Katherine Hull

Q. Welcome. A wonderful round. You are three shots clear of the field. You must be happy with your position.
KATHERINE HULL: Yes, I am. It was not really easy out there but I stayed patient and finished with two nice birdies. I am really happy about the way it went.

Q. You must be delighted to finish the way you did.
KATHERINE HULL: Yes. I putted quite well today. There was a stretch where I did not make anything. I did not get too frustrated which I think is why I was able to finish the way I did. John, my caddie, helped me with the grain in my last two putts. I just happened to get the perfect speed and in they went. That was nice.

Q. This is a fantastic way to start the year after such a good year last year. It must be great for your confidence.
KATHERINE HULL: I was unsure at the start of this season where it would go. I took four weeks off in December which is my longest break. Fortunately my game did not go too far. It is pretty close. I am really happy with the way I started. I have to go out there tomorrow and execute the same plan and stay patient.

Q. Will you win?
KATHERINE HULL: I believe I can win but there are 18 holes out there that still need to be played. There are some great names on the leader board. You can’t take it for granted and you can’t expect it to happen. I will go out there and stay focused on my game and hopefully it is enough at the end.

Q. Will you relax with a three-shot lead?
KATHERINE HULL: I won’t be relaxing at all. I am going out there with the same mindset as the last three days. I won’t watch the leader board a whole lot. On the back nine I will take a glance here and there. I can’t control how anyone else is playing.

Q. Question about the conditions today.
KATHERINE HULL: The wind was a little tricky. Like yesterday, it gusted a few times. The greens are drying out even more because of the wind. You can’t get lackadaisical out there. You have to pay attention, even on the short putts.

Q. Was you intention to have a go at that putt on the last green?
KATHERINE HULL: I looked at the leader board on the last few holes. I knew where I was and how many I was leading by. But I was trying to make pretty much every putt out there today. That is the ultimate goal. John and I tried to stay focused on line and speed. When I do that I tend to make a good putt.

Q. You did not have any protective thoughts?
KATHERINE HULL: No. I can’t say I expected to make it and I can’t say I was lagging it in there. I had been seeing the line all day and my speed was good. I had just birdied 17. I knew that the stroke was good. I just had to match it up and I did.

Q. You are three shots clear of the field and eight shots clear of Webb. Is eight shots enough?
KATHERINE HULL: I hope so. I’m sure Karrie will come out blazing. I’m happy with the way I am playing. I just have to keep doing the things I’m doing. It should be enough.

Q. You played with two players today who shot five over. Did this make you uncomfortable?
KATHERINE HULL: No. I knew they were struggling but I did not let it affect me and I did not get caught up in their game. I stayed focused on mine. It is a shame. They both played really well on Thursday and Friday. They had a rough day at the office.

Tamie Durdin

Q. Two shots back, are you happy with where you are Tamie?
TAMIE DURDIN: I played quite solidly out there. It was pretty windy, quite gusty at times. I’m happy to be in the clubhouse actually.

Q. Are you surprised to be playing well again?
TAMIE DURDIN: Last year in Japan was really tough. I just didn’t get any momentum at all and I think the result from this tournament last year dictated a bit the way I played last year. I just felt that I fell apart. I’ve been doing some work with a guy called Jonah Oliver out of the University of Queensland. I met him two days or three days after last year and have been working with him quite extensively since.

Q. Was it devastating for you last year?
TAMIE DURDIN: It was. I felt that I was really ready to go. I felt that it was time to step up and win really. Maybe I put too much emphasis on that.

Q. Is this a case of history repeating?
TAMIE DURDIN: It’s almost déjà vu. To be honest I feel a lot more comfortable out there. I feel that I’ve learned quite a bit from Jonah as to how to handle yourself out there. Being an elite athlete, all these feeling that you get inside; it’s churning; there’re butterflies, that sort of stuff and you get really anxious. I didn’t know how to handle that correctly. I’m not saying that I’m an expert now but I feel that I’m a little bit more prepared and I have a lot more armour to go out and perform tomorrow.

Q. Is that (inaudible)
TAMIE DURDIN: It is actually. At the beginning of this week I said to Jonah, “I don’t know how it’s going to go. I’m going to miss the cut; I’ll play like crap. I just didn’t feel like I was very well prepared. I’ve been seeing a different coach now and I’ve been doing a little work with him for the last two weeks. There have been a few changes going on to get the ball rolling and I don’t consider myself a bad player.

Q. What about the coaching situation?
TAMIE DURDIN: I’m seeing a guy called Ezure Tadashi. He is a Japanese guy in Kobe, Japan.

Q. (Inaudible)
TAMIE DURDIN: I won’t this year. This is only a new thing. I will be spending a lot more time in Japan.

Q. Seven birdies, that’s not bad…
TAMIE DURDIN: I had chances early. I had quite a few chances and missed them. I just hung in there and I think 13, how poorly I’ve played it in the past, I’ve birdied it every day, so I’m quite happy with that. It’s a tough hole because it plays back into the wind. I hit six-iron the first two days and I hit eight-iron today and it plays straight back into the wind. I dropped a bit of a bomb there today.

Q. Do you feel you will tackle tomorrow differently?
TAMIE DURDIN: I think so. Last year when I left to come here to play I was so nervous; I just wanted to go back to bed. I was so nervous. How I actually got the ball off the first tee I have no idea. I was just really, really nervous. I think my attempt to tackle it tomorrow is to not change anything. I think I changed, not so much my game changed. I changed and I reacted to that. It’s a matter of doing exactly what I’ve been doing the last few days and not changing. Doing exactly the same: routine stays the same, speed stays the same, all that sort of stuff. There is a lot going on up here and inside but I feel that I’m better prepared to handle that now.

Q. Are you confident those feelings won’t return?
TAMIE DURDIN: They will be there; absolutely 100 percent they will be there. I think wanting them to not be there was what I wanted but when football players run out onto the field their stomach’s churn.

Q. Is it accepting the nerves?
TAMIE DURDIN: Yes. You absolutely have to accept the fact that it’s going to be there and the more that you don’t want it there, the more that this starts going and starts talking to you. It seems to gradually just plummet.

Q. Can you use it as a positive?
TAMIE DURDIN: Yes. To know that yes, I’m going to feel nervous tomorrow; I’m going to be anxious tomorrow and yes, I’m probably going to hit some bad shots tomorrow: I’m just going to accept that and go into tomorrow just knowing that and it helps.

Q. can you enjoy those feelings?
TAMIE DURDIN: It’s difficult to enjoy it but I’ll wait and see. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and she was reading Johnnie Wilkinson’s book. Johnnie Wilkinson was saying that he hates what it feels like: the butterflies; the nausea and all that sort of stuff. He was rooming with a guy and he sauid, “Well mate, get used to it, because it’s not going anywhere.” I think knowing that, I feel that it has empowered me a bit because I’m not afraid of it anymore.

Q. Does everybody feel that?
TAMIE DURDIN: There are some people that can cope with it better than others but I am one of these people that is quite an emotional person throughout my life and in everything that I do. For me it is probably a little more difficult. It’s been rewarding for me to know that I can go out tomorrow knowing that if I win, lose, draw, whatever I’m going to feel nervous. I’m nervous now.