U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

May 31, 1996

Tammie Green

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, actually teeing off today I felt a little tired after finishing so late.

TAMMIE GREEN: I guess we played in five hours and 27 minutes. We teed off at 3:10. So, what's that?

TAMMIE GREEN: I was in the dark. And when you eat late, it's kind of tough to sleep a little bit. And getting up today was a little more difficult. So I was a little fatigued starting out. But overall I feel good. I feel good about my game. I feel like I am ready for this championship.

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, for the most part from tee to green I played pretty well and had a couple of three putts early, which kind of ran one by about 30 feet on No. 2 and then I ran another one by about 15 feet on No. 4. So I had a tough time the rest of the round trying to gauge the speed of the greens. I think they got a little bit faster, but I think I just didn't really have the feel going in today with my hands. But I hit a lot of greens out there today and was able to get a couple in the hole.

TAMMIE GREEN: Started out bogeyed the second hole by running it by and 3-putting. Well, actually I 2-putted, but I felt like it was a 3-putt. I was just on the fringe.

TAMMIE GREEN: About as far as the second putt.

TAMMIE GREEN: It was probably a little farther, probably 35, 40 feet and ran it considerably by. And then on No. 4 I had probably a 35 footer and again like I said I ran it by, 15 feet. And then I played pretty steady through 5 through 8 and birdied No. 9. I hit a 4-iron in about, I'd say, 12 feet. And birdied No. 10 with about a 15 foot, hit a wedge into about 15 feet. On No. 15 -- everything was steady up until 15. I've got to think where 15 is. After 14.

TAMMIE GREEN: I hit an 8-iron to about two feet and made that. And was okay until 18 and put it in the right-hand bunker. Had about a 6 foot putt then and felt like I hit a good putt but it dove at the last minute and I missed it and made bogey.

TAMMIE GREEN: I don't get into a whole lot of trouble, hopefully. But I think Annika may -- her short game may be a little better. I think I might be just a little bit longer. But I don't know. I haven't played with Annika that much to really compare the two. I'd like to think I'm pretty straight hitter.

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, actually we played in five hours today, as well. So it took a long time. When we got to No. 5 we had three groups waiting instead of four groups. On the backside it seemed to move out a little better. But it was pretty slow on the front side. Not as slow as yesterday, though, by any means.

TAMMIE GREEN: I think it's probably a combination of the rough and the speed of the greens. But the rough is treacherous, yes.

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, the next two rounds I feel like I'm in good position going into Saturday and Sunday. And I think I'm going to have to have a lot of patience. I feel like my game is good. And like any U.S. Open you're going to make some bogeys out there and if you can just keep your temperament and play your game and not let it get away from you, that's what I'm going to try to do the next couple of days is play the best I can.

TAMMIE GREEN: In 1994. I guess I'm going to draw from that experience.

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, I think so. I always try to gear up for the U.S. Open. I know it's going to be tough out there. And I tend to practice the really difficult shots when I come into the U.S. Open. And I was up working with my teacher a couple of weeks ago, and working on the tough rough and certain shots around the green that sometimes you only get in the U.S. Open. And I feel like my game's ready. And after playing well the last couple of years I know what it's like on Saturday and Sunday, especially Sunday. It's just kind of a patience game and you have to play the best golf of your life.

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, this is the U.S. Open. When you get several people up there pushing anybody it makes it tougher. She does drive the ball pretty straight, and she's got a great game. She's our Player of the Year last year, and you just don't do that by not playing well. And having won it last year, she might have a little bit of pressure on her to repeat, but Annika is a good player, but certainly anybody can win, I think, at this point.

TAMMIE GREEN: I think it's playing pretty long. I'm hitting -- I've hit a lot of 7-woods, a lot of 5-woods into the greens, in the par 4's. A lot of 4-irons and 5-irons. I don't carry a 3-iron or I'd probably be hitting a 3-iron. You don't have a whole lot -- par 5's, you can hit a wedge. But, yeah, I think it's playing a little bit longer than it looks. And especially if you hit the rough you have a tough time getting to the green.

TAMMIE GREEN: Yeah, it's also a par 70 at 6200 yards, so I think it's playing pretty long. It's an Open course.