U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 3, 1999

Kelli Kuehne

KELLI KUEHNE: I played really solid. My goal today was just to hit a lot of fairways and give myself a lot of chances at birdie. I hit a lot of fairways. I think I might have missed two fairways, but I also hit 15 greens. I've been rolling the ball really well as far as putting. And I left myself with a lot of birdie opportunities around 10 to 15 feet, and I was able to capitalize on those.

KELLI KUEHNE: I had 25 putts. I had one that was about six feet. I had several that were anywhere from 10 to 15 feet, and maybe one, the first hole, I made about a 30-footer. I didn't make a whole lot of 30-footers, but I had a whole lot of 10- to 15-footers for birdie that I was able to make.

KELLI KUEHNE: No, not really. I came out this morning. I got here about an hour and 20 minutes before my tee time, messed around the locker room a little bit and then had a little peanut butter and jelly sandwich like I usually do; went to the driving range, and that was it. I've been very confident coming into this week. I had a great week in Texas. I think the week in Texas and my home state gave me a lot of confidence coming into Corning. Corning gave me a lot of confidence coming into here; giving me a lot of confidence right now.

KELLI KUEHNE: Does my diabetes bother me in the heat? No. I've been living with it since I was ten years old. It's not something that ever bothers me. It's something that I have to deal with. Being on the insulin pump, I have the luxury of turning the amount of insulin I get per hour down. The whole reason I went on the insulin pump is it's like an artificial pancreas. It gives me a certain amount of insulin per hour. Normally get seven-tenths of a unit; so I turn it down to three-tenths of a unit to have the right amount. Does that kind of make sense to you all? I took my blood sugar during the rain delay. It was 105. It was where -- I had several times today where I felt like I needed to eat some food, so I hit a couple buttons on my insulin pump. It gives me insulin, and I don't need to eat food.

KELLI KUEHNE: I was in the middle of my sophomore year. I turned pro in November. So I played a year and a half with the school.

KELLI KUEHNE: I turned pro in November of '96. I just kind of reached the point with my collegiate career that I felt like my golf game wasn't getting any better, and I that think the person that shoots 75 or 75, they should not be able to win. That's my opinion. I felt that in order for me to live my dreams and to do what I'd always worked to do, that turning pro was the best thing for me and gave me the opportunity to play with Tiger and Jason. I talked a lot with Hank Haney, my instructor, or I talked a lot with my parents. I talked a lot with my brothers. I talked to Tiger and a couple of the TOUR players. I felt that my best decision was to turn pro, and I had the -- I happened to be in the right place at the right time, because Nike was looking for a new woman to represent their new women's line, and that's something that I had always wanted to do was represent Nike. I also got picked up by Top-Flite and a couple other things. I had another from a diabetic-based food line called Hain Food Group. So I kind of had the people there to back me and the people supporting me where I could financially afford to do -- come out and turn pro. I took advantage of that; I did turn pro. Last year was definitely a difficult year for me. It took me seven tournaments to make my first cut. It wasn't a fun year. I mean, it was a year of growing pains for me, and that's pretty much the only way I know to describe it. I don't know why the jump was so difficult, but I had a hard time transitioning into professional golf. And do I regret the decision to turn pro? No. I stayed in school through May of '97, and I got to continue growing up, being a kid. You know, you get frustrated when you're struggling, but I never did regret my decision to turn pro. I still stand by that, and I always will, because it's something that I felt very strongly about.

KELLI KUEHNE: It all worked. It wasn't just one thing that worked and one thing that didn't work. I drove the ball very well. My iron play was very sharp. My putting was very true. It was just one of those days where everything works.

KELLI KUEHNE: I think that I had something to prove before I went to Q-school. Everyone said: Okay, she's sponsored by Nike, sponsored by Top-Flite, she's got Hain Food Group, these people behind her, but let's see if she's really good enough. Let's see if she can make it through Q-school. I think I earned a lot of respect when I went through Q-school, like everyone else did. I wasn't given any special privileges. I did it the same way everybody else did. I think people kind of cooled off once I did make it through Q-school. It's a business. This is what I do for a living. This is my livelihood. Do I think people enjoy me not going well? I don't think -- I don't really worry about what other people think. I mean, I've got to take care of myself. And if someone else is struggling, I can tell you -- it doesn't mean I'm insensitive -- I don't know who is struggling and who is doing great. I just worry about myself.

KELLI KUEHNE: I spend a lot of time this off season. I took a month off after Q-school. I was exhausted and didn't take a look at my golf clubs; and sometimes I have just have to go and time out. I went to the rest of the Texas football games. I hung out with my dogs. Started practicing again with Hank Haney. Started working a lot on my golf swing. I went through a three-week period where I got to work with Hank Haney every single day. And that was very good for me because it gave me something. I had very good technique to work with from the start, picking it up after taking a month off. I spent a lot of time working with Tracy Phillips, who is my full-time caddie this year; also my short-game teacher, and he was not able to caddie for me but about four or five times last year. I was able to have him full-time this year. I give a lot of credit to have having Tracy caddie for me. He caddies and for me and doubles as my short game and putting teacher. I'm table to work on that technique as well, and he's my backup to Hank what I don't have Hank Haney around. So between the off-season, Hank Haney and Tracey, that had a lot to do with my success. And most importantly, I've decided that you've got to have a little fun. So that's kind of what's helped me out this whole year.

KELLI KUEHNE: I don't really look a whole lot at the leaderboard. I do notice if my name is on the board. I still get excited over that. But I think Old Waverly is an incredible golf course, and it's in amazing shape. I mean, I went to the Masters and this place -- it looks you know this is like our Masters. We don't have Masters, but the U.S. Open is the ultimate and premiere event in women's golf, in women's professional golf. I think a lot of birdies are being made because the greens are absolutely perfect. If you're on the right side of the hole you've got every chance in the world. If you put a good roll on it or if you've got a good line, you've got every opportunity to make birdie, because the greens are in such great shape.

KELLI KUEHNE: I claim I'm 5'4" with shoes on. I've about 5'2" with no shoes on. I don't know what -- I don't look at any of the stats or the statistics. I don't know what my driving distance is.

KELLI KUEHNE: I would say I probably average around 240 to 245 off the tee. The golf course definitely is playing -- I mean it's the longest yardage-wise golf course I've ever seen in an U.S. Open. I don't know historically what the longest Open ever is. I know the course is playing 4633 yards or something because I noticed that on the card.

KELLI KUEHNE: 150 yards, it's either probably a 7-iron. Sometimes it could be a little 6. But most likely 7-iron.

KELLI KUEHNE: I have 10 to 12 yards between each iron, and a lot of it is based on feel. It's hard to say this is what I hit at 135 yards.

KELLI KUEHNE: A lot of people say no pagers on the golf course. Well, it's not a pager because it does look like a pager. A common conceptions about being diabetic is you know I can't be successful because I'm diabetic or -- I mean, you've got two ways going being diabetic. You can take your medicine, check your blood sugar and live a happy healthy heave. Or you can not check your blood sugar, not take your medicine and die. It's pretty cut and dry. I've chosen to take this route. I've never missed an insulin injection. It's just not something I take lightly. You can work with your doctors and you can live a very happy healthy fulfilling life.

KELLI KUEHNE: I have talked with Michelle some about it. I got put on the insulin pump last October in March. I've talked a little with Micelle about it. She seems to have her group of people that she works with and her doctors that she goes to, as I do mine. That's pretty much it.

KELLI KUEHNE: I had the a great putt. I thought I made it. I hit a great putt on 17 as well. But going back to 17, I thought my caddie told me to putt it on the left side of the ball mark, and I got it maybe a half inch high of the ball mark and missed it. Half an inch-high; that will tell you how good my caddie is at reading greens. I just laughed and shook my head and said: Yeah, I missed mark and missed the putt. On 18, Tracy saw the ball on the side left lip. I hit a great putt and thought I made it; missed it just low. I'm not a very good history buff when it comes to golf, because I just try and play and I don't know who holds what record and stuff like that. I was just -- I thought it would be cool to shoot 9-under. I've never done that before I was just trying to make it.

KELLI KUEHNE: 17, I was probably about 30 -- maybe 35 feet on 17. On 18, I was maybe 14. No more than 15 feet.

KELLI KUEHNE: I think the most important thing that I learned last year is you can't really show everybody what you can and can't do. That's what kind of dug me into a hole that was 10 feet under because I wanted to show everyone that I belonged out here; that I could play. And then you kind of think about it and you realize you have nothing to prove but anyone but yourself. And the way I see it, Austin was a huge turning point for me. The tournament in Texas I finished 7th and I was pleased the way I played. It was the most solid four rounds of golf I played as a professional. I've been telling Trace, you know, I feel really good about game. I think I can get something together here, and I think that I can win. That's the attitude I had for the U.S. Open qualifier. I shot 4-under there. I had the same attitude for the tournament that week. It carried over into Corning, and I feel great about my golf game.

KELLI KUEHNE: I have absolutely no idea that I've won an event. I kind of shake my head and was looking at my mom and looking at Trace and saying: I just won my first event. I didn't celebrate. I didn't have a beer. I didn't pop open the champagne. I didn't do anything exciting. There was nothing different. I've gotten a lot of congratulations, which obviously makes me feel really good. I spent the night talking to my fiancee. That's pretty much what I did. He says how do you feel. How is this. How is that. I was on the phone the whole time. Talking to my dad, my family and my brothers and everything else. You know, I don't -- I still haven't figured out that I've won yet, I don't think.

KELLI KUEHNE: I wish I would have known where it's been. This year -- I started out this year playing a whole lot more solidly to begin with. I shot 77 in my opening round at my first tournament of the year, and I never remember what I shoot where because it all kind of runs together after a while. But after I shot 77, I remember I came back and shot 69 and I made the cut. And that was very important for me, because if I had shot 77 and missed the cut I would say: Oh, boy, I don't want to get started on the same track that I was on. And I'm not negative like that, but shooting 77 and then shooting 69, I mean that got me ready to go. I had a great week the next week in Naples. I just feel a whole lot more calm and comfortable being out here. I know where to go where to eat where to stay. I know which direction the golf goes -- which was not I don't have nearly the amount of pressure that I have put on me last year. And I know that makes a huge difference.

KELLI KUEHNE: I think February 12th of next year.

KELLI KUEHNE: His name is Jay Humphrey. He just got drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. He's a football player. Offensive tackle and that's it.

KELLI KUEHNE: Jay is about 6'6" and he's about 320 pounds.

KELLI KUEHNE: I hit a Top-Flite Intimidator. It's 9.5 degree loft. It's got a grafalloy shaft. I just liked it because it was red. It just goes. I've been hitting it really well for almost two years.

KELLI KUEHNE: A guy showed up that had Texas gear on the 8th hole. I was taking down the 8th fairway. I'm singing or talking with my caddy and doing something. These people are yelling: Go Horns. I didn't just hear, and then they yell louder: Go Horns. And being from Texas, and I do have that Texas Pride, I just kind of looked over, and they gave me the hook-em horns; so I gave them the hook-em horns back and they were kind of my cheering squad. And Mo, I don't even know Mo's real name. He's a caddy. He was caddying for Jill McGill. He's from Texas, and he's got all about Texas Pride. So Jill said: I can't believe those guys were being that loud. And I said: Oh, it's definitely a Texas Pride thing. And Mo chimed in: So that's where that came from. My birdies, on No. 1, I hit pitching wedge to the green on No. 1, and made about a 30-footer on one for birdie. My next birdie was on 6. I hit driver, pitching wedge to about six feet. Made that for birdie. 7, par 3, I hit 5-iron about 20 feet. Made that for birdie. 8, I hit driver 5-iron about -- 15 to 18 feet. Made that for birdie. 9, I hit sand wedge about six feet. Made that for birdie. 12, I hit 8-iron about 30 feet. Made that for birdie. 13, I hit 7-iron about five feet. Made that for birdie. 15, I hit a mid-wedge out of a bunker to about 18, 20 feet maybe, and made that for birdie.

KELLI KUEHNE: The putt on 17 was probably about 30, 35 feet. My putt on 18 was probably around 14 or 15 feet.