U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 23, 1994

Tammie Green

LES UNGER: I wondered if you looked at the board today and felt maybe it is no chance here?

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, I never thought that there wasn't a chance, but I did notice that she was playing very well and I needed to get something started. I was able to make the birdie on the 7th hole and then came right back at number 8 and made another birdie. And I have an awful lot of respect for this golf course and you can get yourself into some tough spots, some difficult up and downs, and I felt if I could really play 2 under today, after really about 7, I walked off the green and told Chuck, my caddie, that if I can get it to 2 under, I would feel like I had a good day.

LES UNGER: Did the course fight back today?

TAMMIE GREEN: I think the course was playing about as tough as it has played all week. But I found myself in some spots that I don't care to ever be in again. Some real difficult up and downs; fortunately I made a lot of putts, and was able to come back from the difficult lies that I had.

Q. What do you make of what has happened behind you a few holes, I mean, with --

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, this golf course is a tough one, and when you are playing the U.S. Open it always puts a little bit of added pressure on. I don't try to look at the leader board as much on Saturday. It is usually the last 9 holes on Sunday, and I am just going to go out tomorrow and try to play the best I can. I am not going to watch too much of the leader board. When you are watching the leader board, people tend to go right past you.

Q. Still surprised that, you know, you are a only couple of strokes back now considering where you started today or tied, I am sorry?

TAMMIE GREEN: I am tied?

Q. You are tied for the lead.

TAMMIE GREEN: Hey, all right. I was surprised at that.

Q. She double bogeyed 17.

TAMMIE GREEN: That is unfortunate. I am surprised that I am tied. I kind of lost the question there for a minute.

Q. My question was wrong anyway.

LES UNGER: Do you want to rephrase the question?

Q. Surprised, I mean, the way the day started, you look at the leader board you think, geez -

TAMMIE GREEN: I realized nine shots back after number 7. I am very surprised that I made up that much ground just shooting 2 under. These players are too tough to be able to do that.

Q. Any one hole or any couple of holes that really helped you get your round in order today to get to where you got, minus six?

TAMMIE GREEN: I think the birdie on 7 really helped out and a few up and downs that I had really brought me back. The 9th hole, I got up-and-down from the front bunker. And then on 10, I had a real difficult putt and was able to keep things going there. I went a little brain dead on number 11, put myself in just a terrible spot. It was -- if I would have tried to get it up-and-down I could have made 6 very easily, so I just put it on the green and 2-putted for my bogey, and birdied the next hole. And I think that little stretch right there really helped out. And -- but I'd say 15 and 16 didn't hurt a bit. 17, I ran into a little trouble, but I was fortunate to make 4 there and ended 2 under.

Q. You say the course fought back today; can you be more specific?

TAMMIE GREEN: I think the wind conditions with the pin placements made it real difficult to get to some of the pin placements. And if you got above the hole, you just -- you really didn't have much of a chance to really try to make birdie. You had to really fight to get the ball up-and-down.

Q. Do you have a certain Saturday strategy? You know, do you play a certain way on Saturday as opposed to maybe the other rounds?

TAMMIE GREEN: Usually, Saturday is your moving day and you try to get yourself in the position to win the tournament. You play the best golf you can. I think if there is any strategy to be played, yes, I want to try to get myself in position to win the golf tournament and shoot the best score you can.

Q. But you seemed especially aggressive later in the round, even on 18; both of your putts you seemed to hit with real authority?

TAMMIE GREEN: Well, I feel like I am playing with a little more confidence now. I have been in this position a couple of weeks ago; not long ago that I won Youngstown, and then played real well at the Jamie Farr, so I feel confident about my game, and I am just trying to put good rolls on it and not worry about the outcome. I am trying to make the putts that I feel I can make.

Q. Could you tell us what holes you birdied and from how far?

TAMMIE GREEN: Number 7 I birdied from about say, 22 feet. Number 8 I birdied from two feet.

Q. What did you hit in there?

TAMMIE GREEN: I hit a 7-iron. I hit a cut 7-wood on number 7. Number 12 I had a sand wedge about 15 feet. Sand wedge on 15. Again, probably 14 feet. 16, I hit an 8-iron about six feet.

Q. Tammie, could you go over 17 and what your thoughts were on that second shot? Didn't look like you had much green there.

TAMMIE GREEN: I didn't have that much green to work with. It was one of those positions where I was going to bogey, possibly; if I make a long putt I make par, but just get the ball on the green. When I hit the ball it went right underneath it and left it short and that is the worse thing you can possibly do when you are playing an Open style course and you don't have that much green to work with. The greens slopes away. You left yourself in the same position. That is what I did. And fortunately, the next shot I hit a good shot and it hit the hole which stopped it a little bit and stayed on top.

Q. Given the way the leader board looked two hours ago, are you surprised to be sitting here right now with a chance to win the U.S. Open?

TAMMIE GREEN: I am very surprised. I knew I always had a chance to win it, but I am surprised that I am tied for the lead and going into tomorrow, yes.

Q. You had the two good tournaments, the Ohio and then last week you are tied for 64th. You said you felt confident coming in here. What happened last week?

TAMMIE GREEN: Last week I think I was a had a little fatigue from the two previous weeks. I played in front of the hometown crowds. I have got an awful lot of family up here following this week as well, so that is a little boost. I didn't have any family in New York, so maybe that was it. I just think it was fatigue.

Q. Tammie, first of all, Sheehan birdied 18 so you are one back.

TAMMIE GREEN: That is okay.

Q. What is your previous best going into the final round and just how do you think you will react to playing under the heat?

TAMMIE GREEN: My previous best score?

Q. At an Open.

TAMMIE GREEN: I don't know.

Q. Have you been this close before?

TAMMIE GREEN: I know I finished 6th, I think was my best finish in an Open, but I don't know how close I was going into the last round at all. But I feel confident that I can play this golf course. I think I just have to go out and play the best round I can. I can't make any predictions. I think if I just play it smart, then we will see what happens.

Q. Much has been made of Helen's fiery personality. You, on the other hand, seem to be quite steady and is that rewarded in an Open, that the personality side to be a little bit more calm and steady versus perhaps more fiery?

TAMMIE GREEN: I really don't know that that makes a big difference. I like to stay calm. Helen likes to be fiery. That might get her going. There is so many different styles of play that who knows what is going to work from week-to-week. I like to stay just stay steady. I don't like to get too excited about a birdie or real overexcited about a bogey. Just steady.

Q. You talked about your up-and-downs. At what holes did you get an up-and-down?

TAMMIE GREEN: Okay. Well, I think number 9 was one of the best up-and-downs from the bunker and--

Q. How long was the putt?

TAMMIE GREEN: It was probably 9 feet and 10 I actually was on the green but it felt like an up-and-down because I was above the hole and ran it by and again, another 9 feet, ten feet. Probably the up-and-down on 17 was -- after the first chip, the next chip was a heck of an up-and-down.

LES UNGER: How long was that putt?

TAMMIE GREEN: That putt was about five feet. And 14, I can't forget 14. I was on the back of the green and didn't think there was anyway I can get it up-and-down and that was probably the best up-and-down that I have had in any competition; just a difficult placement.

Q. How far was your putt there?

TAMMIE GREEN: A foot. I got it within a foot. I was worried about running it off the green and was able to stop it above -- just above the hole.

Q. Were you behind the green, did you say?

TAMMIE GREEN: I was behind the green and the pin was cut on the front left. If you have been out there to look at that green it was pretty treacherous. Thank you.

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