An exciting second round at the Ricoh Women’s British Open at St Andrews saw Mexican Lorena Ochoa’s lead cut by one shot.
Lorena Ochoa
Q. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Lorena Ochoa who played today a round of level par 73 and is currently standing on 6 under par, 140 one shot ahead of Wendy Ward. Can I have your reaction to the round today, please, Lorena?
Ochoa: Yes, sure. Hello. Yes, it was a good day. It was tough, tough conditions. I’m very pleased with my round. I’m upset about that 3 putt on 18, but I didn’t leave myself in a good position for my second shot. Nothing I can do now. I’m just glad I still have the lead. I think, you know, this morning, the weather was good, and in the afternoon we thought it was going to be even worse. So I guess we got a break and we’re trying to be positive. Like I said I’m happy with the way I finished and I can’t wait to be here tomorrow.
Q. Conditions were okay this, afternoon but different from yesterday, wasn’t it?
Ochoa: Yes, for sure, the golf course completely changed. Different tee shots and different places to aim. It’s very different, and you know, I’m very pleased the way we worked the strategy with my caddie. I think we are in good shape and I think we understand pretty good the golf course and hopefully, you know, we can keep doing the same thing for a couple more days.
Q. More of a crosswind today than yesterday; were you hitting into the wind?
Ochoa: No, no, yesterday was across, too, but just very light. Today it kept changing during the day. We were starting into the wind and then just kind of like moved away. I don’t even know which direction, but it’s moving actually into the wind on 18, so that was different, too. But I’m just glad I’m in and it was a good day.
Q. Can we go through your birdies?
Ochoa: No. 1, I hit my 7 iron to six or seven feet for birdie. On 11, I used the green on one, way right, maybe 50 feet and I 3 putted. I leave my first putt short about ten feet and I missed that. And then on No. 14, I hit on the green in two with a 3 wood, I want to say 240 yards. I actually was maybe 15 feet for eagle and I 2 putted for birdie. Then 18, I hit the green in two with a 50 degree wedge, long, and a little bit left, maybe 25 feet and I 3 putted.
Q. Playing here for the first time do you ever see a situation where that might happen
Ochoa: Oh, I would love to see that. Hopefully I’m still around when that happens. You know, we are really happy with what we have right now. I think the LPGA is doing a great job. I think we are moving forward very fast, and we are very, very pleased and happy with the Commissioner and just the whole tour. I’m happy with what we have. Hopefully, you know, we can always get better and hopefully we move forward.
Q. Do you see a situation in the foreseeable future where ladies golf will attract the same sort of sponsorship and prize money as the men?
Ochoa: Well, hopefully it happens and I’m still playing, that would be nice.
Q. The tree on 14?
Ochoa: You know, you hit so many good shots on this course that you don’t finish where you want them to and then you hit other ones where you get a couple of good breaks. But that one was perfect, just the line that I wanted to, and I was hoping to get a good bounce, and it did. I’m sorry I didn’t make that putt for eagle, it would have been really great, but I’m happy with the birdie.
Catriona Matthew
Q. Catriona, round of 68 today, 141, 5 under. Tell us about your round today.
Matthew: Yeah, delighted the wind didn’t pick up as much as I thought it would and happy with my round.
Q. Wind not much of a problem?
Matthew: Yeah, obviously played really well today. Just kind of missed the ball in the right place, and avoided the bunkers and gave myself a few birdie chances and managed to take advantage, which was good.
Q. Different from yesterday?
Matthew: Yeah, I mean, I think just got off to a better start. I missed probably an 8 footer for birdie on the first and holed from about six feet on the second and just gave myself chances on the first few holes. I think you kind of, score with the way the wind it and try to get off to a good start. 6, I hit just a little sand iron onto about eight feet and holed that. 7, kind of got a little lucky. Hit my driver off the tee and it just shot forward and managed to miss the bunker and putted up to probably five feet and holed that for birdie. 11, hit 6 iron into eight feet and holed that one. 17, I hit my four rescue on to the green and 2 putted for a birdie.
Q. Did you get any vibe this morning that it was going to be a really good day for you?
Matthew: No. I thought I mean, the weather forecast I saw was it was meant to be really windy. I saw it wasn’t windy this morning and it started picking up when I was practising and I thought the other way just, I thought, oh, God, it’s just going to be just kind of hang on today. So, yeah, obviously started well which is obviously crucial.
Q. Have you made any adjustment this year from how you played previously?
Matthew: No, I haven’t, to be honest.
Q. Apart from the trophy how would you receive the membership, and what is your lowest round here?
Matthew: Yes, I have received that. I came up for a practise round a few weeks ago, and received it then which was very nice. My lowest round, I think was maybe a 67. I can’t be certain.
Q. On a very different golf course.
Matthew: Yeah, obviously a different course.
Q. Do you think your experience from your amateur days here serves you well?
Matthew: Yes, I think so, definitely. It’s amazing how quickly you remember the course even though it was a long time ago. I played it, just putting from so far off and I’ve putted well this week. My lag putting has been good from 40 feet, which obviously you need to do well here. Yeah, maybe just a little bit of experience.
Q. How well did you play in the practice round?
Matthew: Not overly well. Got beaten.
Q. The last Scottish golfer to be in contention in an Open Championship in St. Andrews was Colin Montgomerie. Do you look forward to contend with the nation on your shoulders?
Matthew: Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully it will inspire me. Obviously it’s great today finishing those last few holes and there’s still some big crowds out there cheering me on, so it was a great feeling. Nice to get some support, when you play in the States all the time, usually don’t quite have the whole support.
Q. Have you spoken to him about it?
Matthew: No, I’ve never met him, actually.
Q. How does having a family affect your outlook?
Matthew: Yeah, it really has. Golf isn’t quite as important which helps me relax a little bit more. Certainly busier, have to manage my time a little better, make my practise more productive.
Q. Will you speak with your daughter now?
Matthew: No, she’ll probably be in bed by now.
Q. Will you be nervous on the weekend?
Matthew: Yeah, obviously it wouldn’t be normal if you’re not going to be nervous over the next two days. But I’m playing well so there’s no reason why I can’t go out and have another couple of good rounds.
Q. How were the crowds today?
Matthew: Yeah, it was great, certainly, coming down the last few holes. It was a great feeling, hearing all of the cheering when you are coming on the green.
Q. And along the way?
Mathew: Yeah, I mean, obviously there are crowds from the first hole. But with the stands on the last few holes, I think you kind of hear it more I think.
Q. Happy with the conditions?
Matthew: Yeah, I think it’s lucky, we’ve had the same wind every day, just about, which makes it easier. But certainly a little bit windier today than yesterday but not as windy as they forecast, so I think we’re lucky there.
Q. Winning a major can be a life changing thing…
Matthew: Yeah, you could ask me that on Sunday. Yeah, obviously it would be great to win.
Wendy Ward
Q. We have Wendy Ward with 70 today, 141, 5 under par, congratulations. Can you give me your general thoughts on the round, please?
Ward: Well, it was almost two different rounds, because the first nine, we didn’t have much wind, might have been five, ten miles an hour. And then we made the turn on to No. 10, and it’s like they turned the wind dial up twofold. Kind of two different spans of the round.
Q. You still played good golf on the back nine.
Ward: You know, I just kept it low, played it totally different. I was almost hitting my normal ball flight on the front. And then the second nine, I really brought it down and, you know, kind of hit my three quarter shot and kept my head high and seemed to do okay with it.
Q. Is that something you work on specifically for this golf course?
Ward: On this golf course. That’s kind of how we played the practise rounds, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and really try to see how creative we could be keeping the ball down. I was fortunate enough to have two local caddies in the group that kind of kept calling our shots for us and cringing if we took out a sand wedge or something. It was fun.
Q. Are you a good wind player?
Ward: Where I really kind of mastered my wind game is I live in Washington State, eastern Washington, just outside of Spokane and there’s a lot of wind that blows there. We don’t get a lot of rain in east Spokane, east Washington. We were fortunate on that. I, at least, expected to see some rain coming in on the back side, and real fortunate but we didn’t get that.
Q. There are a couple more experienced players up there. Do you think that’s one reason, they are more used to the different conditions?
Ward: I just answered that question in the BBC tent, and Lorena is known to be a very high ball striker. So I think it’s remarkable that she’s playing as well as she is. And I’m known as a high ball striker. So I think we are actually get to go kind of stretch ourselves and get to hit some shots that normally we don’t hit.
Q. Can we go through the birdies?
Ward: Like I said there wasn’t much wind, I tried to keep it down a little bit, to 12 feet. The par 5, first time I really got to take a run at that green because the wind has been into us but this time it was moving left to right and had about 235 yards and hit a little hybrid 19 degree. Actually, I was just off the green there and rolled it up to three feet and made it for birdie. 11, I was in between clubs there. Like I said before, we haven’t quite had this southwest wind and I was in between 5 iron and my 22 degree hybrid which is my 4 iron. And I went with the 22 to keep it down and I just sent it right through it all and got right of the pin and it’s just a runway from there on out. Almost made the putt for par. Had about probably a 15 footer for par there.12, played the hole a local way down the right hand side intentionally in the rough and had about 116 yard shot and I caught my chip 9 iron and kept it low, landed it on the front and it rolled right up. 14, similar yardage, 125, a little 9 iron, kept it low. It’s funny because we keep saying in the 115, 125 yardages, but we’re only flying the approach shots maybe 90 yards. That’s different from the way I usually calculate my 9 iron. 17, hit a good drive, just kind of left edge of the fairway and had 226 all the way back to the hole and as we all know, that green kind of shortens up on the right but that was kind of my angle. And I ran it up, it rolled over the ridge and just kind of hung on the horizon for the longest time and I thought it was going to be great and I was fortunate it hung up on the side of the hill and hit a great little chip to three feet and made the birdie. And then 18, I had not ever hit back to that pin if you can believe that. We didn’t think the pin would be there from the knowledge that the local caddies were giving us, so I never really played up that way. That it was so far back, I thought I could hit my normal 60 yard shot in there and the balls just don’t respond here off the wedges like we are used to off the ground and the ball went straight off my face and I left myself with about a 45 foot putt and rolled it to about four feet. I looked at my caddie and I said, “I could see this putt going either way.” He said, “Firm, left centre.” I hit it firm, and it went left. I thought it was going right, too, but it was really more of a miss read than a mis hit. Didn’t care to finish that way but still very pleased with the day.
Q. Not the only surprise so far as far as pin placements?
Ward: As far as pin placements, there have been a couple ones they used on No. 2 that I didn’t think they would ever be that right. They have to use caution with sharing the green on the other side. The ones on 2 were a little bit easier.
Q. How does it feel playing at St Andrews?
Ward: Talking about that on Sunday. I can’t fathom that right now. I’m having so much fun playing golf, I only get to play golf this way one time a year. I have to pinch myself out there a few times and say, you’re playing the tournament, you know you’re not just playing St. Andrews for fun. Yet, I have to also tell myself, my best tournaments, my best scores have come from just trying to get the most fun out of the game.
Annika Sorenstam
Q. Ladies and gentlemen, we have Annika Sorenstam. She’s just returned a 71 for’s 3 under par total of 143. Congratulations, Annika. That’s a very good round of golf today.
Sorenstam: Thank you. That’s funny that you say good morning, because I’ve been up forever. But no, obviously I’m very happy and obviously the conditions were a little easier this morning. I don’t think we had a breath of air really. You know, just very smooth greens, so I tried to take advantage of it and was really able to early but I played really steady and got off I would say the finish was quite strong.
Q. What time did you have to get up this morning?
Sorenstam: Around 4.00.
Q. When the last time you had one of those tee times, a long time ago?
Sorenstam: Yeah, I think so, I can’t remember. It’s not one of those things you want to remember. I love to sleep and normally that’s when I sleep the best. It’s tough to go to bed so early knowing I have to get up because I was so wound up after the first round and was thinking about all of the different shots. I tried to tell myself, ‘You’ve got to sleep, you’ve got to get up in about six hours.’
Q. What holes were playing downwind?
Sorenstam: Downwind, let’s see the first seven holes, we didn’t really have any wind. Then actually we had downwind on 11, and then it was into on the back nine. So it was really the opposite of yesterday.
Q. You mentioned thinking about shots; does this course make you do that more than most?
Sorenstam: I think so. It’s such a different golf course, and, you know, when it’s downwind and a few bunkers come into play, and when it’s into the win, other bunkers come into play. I was just trying to think my way around the golf course and then I can show that I have the right strategy. But what’s so difficult here, even though you might plan ahead, you never know what you’re going to get, even though in the morning there might be no wind and that might change. You really have to be able to adapt very quickly and you know, especially now on the back nine, there was 14, that was the only reachable par 5; not today. I hit 5 iron in on 15 and 5 iron on 16, and those are tough greens to have long clubs in. You have to be patient and go for the centre of the green and see what happens.
Q. Can you talk about 17?
Sorenstam: Well, par was 4 I would say would be a very tough hole. We were lucky to have a par 5. But the end of the day it doesn’t really matter what the par is. I just tried to play smart there and today I hit driver a little bit more left off the tee because it was into, and then I hit a 4 iron just short of the green and just tried to make an up and down for a four. Today it wasn’t a pin that you can be aggressive with, and you just have to play smart on that hole. It’s so easy to want to finish strong with birdie and get too aggressive. You really have to control yourself.
Q. You haven’t been in any bunkers?
Sorenstam: I try not to.
Q. Happy with the way you’re playing?
Sorenstam: The way I felt, yeah, I thought I hit the ball beautifully today. I had a lot of chances. I thought I putted well but didn’t make as many putts. Not those crucial par putts I had on the 9th hole and 12th hole. Those two would have been nice but other than that, I was staying to my game plan. I was trying to be patient, and if I made a mistake, my goal was to go to the next tee with a fresh mind, and I think I did pretty well there. So that’s my strategy for the next few days. Things are going to happen on this golf course, but you have to let them go.
Q. Has it been helpful having Tiger’s yardage book?
Sorenstam: Yeah, I would say so. I normally don’t carry a yardage book, so for me to have one is a big change. But I do think on this golf course, you really need to know exactly where the bunkers are and what direction to play. It’s not so easy sometimes because it’s a lot of blind shots. Just by having the book there looking at it that yardage book has some experience, and I think it’s helping me.
Q. How was the speed of play today?
Sorenstam: Well, we (our group) talked a little about it well, Morgan (Pressel) and I. We said it would be nice to get as many holes in as possible with no wind, so the faster we play, the better the chance. I thought the pace was great on front nine and then we had to wait on the 11th when everybody was crossing all of the different directions. But, I mean, I’m a fast player. The rhythm is so important, and yesterday is tough in the wind, but it’s even tougher when you just have to stand and wait all the time.
Q. Can you talk about the rounds yesterday?
Sorenstam: Well, I don’t think anybody enjoys it; not the players, not the fans, and I’m sure you don’t enjoy it. It is a tough golf course, though. There’s so many shots that’s crisscrossing. And when the wind is blowing, you have these big greens and then you end up maybe even closer to the pin that you made nine holes ago. It’s a tough golf course to play fast when there’s a lot of players around.
Q. Can we get the details of the birdies?
Sorenstam: Yeah, absolutely. The 5th hole I hit 7 wood just right of the green and chipped it up and just tapped it in for birdie. No. 8, I hit 8 iron to three feet. No. 9, I hit 9 iron over the green, chipped it up and 2 putted from seven feet. No. 12, sand wedge, 3 putts from 25 feet. The par putt was four feet. And then birdie No. 14. I hit sand wedge to 15 feet. And then 17, I chipped with a sand wedge to three feet.
Q. What will you do between now and the third round?
Sorenstam: Well, I think I’m going to get some lunch and practise a little bit, and then I’m going to go to the ladies clubhouse and receive my membership from this golf club, which is a great honour. I’m excited about that.
Q. What will you work on on the range?
Sorenstam: I just want to continue to work on the things I’ve been working on, which is mostly setting the club in the right position at the back and just releasing it. You know, I feel very good about these changes and I’ve done really well. I just want to keep on doing them, because I mean, on the weekend, the last thing I want to do is worry about my swing. It’s going to be too many other things to keep track of. Just winding down a little bit, hit a few putts and I’ll call it a day.
Q. How many drivers did you hit?
Sorenstam: I can’t give you an exact number. I’m not really sure, but I know it’s over ten.
Q. Are you pretty much exactly where you would like to be at the moment?
Sorenstam: Let’s put it this way; I’m very pleased. I’m happy to be done. I’m happy to be under par. I feel good about my game. You know, who knows where I finish by the end of the day, and it’s really irrelevant. I just feel good the way I’m playing. And I think the key for me is to continue to be steady the next two days, keep my nerves calm and be patient. You know, I’m looking forward to a great weekend. I mean, this is a weekend I think a lot of the players are looking forward to. It’s just you don’t get many chances like this.
Q. Is there a lot of pressure, considering the actual experience of playing at St Andrews?
Sorenstam: I try not to think about it. You know, I’m thrilled that I’m playing well. I’m thrilled that I’m starting to play some golf, and you know, whether it’s two rounds, three, or four rounds, you know, so far I think I’ve done as good as I can. So you know, that’s just I’m climbing slowly, and that’s a good sign.
Q. Are you managing to hit the ball well?
Sorenstam: I think so. I’m starting to get my natural draw back. I haven’t really seen a draw in about 19 months. That’s something you need on this course, so I’m welcoming it.
Q. What about your injury?
Sorenstam: Today was good. I feel really good and my strength is getting better. You know, that really that matters to me.
Sherri Steinhauer
Q. Ladies and gentlemen, we have defending champion, Sherri Steinhauer, who scored 71 today for a total of 143, 3 under par. You must be very pleased.
Steinhauer: I’m very pleased. I had a real steady round today. Fortunately starting out in the beginning of the day, the wind wasn’t blowing and it was actually pretty calm.
So the outward holes were not quite as difficult. I wish could I have taken a little bit more advantage of those, but I did birdie 3 and 6 going out. So I was real happy with the day.
Q. Were you pleased with the early time?
Steinhauer: I actually like the time. I liked going late/early worked out to be a very good time it looks like with the way the wind is picking up now. So I may have gotten the best of the draw this week.
Q. What is it that makes you play these links courses so well?
Steinhauer: I’m not sure what it is but I just I do know that I love the imagination. I love to play a low ball. There’s a lot of touch and feel involved. I think for my caddie, Joe Connelly, I think it’s probably pretty difficult to caddie for me over here because it’s just basically I go on instinct out there, and you know, I’ve been fortunate the last couple of days. My instincts have been pretty good.
Q. Does this tournament mean more to you than any other?
Steinhauer: I mean, this is a great tournament. I think it would be hard to rank them. You know, all of the majors are important events. It would be tough to put them in order, but you know, I’m very, very proud of my accomplishments over here, and very thankful for that.
Q. Were you close to quitting the game a few years ago?
Steinhauer: Very, very close. I decided that I was going to seek out a new pro. My pro, Manuel de la Torre, of about 18 years, he’s from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just a wonderful, wonderful gentleman. He’s 84 years old today or at this time. He did wonderful things with my golf game, and I just got to a point where I wasn’t hitting it as far as the rest of the players. It was actually getting demoralising being so far behind the other players, and so I needed to make a change. It was either I was going to quit, and I said, I was going to give it one more last effort. I began working three years ago with Hank Johnson, who is out of Birmingham, Alabama. When I first talked with him, he said that he could definitely help me hit it further. So, you know, it’s not always about how far you hit it. I know the putting is the most important, but I definitely needed to gain some distance. And so he’s definitely he’s helped me with that, and I have a second career.
Q. What would you have done?
Steinhauer: I had no idea. No idea what I was going to do. You know, I have four older brothers. We’re a very, very close family. I’m sure I would have become involved with them in something. They are basically retired right now, but they all get together every day and go into work, except for one brother is an optometrist. But the other three don’t work and they go into work with my dad. They just have an office where they get together, so I guess they probably would have built another office for me.
Q. Was that 2003 when you were thinking about quitting?
Steinhauer: It was about three years ago, so 2004 2003, 2004, right in there.
Q. People talk about how do you feel in any way that you’re a better player now?
Steinhauer: I definitely think I’m a better player now than earlier in my career. And my dad, he even he says that now, he’s never seen me play like this. It has changed. Experience has helped, and working with a new teacher has definitely helped my game.
Q. Did you make a change to your putting?
Steinhauer: Well, the putting style or use the putter?
Q. Style.
Steinhauer: Oh, that was that started yesterday. (Laughter) That was very observant of you. I didn’t know anyone noticed.
Q. Why did you do that?
Steinhauer: It just felt good. I was on the first three holes yesterday, I was crouching over it and I couldn’t see the line. What am I going to do? Try to stand taller, so that’s what I did.
Q. Is that an example of something when you were younger, you would have been hesitant to change, to make that kind of a change in your game?
Steinhauer: Well, I think I think my mind is much more wide open now to other ways of playing, other possibilities. You know, when I was younger, there was one way to play. I didn’t have I didn’t have much creativity. And, I don’t know, I think now I’m just it’s more about just trying to score. I mean, there’s days when you don’t hit it well and you try everything and it doesn’t work. You just never know. But I just keep an open mind out there and always thinking of just constantly working on the game. This game, you never, ever, ever have it. You never completely understand it. But I just every day probably I learn something new. Yesterday it was putting.
Q. Can we go over the three birdies and the solitary bogey, please?
Steinhauer: I birdied the third. I hit a wedge in about ten feet. Made that for birdie. 6, I came up short, and I made I made about a 50 footer on that hole. It was the longest putt I’ve made all week. I think I can’t remember, what club did I hit in. I think I hit a 9 iron in. Then I made a good up and down on 8. I missed the green and it was a disaster, just over that bunker. I hit a wedge out of the tall grass from about 80 feet and made that, or just hit it up there real close, tap in. Then No. 12, I made a bogey. 12, it’s a difficult hole. I played the shot down the right side and I’m always pointing for the rough. I hit it in the rough and just kind of misjudged my shot coming out, a 9 iron, went up the slope and came back down and I 3 putted. I hit it up probably about five feet and I missed that. Then 16, I hit a 3 wood and a 4 iron to about 20 feet and made that for a birdie.
Q. What apart from the trophy would you like to take back from St. Andrews?
Steinhauer: I think it’s just going to be amazing memories. I’m going to have a lifetime full of memories from this week.
Q. Do you have any friends with you?
Steinhauer: There’s about eight or nine people that traveled from the United States. I have a little small group of people that are just friends of mine and have become friends because they followed, and they are just wonderful, great supporters of mine. That’s pretty nice to have that many people that have traveled over here to watch.
Q. How are you playing 17 this week?
Steinhauer: Just hitting driver off the tee on left side and I’m playing for the front of the green. I had 175 to the front and about 205 to the flag today, and I just chose a 5 iron and hit it up right in front. Just trying to take that bunker out of play. Tomorrow is going to be difficult. I saw the pin placement for tomorrow, and it’s way back left. So there’s a lot of different ways you could play it. You could even go left of the bunker, but I don’t know if I’m going to be that brave. We’ll see where the drive it. But I’m definitely just playing short and hoping to get dip for birdie.
Q. How would you play it if it were a par 4?
Steinhauer: Same way. Same way.
Q. You’re alongside the former No. 1, and the leader is the current No. 1, do you feel you have no reason to fear her?
Steinhauer: I respect them immensely. They are great players. You know, when we go out there tomorrow, we’re all just going to be playing our game. So I’ll just be concentrating on what I have to do, and you know, let the chips fall where they may be at the end of the week. But you know, those are two pretty tough competitors to be up against. So it’s going to be quite a challenge.
Q. Has this week been any different to the other British Opens you’ve played?
Steinhauer: I don’t think I’ve ever been in the press room this early. Usually I come in from behind.
Q. I think last year the last day was the first time you were in here.
Steinhauer: I know it was like that the first time because I shot 81 the first day, so they were not calling me in.
Q. Is the atmosphere different?
Steinhauer: It’s hard to describe, because it is, it’s just to be out there, it’s just the best way I can describe it is just a surreal feeling; to know of all of the greats that have walked this golf course, and to know that this golf course has been here since the 15th century. I mean, that’s amazing. You know, I have a love for the game of golf, and I appreciate this place and for starting, and this place found my career.
Michelle Wie
Q. How long was your birdie putt on 18?
Wie: About a nine-foot putt.
Q. Thoughts on the day?
Wie: Obviously I’m really disappointed. I hit some great drives today. My driving was fantastic. I just couldn’t convert with my irons and putting. It just all came down to that. I didn’t perform today, but I have to take the positives from that. I hit my driver really awesome today.
Q. Did you have any birdie chances on the greens?
Wie: I left myself in really tough positions and got some really unfortunate breaks in the fairway. I must have been in at least eight divots, but no excuses. I didn’t hit my irons well today at all. With the wind blowing the ball just went with the wind. So unfortunately it was very unfortunate there, but I felt like my driving was very solid today.
Q. Did it give you confidence to drive the ball well today?
Wie: Yeah, definitely. The whole year I’ve been struggling with my driver and I just never got in the fairway. Today I felt like my driver was really solid. Every time I stood up to it I felt really confident so that is definitely a positive. Obviously my irons weren’t good so I just have to keep it together. It’s like a puzzle. I’m just getting one bit at a time.
Q. How was your wrist today?
Wie: It was better. Obviously today it hurt on a couple of shots. Hitting out of divots is not the greatest, but it’s better. It is definitely not hurting as much and that is definitely a positive.
Q. So you must be disappointed to miss the cut at an event like this that you have looked forward to for such a long time?
Wie: Yeah, it is a disappointment because I didn’t play as well as I wanted to. But, you know, just playing two rounds here is an amazing feat because it’s two more than I’ve ever played here. Obviously I really, really enjoyed being here. I’m really disappointed in how I played, but like I said, I’m really glad that my driver was really working for me today. I really feel like I got the feel of my driver and I’m just going to work on bouncing back.
Q. That was probably the weak link in the first round?
Wie: It was definitely. This whole year my driver was the reason why I’ve played so bad because I couldn’t hit the darn fairway, but today I was really confident on every single drive. I just have to fit the puzzle together.
Q. Do you feel like you are gaining your strength back?
Wie: I do. I do feel a lot stronger. I’m hitting a lot of shots that I’ve never really hit before so that is a positive. I just need to take the positives and go on from there. I’m starting to feel really good about it, but obviously today was not my day, but I’ll do better.
