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SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ACERMay 31, 2013Amanda BlumenherstGALLOWAY, NEW JERSEY THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome one of our current leaders, Amanda Blumenherst, into the interview room. Congratulations, great round, 5‑under par 66, has to feel good when you can go out there and put together such a great round on this very difficult golf course. AMANDA BLUMENHERST: It feels amazing. It's been a while since I've had a very solid round of golf and felt like I just played well throughout the entire day. It was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun out there because it's been a challenging start to the season. THE MODERATOR: When you look at this golf course, and I was talking with some of the other players, about tee shots and placement, there's so much that goes into your thought process and how you play this golf course. What were the keys for you out there today in being able to shoot such a good round? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: Definitely my tee ball, just being able to put it in position off the tee in the fairway, I think I might have missed one fairway all day, and just being able to then hit solid iron shots not having to‑‑ the rough is very thick, and there's some pretty big heather out there. So just being able to then take normal full iron shots into the greens makes it a lot easier. THE MODERATOR: Talk about this year and what you've been going through. What have been kind of the struggles in your game that you've been dealing with and working on trying to improve? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: It's definitely my tee ball actually that I really had to work on. I've just really struggled, so been working on it quite a bit, and just ball‑striking is starting to come together. THE MODERATOR: And I know it's been an exciting year for you. You got married over the off‑season to your husband Nate Freiman, and then he had a great start to his year and he got picked up in the Rule 5 draft by the Astros and then got picked up by the Oakland A's at the end of spring training which then led to a Major League call‑up at the start of the season. AMANDA BLUMENHERST: Look at you. I'm impressed. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. I follow a little baseball. (Laughter.) But just a tremendous opportunity for him to pursue his dream, and what has that been like for you having been out here for so many years to see him finally reach his dream of playing professional baseball? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: I have to pinch myself sometimes. He's just so excited and so happy, and he's worked so hard throughout all the minors, and to finally have us both be at the majors of our sport and just really enjoying it and being able to support each other and we understand our different schedules and sometimes we go a couple days without talking, but just being from the same spot and there are very few people that can say that they've done this and that we're married and having such a great time, it's been a lot of fun. THE MODERATOR: I know as busy as you are with golf and traveling, you've had some opportunities to go watch him play. You got to go to Boston and get to see him play in Fenway, which he's from that area, correct? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: I did. I think a bucket list for sure. He's always said if he could play in Fenway and then I was able to go out and watch, and I also got to see him play in Yankee Stadium, so both were just amazing experiences. THE MODERATOR: So now how often do you watch baseball games? Is this now a nightly thing where you get home and watch it on the computer? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: I'm going to say the time change is killing me because they're out in Oakland, so I was good last‑‑ he had a day game yesterday, which helped, but a couple nights ago I stayed up until about 1:30 because he started and was having such a great game; he had three hits, three RBIs, so I couldn't turn it off, and I have downloaded on my computer, MLB Network, so I sit in bed watching it. Q. You mentioned today was fun. When you've struggled like you have, when did it start being fun today, and when you've struggled what kind of attitude do you come to the course with? Was there a hole or a shot where you said, hey, this is‑‑ AMANDA BLUMENHERST: Actually kind of right from the beginning I started having a good time. I played with two of my good friends, and that always helps before I even teed it off, Natalie and Jessica. I had a good time right from the tee ball on the first hole, and then the eagle kind of helped kick up the fun a little bit. Q. Where was the eagle? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: The third hole. Q. Just describe it. AMANDA BLUMENHERST: It's a par‑5. I hit a really solid drive down the middle of the fairway and hit a 3‑wood probably just a couple feet off the back on the fringe, so I was able to putt and made a nice probably 35‑, 40‑footer. Q. How has your level of frustration fluctuated through the struggles that you've had, and do you see some light at the end of the tunnel? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: I started actually almost becoming more frustrated because I could see that light and I wasn't quite getting to it. I was hitting it better and my short game was coming together, but I wasn't really putting the pieces all together. But I'm really‑‑ the goal the last couple tournaments is to go out and have‑‑ enjoy myself, remember that a lot of people would just kill to have a chance to play professional golf as a living and to really enjoy it. So I went out with that mind frame the last couple tournaments, and even though I didn't play as well as I would have liked, I have enjoyed being out there. Q. You say you're driving the ball better. Can you get home on all the par‑5s here? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: Normally I can. The last hole, though, was straight into the wind, and it would have been pushing it, so I actually laid up. Q. Where did you lay up to, what number? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: I went driver, 7‑iron, 9‑iron, so I stayed short of the bunkers. But I laid up to 116 yards. Q. And your shot went‑‑ AMANDA BLUMENHERST: I hit a great shot. I was staring it down. I thought it was going to be a tap‑in, and just a little hard. The adrenaline must have been rushing. Q. You get to the back of the green and say what, just hit one last good shot here? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: And I really like to putt almost anywhere if it's possible, so for me it didn't look too difficult of a putt shot. Just kind of had it get it over the hill and knew that it would run out. Q. Did you meet Mr.Freiman at Duke? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: I did. We actually met at freshman orientation. We've been married for about five months now, but we've been together for seven years. Q. The hardest thing in the world is to hit a baseball and hit a golf ball. Do you guys talk through the ups and downs of being professional athletes and going out there and competing and stuff? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: Definitely. He has been a really big supporter probably the last year or two when I haven't been playing as well as I would have liked because he knows how it feels to have your good stretches and then when you start struggling a little bit. And so to have someone to kind of talk through it and be encouraging and be a big supporter is great. Q. And how do you approach tomorrow? What kind of attitude do you take into tomorrow? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: I'm going to just try to keep continuing today, have a good time with my group and just hit one shot, one hole at a time and really take it and try not to look at the leaderboard because that can be tempting and just go out, and I'm one of the later groups, so just try to focus on playing and not looking ahead, not looking to the finish or to the leaderboard. Q. Did you look at the board at all today? AMANDA BLUMENHERST: Not‑‑ I started noticing cameras following me. It's been a while, so I was like, oh, there's Golf Channel. I must be doing pretty well. So I didn't really look at the leaderboard, but I knew I had to be doing well if Golf Channel was following. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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