YANI TSENG

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We have Yani Tseng in here. She just shot her third consecutive 68 for 12 under par, total of 194 and a 4 shot lead going into the last round. There are one or two people on deadline, Yani, so could you please talk about your eagle first?
YANI TSENG: I hit an 8 iron on my second shot, about 20 feet for eagle, and it was a right to left putt; and before I get into green, my caddy told me, let’s see if we can make this.
And I was like, you don’t think I can make this? So I feel pumped up. I really wanted to make that.

THE MODERATOR: You started with 12 consecutive pars today. Was your plan to play conservative golf?
YANI TSENG: Today was a strong wind when we got to the greens. So I know I just needed to stay patient all day and just keep trust myself and get a good yardage and I know it will be fine.
And I really enjoyed the crowd today. There was lots of people coming to watch, and they clap on every shot. So I feel like I better show my big smile to them.

THE MODERATOR: You’ve only dropped one shot in three rounds. That’s fairly impressive around here, isn’t it?
YANI TSENG: Yeah. I only had one bogey these three rounds, especially on this tough golf course, so I feel I’m very happy what I’m doing right now, be very consistent, and didn’t let my mind go down; and be always confident, even when I hit a bad shot into a bunker and or into a rough. Always play one shot at a time and stay very positive.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. We have the microphone here if anybody wants to ask questions.

Q. Do you think it’s going to come down tomorrow to those three par 5s on the last four holes?
YANI TSENG: I know. I think it’s going to be fought on the last four holes, especially the three par 5s. And I think if the wind changes, everybody can reach the last two holes.
On No. 15 today I was really nervous. After I hit the second shot, yes, feel like I make birdie there because I was hitting terrible the last two days.
But I think it’s going to be really fun, like you can make eagle the last two holes. You never know, so you gotta be patient and playing good on the first 14 holes going to the last four holes.

Q. Did you meet earlier this week with Vision 54?
YANI TSENG: Oh, you saw that. Yeah, I did, actually because I feel I was struggling a little bit after the Curtis Cup and Nabisco. And then I feel like that win was like two years ago. So I don’t have anything special for me right now.
So I’m talking to them, and I say, what do you think about my game? And she remind me a lot of things. She asked me, what do you think when you’re playing good and what do you think right now. So like compare it to the best.
And then we figure out that’s three things she’s given to me. So I put a note in my yardage book to look at all the times I hit a bad shot. Or when I walk in she say, I just sing a song when I play, like when I think about if I’m winning, I’m really if I want to play and make birdie.
If I think any negative things, then I will just sing a song. So I was singing songs all day today in my mind, and then sometimes it’s hard because I’m singing songs, but I still think it that way. But I know what should I do for this week and I just be strong and happy, but not nervous, and I’m not go like five seconds in play box. I just want to pick a shot and just hit it and not think about where my ball is going.
So I think it’s really nice that I talk to them before I go to play because I think if I talk to them, it’s not going to be worse. It’s going to be the same or it’s going to be better. So I think I did a good job.

Q. What’s the song?
YANI TSENG: The song I sing. I really don’t know. I was just jumping around. Kind of like singing old school songs in Taiwanese.

Q. Is it all Taiwanese music you listen to or do you listen to other western music?
YANI TSENG: No. I listen to a lot of western stuff.

KATHERINE HULL

THE MODERATOR: We have Katherine Hull in here who’s just shot a 66 for a 198 total. The round included five straight birdies on the last five holes. There’s a couple of people on deadline, so if we could do the birdies first, if that’s possible.
KATHERINE HULL: No. 6. I can’t even think of 6. Par 5. I hit a pitching wedge to about three feet, made the putt.
14, I hit a 5 iron to about six feet. 15, I hit a gap wedge to about maybe 12 feet. 16, hit a 5 iron to 20 feet. 17, got up and down out of the bunker.

THE MODERATOR: What did you hit into 17?
KATHERINE HULL: I’m sorry. A hybrid into there and then, yeah, tap in for birdie out of the sand.
And then 18, I hit a 7 iron onto just the back of the green and two putted. The second putt was maybe seven feet.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. And that was a pretty hot finish there.
KATHERINE HULL: Yeah. I didn’t make many putts yesterday, so it was nice to finish with five in a row today.

THE MODERATOR: Are there any questions from the people who are we have a microphone here, as usual.

Q. Just how important are the par 5s around Birkdale, especially with three on the last four holes?
KATHERINE HULL: Well, obviously you can reach 17 and 18 when they’re downwind, and if it’s not too blowy, you can also reach 15. So if you’re not making birdies, you do feel like you’re losing ground out there.
Yeah, I mean 6 is a makeable birdie, too, so you gotta kind of capitalize, especially on the par 5s out here.

Q. Have you ever had five birdies on the spin before, and in the last five holes with you in the lead?
KATHERINE HULL: Maybe once before. I know I’ve had five birdies in a row, but I’m trying to think. Yeah, actually maybe in college. I think I finished with five birdies to shoot like 63. That was one of my best rounds. So yeah, never in a major, so it was fun.

Q. That’s your best round in a major?
KATHERINE HULL: Probably, yeah.

Q. You haven’t had too much great success here at this tournament. Can you tell me kind of what’s changed this year, and the British Open in general?
KATHERINE HULL: Probably in the last couple years I’ve started to shape the ball more, and you gotta be able to do that in Links golf, just because the wind usually plays such a factor in it.
So yeah, my ball striking is getting better every year, and I love Links golf now. It’s fun to me. I wish we actually played more of it in the States.

Q. Am I right to say this is the first time you’ve played Birkdale?
KATHERINE HULL: I played in ’05, but I got the bad weather draw, so we had a rough day Thursday and was too far out of it.

MORGAN PRESSEL

Q. A little rough start with two bogeys?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I know. I guess I was what, 9 under the first two holes.
You know, those first two holes are just very difficult, and you take two bogeys. I bogeyed both of them first thing and made two straight birdies right after that.
I just made a lot of putts today, and I put myself right back in the hunt.

Q. Well, you must have hit them both because Royal Birkdale is not a pushover. Admittedly the conditions, not too bad out there.
MORGAN PRESSEL: I’ve seen her make a lot of putts, and then I started looking at it today and made a great one on 16 and 17, and actually that was pretty cool.
Some days it goes well. It just seems to all fall into place.

Q. Well, you put yourself back in contention, so the best for tomorrow.
MORGAN PRESSEL: Thanks. I’m going to go enjoy the afternoon.

Q. So did you forget you were playing Royal Birkdale today? That was fantastic.
MORGAN PRESSEL: No, I didn’t forget that I was playing Royal Birkdale, but I just played well. I played solid.
I had a rough start, but came back strong and stayed tough in some rain and wind out there.
And I just made a lot of putts. That’s really how you score out here. I hit 14 greens. I had 25 putts.

Q. You said you were learning how to play these golf courses.
MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, the first day I struggled. I kept hitting the golf ball in the air and just made some silly mistakes.
And you know, I’m trying to I just played a little bit differently the last couple days, trying to play towards trouble and drop the ball or cut the ball away from it, and it’s certainly put me in position. If you hit greens out here, you can score really well.

Q. You’ve placed yourself in a strong position with your performance today.
MORGAN PRESSEL: Well, especially considering I’ve actually never played well at the British Open, you know, it’s definitely promising.
The little booklet they have here said my best finish is 42nd. That was pretty embarrassing. And I looked like I was going to miss the cut for a while, so to come back and paddle back today and give myself a chance to have another great tournament in my European tour is great.

Q. It was a difficult start with back to back bogeys?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I mean you know one 1 I just hit a poor chip. I lipped out with the par putt. And on 2 I hit a shot with both feet out of the bunker. It’s the second one I’ve had this week where I just had no stance, and was happy to make bogey from there. Anything could have happened.

Q. What clubs did you have in on your approaches?
MORGAN PRESSEL: All 3 woods. They’re three hard holes. I probably could have hit 3 hybrid on the first. Maybe a little bit of a mistake. But I mean I made a bomb on 3, about 40 feet. And I made about a 20 footer on 4. So right back at even par. And obviously comfortable with my putting.

Q. You had about one, two, three, four, five bombs.
MORGAN PRESSEL: I did.

Q. Does that sound about right?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Let’s see. On 13. On 3, on 17 and 16. What was the other one?

Q. I have 3, 4.
MORGAN PRESSEL: 4 was 20 feet. That wasn’t as much as a bomb. It was a good putt. It wasn’t a bomb.

Q. And 13, 16 and 17.
MORGAN PRESSEL: Yeah.

Q. Okay. Great. That’s good.

Birdies and bogeys:
Hole 1–missed green, bogey
Hole 2–missed green, bogey
Hole 3–8 iron, 30 footer for birdie
Hole 4–4 hybrid 25 footer for birdie
Hole 7–7 iron, 2 footer for birdie
Hole 9–6 iron, 5 footer for birdie
Hole 12–6 iron, hit front bunker, bogey
Hole 13–7 iron, 40 footer for birdie
Hole 14–5 iron, 12 footer for birdie
Hole 16–5 iron, 40 footer for birdie
Hole 17–3 hybrid, 45 footer for eagle
Hole 18–4 hybrid, 10 footer for birdie
8 birdies, eagle and 3 bogeys

PAULA CREAMER

Q.How is your thumb doing?
PAULA CREAMER: It was a little bit cold in the morning, so I was a little bit achy, but I plowed through it and tried to go out and just play. Hit it the least amount of times as I could. That was my plan.

Q. You gave away a couple of birdies on 17 and 18?
PAULA CREAMER: I think I’m 1 over on 17 and 18, and you cannot do that on this golf course. That’s where you make your birdies. That’s where you make eagles, and I’m 1 over par, and it’s unfortunate.
But other than that, I think I played really well, gave myself a lot of opportunities and made some good saves when I had to.

Q. This championship must mean an awful lot to you, because I have a feeling that someone of less toughness might have withdrawn.
PAULA CREAMER: I hope nobody would withdraw. I mean that’s what I would hope. As an athlete, you would want to be able to play in whatever conditions it gives you.
Unfortunately I’m in pain. I’ve been in pain for a while, but I’ve kind of proved to myself, too, that I can come out here and play good golf.
The fans here, honestly, they are amazing. I love coming over here, and I just wanted to be able to come out and play, and I was able to do it.