BANK OF MONTREAL CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN

August 18, 2002

Meg Mallon

NEAL REID: Meg, congratulations.

MEG MALLON: Thank you.

NEAL REID: I heard you say earlier that you never played in wind tougher than that. You must feel great to come through that.

MEG MALLON: I played in wind like that in Hawaii, but the combination of factors, how hard, how firm the course was and how hard the greens were. And then to add that wind on top of it was just, it was a nightmare at times. I mean the back side it was far worse being down wind than it was into the wind. Because down wind you down control the ball.

On 13 the par-3, for example, I hit just the front center of the green and didn't even have a chance of staying on there. And so you are just standing back there going, what do you do? Because you can't land it short on that hole or you're in the ravine. So it was really a great test of patience, hanging in there and I think that the front side was the key, because I got under par. And then was able to get some cushion going into the back side. Because there was, I mean a bogey was going to happen. And it was just nice to kind of just hang in there with Catriona. And then to have the opportunity coming down the last few holes of winning. You know, you don't make pars like that. It's just one of those deals that it looks like it was meant to be. And I was so happy to got my 14th win. I was not happy being stuck on 13 for two years. So it's fun to get my 14th.

NEAL REID: Questions?

Q. Meg, this is, I think, your 14th win on LPGA Tour, but 10 of them were made after a comeback like today?

MEG MALLON: Right.

Q. What is your secret to making a comeback?

MEG MALLON: I don't know. Yesterday I walked out of here I had the lead for a time. So my frame of mind kind of changed a little bit because I was one shot back. But when I woke up this morning I saw the conditions, I just knew it was just going to be a very difficult day. And that nobody was going to come from behind and shoot a low round to come back. So the comebacks, I don't know, I guess it's just because I got myself in that position and get close to the lead and have that opportunity and kind of like to chase a little bit.

Q. Could you describe the experience of playing in Canada? I guess we can safely assume now that you'll be coming back next year?

MEG MALLON: Yeah. Well I play it every year here. I love playing up here. It's like being at home. I grew up in Michigan, similar weather, although this was outrageously hot for you all up here. But I don't know, these are great golf fans up here. You watch the Golf Channel at home in the winter time and it's just loaded with Canadian callers. And people in the middle of January in Nova Scotia wanting to know how to fix their golf swing. And so they're just fantastic fans up here and fun to play in front of.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MEG MALLON: You know, I don't know. The difficult conditions, this was as hard as our Major championships this week. It was harder than last week. I mean the cut at 8 over par this week and the cut was one over par last week. So the conditions were very difficult. I like to play in tough conditions. And they can keep making the golf courses that way up here. Because I enjoy it.

Q. Three part question.

MEG MALLON: Okay.

Q. First, what was --

MEG MALLON: Go ahead. Go slowly.

Q. First, what was your mind when Catriona put her drive off 12 into the woods there and she ended up taking a triple?

MEG MALLON: I kept thinking that could happen on any hole. And not to think ahead. Because I still had to hit -- I hit 5-wood, 5-wood on that hole. And I'm hoping my second 5-wood's the right club. I'm planning for 30 yards of wind. And hoping that that's what it's going to be. So when Catriona went over there, I knew anything could happen. And it was just unfortunate. You get the ball up in the wind and it hurts. It took off to the left and it just kept going. And that was, proved to be the hardest hole this week.

Q. Did you see the door opening for you then?

MEG MALLON: Well, you know, I couldn't say at that point in time I could let myself think that way because I knew how difficult the holes were coming up. It was a matter of not making anything bigger than a bogey. And I knew that that was a big mistake to make a triple on that hole. But it could happen on any hole coming in. So it was just, I couldn't let myself think ahead like that.

Q. And then second question, when your ball moved on the 12th green, what happened there?

MEG MALLON: That was a scary deal. I hit my putt and it looks like it's going to trickle to about three feet below the hole and it almost stops and then a gust of wind came and it picked up momentum. You could hear the gallery gasp because then it picked up momentum and kept rolling. And it rolled out to 12 feet. So when I saw that I'm going to get over there as soon as it stops and mark it. So as soon as it stopped, I put my coin down. I had my thumb on the ground and the ball rolled right on top of my thumb. And that's a case where I can get a one shot penalty if my thumb's not on the ground. So you know, that's how scary the conditions were out there. Just a tiny little mistake like than and I'm making a double or triple without hitting it in the woods. So it was, the greens were so crusty and you could see the footprints on them because they were so dried out and so crusty they were really scary this afternoon.

Q. Last question. You had 14 wins. How many spectators have you hit in the head with a golf ball before?

MEG MALLON: You know, I have not hit someone since I was a teenager. And it is the most sinking feeling. I can't even tell you. I had no idea I had hit someone when I was walking up there and then I saw the paramedics go up and I just thought, I got sick to my stomach. But fortunately she was okay and I hope she's okay. I hope she doesn't have too bad of a headache tonight.

Q. A question about your caddy. He's not your regular caddy?

MEG MALLON: No, he isn't.

Q. He was with you at the British?

MEG MALLON: His name is Tom Thorpe and he's been a caddy out here since he was 18 years odd. He's been out here for 18 years.

Q. Does he have a job for next week?

MEG MALLON: No, I'm not playing next week. Actually, and I already hired someone else to work for me. But he's certainly had a two good weeks there for an off week bag, I guess is what I was. But he worked for me here last year in Toronto. I had just split up with my caddy and he had helped me up last year. And then I just split up with my caddy again a couple weeks ago and he has just gotten let go from his player. So I was fortunate to get him at the last minute last week. And then he worked for me this week. So we had a pretty successful go.

Q. Just at the beginning of the round your second shot you were in the bunker and you had an argument with him about the choice of clubs?

MEG MALLON: Yeah.

Q. What happened?

MEG MALLON: Well, it wasn't an argument, it was a discussion. Yeah. First hole discussion. It was just trying to figure out how far the, how hard the wind was. And how hard I had to hit it. And actually we made a big mistake today because we should have pulled out the 3-iron instead of my 7-wood today. But I didn't even think of it. Because I alternate between my 7-wood and 3-iron. And usually if the wind gets over 20, 25 miles an hour I'll bring the 3-iron out just to be able to hit some low shots. So there was about four times today I would have liked to have had that 3-iron. But it turned out okay. But on that particular shot we were just trying to play for something around the front of the green. And he was concerned about it making over the bunker and I was concerned about hitting it past the green. And so we had a little discussion between clubs and finally I decided on the 5-wood and then I ended up almost chipping in on that hole.

Q. Did you think that patience was a key element to winning today? On the front nine Catriona kept making saves and --

MEG MALLON: She was making great pars. I know. And then it was my turn on the back side to make the pars. But she was really playing solid par golf. Just making good four, five, six footers for pars and chip shots and doing all the right things. And.

Q. (Inaudible.)

MEG MALLON: Yeah. And then patience was the key. And I know she's a very patient player. She plays very well in the wind.

Q. Very methodical?

MEG MALLON: Yeah. And we were both, we both, I knew, we both knew playing today that we were both in the driver's seat. Because no one was going to shoot low, a low round. And it was just a matter of what we were going to do today. And who would make the most mistakes.

Q. So it was a good duel to have going out for the final round?

MEG MALLON: Yeah, absolutely. Catriona is, she's obviously from Scotland. She knows how to keep the ball low and play the wind. And I had success in windy events. And we both won in Hawaii. But we both like that challenge. You can tell we were having fun with that.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about the 18th?

MEG MALLON: Yeah. We decided to hit driver, just to be able to get a shorter shot in. And I hit it down the left side and let the wind take it out. And it just hit a bullet right through the wind. It never moved right on me. And I get up there and I'm telling you guys I had the worst lie in the world in that rough. It was like someone stepped on it twice. And then I had a, my stance was where I was teetering on the bank. There wasn't much of a support underneath my feet. So I was just trying to get an 8-iron just to get something to roll over and turn over out of that lie. And I didn't want the club to shut down. That was the mistake to make was let the club shut down and go left into the water. So my error was to err right. And fortunately the club face opened up and it flared out a little too much on me and I ended up putting myself in a difficult position for an up-and-down. But when I took my club back for my chip shot, I don't know if you guys saw it, but a paper bag flew right in front of me. I was like just commit to it and go. Don't stop now. So I'm glad that ended up all right.

NEAL REID: Any more questions? Let's go over your scorecard.

MEG MALLON: Okay. Going to be hard to remember. I had to think so hard today.

NEAL REID: Started with a birdie on six.

MEG MALLON: Yeah. Number six I hit a 6-iron, which was another thing with my caddy. I wanted to hit a 5 and he said I'm not comfortable and he said commit to a 6-iron. I ended up hitting a really good shot about 12 feet past the hole and made a birdie there.

11, the par-5, I hit a sand wedge to let's call it 15 feet and made that for birdie.

Then 12, I had to hit 5-wood, 5-wood into 12. And I hit it above the hole and we talked about that three putt. I had about a 12-footer left for my second putt.

13 I made a bogey. I hit a 7-iron over the green. Chipped up and had about an eight footer and missed that. 3-putted.

16, I hit it to -- I had a 30-footer there and 3-putted. Hit my first putt about four and a half feet by. Second putt.

Then of course you know 17 I hit a pitching wedge to three feet and made that for par.

Then 18 I hit 8-iron, sand wedge, 12 footer for par.

NEAL REID: Okay. Thank you very much.

MEG MALLON: Thank you, guys.

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