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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 24, 2005

Natalie Gulbis

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, COLORADO

Q. Peter said you putted as well today, but didn't hit nearly as many fairways and greens, was that the problem?

NATALIE GULBIS: Yes, I missed some fairways, and you know, it happens. When you miss fairways all you can do is punch out.

Made some bogeys, didn't make as many birdies. Basically just need to clean up.

Q. How did the course play compared to yesterday?

NATALIE GULBIS: I think it played the same. Actually the pin placements were a little bit easier than yesterday, but I just spent a few more shots in the rough.

Q. Conditions much different, different challenge today than yesterday?

NATALIE GULBIS: No, the greens weren't as fast. Like I said, I played in the morning, so the greens were more receptive; they weren't as fast. I just missed a couple.

Q. Do you like your position heading into the weekend?

NATALIE GULBIS: I'd like to be a little bit better, no. But yeah, it's not too bad. You can't win it on the first two days. Go out and try to clean up my swing for the weekend.

Q. Scores coming in a lot higher than yesterday.

NATALIE GULBIS: I haven't looked at them yet. I was just trying to stay in the fairway.

Q. Even though you're 3-over, do you feel you are going to be within striking distance?

NATALIE GULBIS: Oh, yes. All that Greg said was when I was walking off that there was only one player under par, and she hasn't started yet.

Q. What did you hit off the tee on No. 1?

NATALIE GULBIS: Driver.

Q. Trying to go for the green?

NATALIE GULBIS: Heck no, I can't reach the green, I just wanted to hit driver, L-wedge (laughs).

Q. What did you end up having in?

NATALIE GULBIS: L-wedge, I hit to like 25 feet.

Q. Talk about the youth movement going on right now. Obviously Annika is on the top of her game at a whole another level. There's you, Michelle, Paula Creamer, her coming up now.

NATALIE GULBIS: There's a lot of young kind of exciting players. I think you have got to got to throw Cristie Kerr in there too. She looked like she was playing well today. It's fun being a part of that.

Q. Where is the Solheim Cup in your list of goals?

NATALIE GULBIS: Very high. It's definitely something I think about every day, whether it's listening for a message from Nancy Lopez to knowing that it's out there, seeing other Solheim Cup players that are already on the team, they are kind of rooting you on, too, to be on there.

Q. How often is Nancy calling?

NATALIE GULBIS: After good rounds. Yep, it's always good to get a call from her.

Q. To wish you congratulations, encouragement?

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, "Keep up the good work."

Q. Have you been to any of the dinners she's been holding?

NATALIE GULBIS: Yes, they have been a lot of fun.

Q. Why is the Solheim Cup so important?

NATALIE GULBIS: It establishes you as an elite American player for sure. Anytime you have an opportunity to represent your country, it's pretty special. Little bit better than just playing for an individual out here.

Q. You probably already talked about this this week, what has been the reaction from the other women on Tour about the reality show?

NATALIE GULBIS: They can't wait to see it. A lot of them want to see it. They can be on it. There's a lot of players that are on it. I think everyone is looking forward to it. I have seen some of the preview stuff, it's going to be pretty good. Should be funny.

Q. Starts real soon?

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, third week of July.

Q. Do you like the way the LPGA has kind of set up qualifying for the ADT starting next year?

NATALIE GULBIS: They haven't told us too much about it. I know basically women's golf was kind of one of the last sports to actually have a playoff. Everybody has got the playoffs - basketball, baseball, football. It's just kind of a matter of time before we had something that was kind of along the lines of a playoff. But they haven't released all the criteria of how it's going to work.

Q. Sunday night, you are done, what score would it take to sit there?

NATALIE GULBIS: Even par. 1-under, even par.

Q. That would do the trick?

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, because I have a feeling they are going to still want to trick it out a little bit more. They can still make it faster, put some pins on some slopes. The roughs are going to get taller, so.

Q. Did you leave a couple out there?

NATALIE GULBIS: Yeah, I missed some birdie putts today. I spent some time in the rough.

Q. No. 4 was a double, what happened on that hole?

NATALIE GULBIS: I hit it actually on the fringe rough right on the side and it would have been better off -- I was in the rough and my club kind of got caught and pushed it right in the trees and just kind of made par from there. Ended up with double so...

Q. Someone said the other day how you kind of marketed yourself, she's going to look at season's end, some things she might do, is that a plus when players do that?

NATALIE GULBIS: Absolutely. When I came out my first year I was the only player pretty much to have my own web site, now there's at least a dozen players to have their own web sites. That's great because the Tour as a whole, that's what we're trying to grow and get more events and more fans and, you know, it's kind of a group effort.

Q. 1-under par yesterday to open, a tournament like this, with this kind of competition, does it instill a lot of confidence in you that you can have a round like you did today?

NATALIE GULBIS: Absolutely. It's hard to come from a high round the first day knowing that you have to shoot a couple under on a golf course like this to put yourself in contention. So it definitely is nice to get off to a good start.

End of FastScripts.

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