|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
CN CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPAugust 21, 2013Charley HullSuzann PettersenEDMONTON, ALBERTA KELLY THESIER: Good afternoon, everyone. We'd like to welcome Rolex Rankings No. 3, Suzann Pettersen and one of our sponsor invites this week, Charley Hull who is ranked No. 147 in the Rolex Rankings. Thank you, ladies, for joining us this afternoon. First off, congratulations on a great week last week. Team Europe coming out with a huge victory. Their first ever on U.S. soil. First off, ladies, if you could share what that experience was like? I'll start with Suzann who was playing in her 7th Solheim Cup. SUZANN PETTERSEN: Obviously, the Solheim Cup is a pioneer event. I think for all of us who can play in the Solheim, it's probably our favorite event out of the year. We had a fantastic European team, a really great blend of young players and more experienced players. Players like Charley. I think it was a fantastic week, and we all complemented each other, and I think all of us performed really well. Everyone really fought hard, and it was a tough task. We were standing in front, but we fought together and we stood tall at the end. So it was a nice victory. KELLY THESIER: Charley, what was that first experience of playing in the Solheim Cup like for you? You were the youngest ever competitor to play in the Solheim Cup. What was it like to play with Suzann and coming out with a victory? CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, it was amazing, because you're always dreaming of being able to play, and getting to Solheim, especially with it being my first year on tour, it was just a dream come true. I absolutely loved every moment of it. KELLY THESIER: Suzann, if you could talk a little about being a teammate of Charley, knowing someone so young. You've been through a lot of these events and what it takes to win those points and with her impressive singles victory too on Sunday? What were you most impressed by in Charley's play last week? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I'm really impressed with her as a person, with Charley as a player, the way she handles herself‑‑ the way she handles herself on the golf course, off the golf course. She's just one of a kind. I mean, she's very genuine, you know? It's fun to watch her; it's fun to listen to her. She brought a lot of good laughs to the team room just being herself, but also just being fearless and feisty and wanting to go out and win a point for the team. I thought she handled herself overly well. It's a tough week. You never know how you're ‑‑ you never know what you're facing first time out, and you never know how your body is going to Cope with it. But Charley did excellent, and I think she'll be a great role model for everyone coming behind. KELLY THESIER: Charley, you got the experience of playing in the Solheim Cup last week, and now a sponsored invite to play in the LPGA event this week. And I know the news came out that you're going to get to play in stage two of qualifying school coming up to help make it on the LPGA Tour. What makes you want to play on the LPGA Tour and what's impressed you about seeing the play and getting out in this event this week? CHARLEY HULL: Well, LPGA Tour is where everyone wants to be. The crowds are bigger, and everything is bigger and better. It's where the best players in the world are. So it's always been a dream of mine to be on the LPGA and get on it as soon as I can. So it's great that they're letting me come to the second stage. Just really looking forward to it. Playing all these different golf courses over here, it's rather nice. KELLY THESIER: This week you're playing in what is considered a great event. I know Suzann's a past winner here at the CN Canadian Women's Open. SUZANN PETTERSEN: (Laughing) Quite a few years ago. KELLY THESIER: 2009, not that many. Suzann, the last time this event was played here, you finished tied for 10th. What is it about this event and what Golf Canada does, and what CN has brought to this event that's made it such a special event that we see so many elite players coming out as champions. SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, first of all, I think CN and Golf Canada has been a tremendous supporter of the LPGA and women's golf, not only through my kind of time on tour, but also way earlier than that. So it's been a fantastic event. It's always been one of our prime events most of us always want to play. I think it's fun that we rotate around Canada, and the reception we get from the crowds is usually enormous. Doesn't matter what town we go to. I was there in '07 when Lorena won. And I played the course today, and this is a great track, great conditions, and it's just fun to come back here. Edmonton is a great sports town. I just wish we can keep coming back to the Canadian Open next year. Q. What is the story about you asking Paula Creamer for her autograph after you beat her? She laughed it up and thought it was funny? CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, before I played, my friend was like, oh, can you get Paula Creamer's autograph, please? I was like I don't really like asking people for their autographs. So I thought at the end I was like I've got a good chance of getting it now, so I'll just get it. Q. There are a lot of really good players that don't seem to thrive in the Solheim Cup or even the Ryder Cup, and there are others that are just warriors in that event. What is it about the event that separates players? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I just think what separates us is individually you're out there as a team. I can only talk for the Europeans, but for all of us Europeans, we're all very friendly and get along great. For us, it's a very natural chemistry to go out there and you really fight to the bitter end because you don't want to let your fans down. This is my seventh, and each one has a story, but being part of this young team that we just had up in Colorado, I think it was a really well‑needed change of players. It was a new spirit, a new energy, and it was a great show. I mean, it was great to be a part of. I'm really proud of all the players and all the youngsters the way they handled themselves and the way they played. They played outstanding. Q. Was it different than the regular event? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Is the pressure different? I think maybe Charley should answer that, because I think she has a great answer. CHARLEY HULL: What pressure? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Did you get nervous out there? CHARLEY HULL: When I really got nervous was on 17. I felt like on the first tee, it's Match Play, so if you hit a bad drive, you've got like one hole. But that on 17 was the turning point of the match, see, so I was a bit nervous about that, yeah. Q. Charley, Suzann spoke a little bit about this golf course. You did get to play out here yesterday, what were your thoughts on this golf course and how does it suit your game? CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I think it's a lovely golf course. It's quite tight. It's nice to play a golf course where you haven't really got short irons in. We've got a nice medium iron in, and you don't really‑‑ you can use driver off the tee sometimes. But it's a lot different to last week. I think it's a really good golf course, and the rough is quite nice as well. Q. Is that something you're going to have to get used to, Charley? Playing the different types of golf courses on the LPGA Tour? Just talk a little about that. CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I've played quite a few youngster tournaments out here, but that was only in Florida. I played in the Kraft Nabisco last year at the amateur, and I really like the golf courses out here because the greens always seem to be nice and fast. Because in Europe, you always play in‑‑ they're usually a lot slower, the greens, I find out there. But, no, I really like America. Q. Charley, I have to ask a question about the hat you're wearing. I was reading in a newspaper article today that you didn't know what the NY stood for. That it was a Yankees hat when you first got it. What is the story behind the hat? CHARLEY HULL: Well, basically, all my friends wear them, so I was like I'll wear it. My sister's boyfriend got it to me. It's actually my sister's boyfriend's hat, and I stole it off him. And he said can you please wear it when you play in America? And I was like, okay, then, I'll wear it because it's really comfortable on my head, so (laughing). Q. Can you talk about being so young, 17 years old, and obviously, what kind of role model you are for younger girls? There are a lot of them out here on the golf course today watching you, trying to emulate what you're doing. Talk about the importance of being so young and what that means for the sport? CHARLEY HULL: I don't know. I think it's great, because young kids can probably see that it's not an old man's sport, you know and just go out there and play. There are a lot more juniors joining my golf club at home which is really good and great for the new generation. It's weird, because I still look up to players, and now I'm starting to be looked upon too. I think that's pretty special in a way, because you've always been dreaming about getting up higher and higher, and now you're getting there, and it's really good. Q. Charley tomorrow is paired in a group with Lydia Ko who became the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour last year. When you see groups like that with 16‑year‑olds, 17‑year‑olds out here who are such top talents, what's it say about the future of this game, and what are your thoughts on seeing such talented young players coming up on tour? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I mean, it's incredible. What Lydia did here last year was incredible. Obviously, Charley is right up there with her. She's good enough to be in this field. She's good enough to win. For them to be paired together, I don't know if you guys played together? CHARLEY HULL: I know we played in the British a few years ago, but I never really played with her. SUZANN PETTERSEN: It's fun that two great youngsters can meet on the LPGA, which is kind of the future platform for both of them, and also for kids that are coming up behind them. It's fun to see how the LPGA has changed over the years. I've been on Tour now for maybe 10, 11 years, and the Tour has really changed. There is a new group of players coming up, and it's just fun to be a part of it. As much as all the stuff that they bring to the table makes us kind of push it even further. So I think it's a good kind of energy that kind of brings both ends together. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|