just hope I can have her score tomorrow.

CARIN KOCH: I like playing in the morning, you know. It means I have to get my son up earlier, but... I like teeing off in the morning, not having to try to find things to do in the morning.

CARIN KOCH: I watch it pretty closely. I made a mistake a couple years ago when I had a chance to win the tournament. I didn't know I was leading. I wasn't in the last group at the time so I don't know how much difference it would have made, but I was leading by 2 at the time. And the course, it was finished -- 17 and 18 were two par 5s. It really, someone could make two birdies pretty easily. I knew I was doing good. I think I would have done it differently if I watched the scoreboard. After that, I try to know what's going on. I feel better knowing what's happening.

CARIN KOCH: It would mean a lot. It would be -- it would make me feel like I've done all the things that I want to accomplish kind of. I feel like I've done a lot. But I haven't had that win over here. So whenever it happens, it's going to be a great feeling. If it happens tomorrow, that would be great. If I have to wait another while, I guess I'll have to wait.