U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 1, 1999

Kelli Kuehne

KELLI KUEHNE: Starting out last year, I had a bit of a tough time getting going. I put a lot of pressure on myself to play well, and I didn't play well. And it took me seven events to make my first cut. And then I started to play well, but then I'd go through a couple weeks where I didn't play well. But this year I've come out and played a lot more solidly. Played great a couple weeks ago in Austin and finished seventh, and it was kind of in my second hometown. And last week I went to Corning, New York with a lot of momentum. I played great. Every aspect of my game was really solid. I hit it well. My short game was great. I putted it really well. I'm definitely excited to have my first win under my belt, and I didn't expect it to happen this soon. I'm really excited.

KELLI KUEHNE: I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was ten years old, and I'm 22 now. So I've been diabetic for 12 1/2 years. Some people say it's a burden or whatever. I've never been the type to look at this that way. It's taught me about discipline. It's taught me about commitment. I used to take two to three insulin shots a day. In October I switched to a new form of medication called the Mini-Med Insulin Pump. It's this beeper-looking thing that's on my belt. I wear it 24 hours a day. I can take it off to take a shower or something like that if I want to, but the great thing about it is that this gives me insulin in a 24-hour period, and I can turn the amount down or up as I need it. And I just hit a couple buttons, and I don't have to take shots again. I think that's helped my golf out a lot, because I can turn my insulin rates down when I'm playing, when you need less insulin. So that's a luxury that I have now that I used to not have.

KELLI KUEHNE: I definitely think that being diabetic is very difficult at times. But I don't really look at it as a bad situation, because your blood sugar is either -- my problem is my pancreas doesn't work properly. I don't get enough insulin. My blood sugar is either going to be too low or too high. Very rarely will it be perfect like most people will have. My goal is to have blood sugar between 80 and 120. My blood sugar was 376 when I was diagnosed. You learn a lot about routine and schedule, and a lot of discipline along the way. The little bumps that happen with my golf and all that, being diabetic can help you keep all that in life, because there's a lot more important things in life than chasing a golf ball around. Golf is important. It's a huge part of my life. But there are a lot more other facets of my life that are a lot more important as well, like being a real person, too. I think that being a diabetic has helped a lot. It has taught me a lot about discipline and true grit and how to overcome certain situations.

KELLI KUEHNE: The golf course is absolutely incredible. I played the front nine yesterday and had the luxury of playing the full 18 today, and that back nine just keeps coming and coming at you. The greens are quick. They have gotten quicker between yesterday and today. I would assume that they are going to get even faster. They are big; so, target golf is very important. There's a lot of water. Hopefully I won't find that at all this week, but the golf course is in very incredible shape. As far as my golf game, I feel like I'm hitting the ball well. I feel like my short game is excellent. I think speed and the speed of your putts are going to be very important because the greens are so big. And this is the U.S. Open; so hitting the fairway and to hit putts are very beneficial, especially at the Open.

KELLI KUEHNE: Yeah.

KELLI KUEHNE: I think there were 84 of us.

KELLI KUEHNE: You know, it was really kind of no different. I got a lot of high-fives; congratulations; way to go. I mean a lot of hugs from several of my friends and stuff like that. But I don't feel any different. I mean, I don't feel like I'm -- I definitely don't feel like I'm high and mighty. I feel like I'm still the same way, the same person that I have always been. It's nice to know that I still have the same instinct that I had during my amateur days because that's been missing for a while. I've struggled as a pro. I haven't played all that well. And the most frustrating thing for me is that I have not played up to my potential. I have just kind of come into my own this year. 1999 was -- kind of marks me really playing well and solidly. So it was fun, though, having the camaraderie and all the girls give me a hard time. I don't get the rookie blast anymore because I'm in my second year, but it was pretty neat for a couple girls to say: You've got yours; now I'm waiting to get mine. That was great to hear.

KELLI KUEHNE: No, I don't think it adds pressure at all. I think it almost adds an element of inspiration, especially among the young people. Henry overcoming his alcoholism is far more difficult than me keep coping with diabetes. I've been diabetic since I've been 10. That's the only way of life I really know. Henry has been sober for over three and a half years -- just over four, actually, but he's got to live with it. I hope he never has the urge to drink again, but he's got to live with the reality that there's going to be alcoholic beverages everywhere he goes for the rest of his life, and all it takes is one sip and he could be back on the wrong track again. It's kind of scary to think like that, but I really do think that all the young kids, and even people that are older than Henry and myself, I think that it keeps you grounded because as people say how did you do it or what's really worked for you? I think it's important because it kind of helps you re-tell your story, and in the process it helps him heal, and it helps me continue to want to keep myself in great championship.

KELLI KUEHNE: I think it's probably a little bit of both. If it wasn't in Trip or me, it was Henry. Or if it wasn't Trip or Henry, it was me. So what's great is there's always been one of us Kuehnes playing good at one time. That's what keeps our spirits up. If I wasn't playing well, or Henry wasn't playing well, Trip was there to cheer everybody up. I think it's great in that aspect, because we've always had each other to fall back on and rely on. That's how my family works. At the same time, I think it's been kind of difficult because if one of us hasn't won, it's one what's wrong with the Kuehnes. It can kind of work both ways, but I think it's definitely been a huge advantage to have two brothers as successful and as great of people and players as they are to -- to kind of help or anything like that. I think it's pretty unusual to have three of us all in the same environment many, the same atmosphere. I think it's pretty fun.

KELLI KUEHNE: Trip is -- he turns 27 on the 20th of this month. Henry is 23. He turns 24 in September, and I just turned 22.

KELLI KUEHNE: Trip is a stock analyst for a firm called Widerock Capital in Dallas.

KELLI KUEHNE: I think so. I'm very comfortable playing in the USGA events. They have been very good to me. There is a certain -- like a certain stigma about an USGA event. The premiere event level at any level is the USGA, whether it's the U.S. Title, the U.S. Junior, the U.S. Amateur. All of those are USGA events. And I'm not saying that LPGA events aren't great events because they are. But USGA is like the pinnacle and crown of all crowns. So I definitely think that having been a successful amateur player with my USGA wins, that had a helps me out, because I love the courses that USGA picks. They usually fitted my game well, because you have to hit it straight. You have to hit lots of fairways and lots of greens, and you always need to putt well in USGA events and I definitely think that's to my advantage.

KELLI KUEHNE: I think that it's hard being young. It's hard being one of the youngest ones out here. It's hard trying to establish yourself. I have struggled with it. A lot of players have struggled with it. I'm not the only one. I think it's important to a lot of young players to come out here and say: Yes, I can play because we want the respect of our peers, and the players that are more established, but respect is something that's earned not given. When I came out here it was great that I had a great amateur record, but it didn't do anything for me in the professional ranks, really, and I needed to earn the respect of my peers; and I did earn the respect when I went through TOUR school. I wouldn't say that I necessarily lost the respect last year, because everybody that saw me said: You're young; give it time; you'll be fine; just let it all work itself out. But I think it's something that I didn't keep my status last year; so, it's something that I had to kind of reestablish and earn this year by playing well, and that's the only way you can earn the respect of your peers because it's a business. It's no longer just golf. This is your way of life now.

KELLI KUEHNE: Last year, I don't mean to dwell on last year, but last year was a big year of growing pains. It was not a fun year for me. I had a lot to learn. And this year, I just made a big issue out of coming out and having a whole lot more fun, because I kind of lost my zip and I lost my flare last year. And I made a big issue out of coming out and trying to have some fun, because in golf, it seems like the harder you try the worse it gets. And it's one of the most frustrating things about the game, but it's a realization that you have to come to terms that you can live with. It's Tuesday. I'll be whistling some on Thursday, especially, hopefully, after I do something really good. But, you know, like last week I show up and my caddie and I were singing from the minute we hit the gates to the minute we left the gates. I mean, we were just being silly, and you've got to have fun. That's kind of like my theme of the year is: Enjoy the game that I've grown to love. And I mean golf has done so much for me, but the greatest thing I can do for it is enjoy it and play it at the same time, because it's no fun to come out here and be miserable.

KELLI KUEHNE: My mom is here. My dad is coming in either late tonight or tomorrow. My brother is probably not going to be able to make it. So we'll have mom and Dads.