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HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 2, 2005

Wendy Ward

GLADSTONE, NEW JERSEY

PAUL ROVNAK: Wendy, thanks for coming in. Congratulations on making it to the semifinals. Talk about advancing to the semifinals.

WENDY WARD: I tell you what, I've had good, solid matches all week. I haven't had a match go past 18, but every match has been actually, today were the only two days that I've ever been down in a match, which is a little different feeling from the previous two days. Been a tough job. Good, solid play from both sides. I knew the match with Sophie today was going to be tough because she's such a long ball hitter. I think she hits it about 50 yards past me. I don't typically consider myself on short side of hitting so it was fun to watch, she just plays a totally different game.

Q. Speaking of No. 9 when she made the eagle, did you say, hole I mackerel, I have to beat this?

WENDY WARD: No. It's only one hole, that's all it is. I thought she kind of had an advantage with that putt because I had to putt my birdie putt first. Still, I mean, a good effort on her part to make it, but those are the type of things that you expect out of Sophie.

Q. Is there a sense with Annika out, it's anybody's now?

WENDY WARD: You know, it's funny, coming into this week, I said I thought this was anybody's tournament after just playing the course one time. The fairways were very favorable. It comes down to hitting close shots into pins or to really just make good putts.

I really didn't think it surprised me to see Sophie reach No. 9 in two, because I didn't really think there was a reachable par 5, at least not for me. So I really felt like it was anybody's tournament to be won, and it doesn't really surprise me to see the four final players that have gotten this far.

Q. The last couple of weeks, the last couple of months, there's been a lot of talk about the youth movement in the LPGA and so much focus on Natalie Gulbis and Morgan Pressel and the others, how does it feel to be one of the veterans?

WENDY WARD: Veteran through and through. (Laughing.) You know, I think the young blood that's coming up, I'm really excited about it. It pushes me a little bit harder first and foremost. I mean, like today, I'm looking at Christina Kim who I played in the first match, and we both have Solheim Cup on our mind, and that was a big part of our match today, just to get more experience for that. And you see a Christina Kim, a Natalie Gulbis, a Paula Creamer, they are the new blood that's coming on this team, and I think it's really exciting to see how good they are, you know, given their age. They have no fear. They have had all the training that I got in college; they have got it in high school. So it's just a new wave of the future. It's pushing the veterans.

Q. Do you feel old at 32?

WENDY WARD: Definitely not. I feel a little older after 35 holes, but nothing that a good night's sleep and one more meal at Hamilton Farm won't take care of.

Q. That said, is it interesting that the people that survived and made it this far are not the young blood and that it's experience?

WENDY WARD: I don't really think it has anything to do with age. I think it just has to do with who made the putts at key times. I don't really have an explanation for that.

Q. You said that you felt anybody could win heading into this weekend, but does it raise your eyes a little bit that Annika lost today?

WENDY WARD: No.

Q. Why not?

WENDY WARD: Why not? I've played Annika head to head many times, and she obviously has the better track record when you look at the scores. But I just think match play is such a different type of competition. It's one that, you know, I mean, I was 2 down at one point today, I got off to a horrendous start, hit the ball the worst I ever had. And when I stopped trying to hit it as far as Sophie and when I got back into my own game plan, I was competitive again. I just think match play opens the door for anybody. I mean, you're not seeing a lot of blowouts here in these final, you know, few rounds today. You've seen close, competitive matches.

Q. A lot of international players are playing on the American tour, and you are the only American left, how do you feel about that?

WENDY WARD: I'm excited. I saw that the Americans were starting to fall off. It was good to see Pat Hurst out there, obviously Christina Kim, it just showed the depths of our tour that, you know, we are widespread in our talent. It's getting to be, you know, a great world match play showdown for Sunday.

Q. Are you confident?

WENDY WARD: Am I confident? Yes, absolutely. It is a game right now that is so much one shot at a time that it's a new element just like tennis, you know, where you are playing the golf course. But I'm a firm believer that you have to play your competitor, too. It's different than stroke play, and I've always enjoyed it a lot. I'm thrilled to be playing tomorrow.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you, Wendy.

End of FastScripts.

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