YURI FUDOH

COLIN CALLANDER: Ladies and gentlemen, we have your feud oh with us, 68 for a two round total of 134, 10 under par and that ties the championship record which was set in 1997 by Emilee Klein and equalled by Jeong Jang in 2005.
Could we ask for your reaction to today’s round and the conditions?
YURI FUDOH: It’s a little bit windy today but I could make good shots today and I had a good round today.
COLIN CALLANDER: Pete Coleman is caddying for you this week. Is this the first time he’s been on the bag, and if so, how did it all happen?
YURI FUDOH: Yes.
COLIN CALLANDER: And how did you two meet?
YURI FUDOH: Through a friend three years ago.
Q. You had good short putts today.
YURI FUDOH: Yes, but I missed a few today but I got much better than last year or the year before.
COLIN CALLANDER: Could you tell us about your birdies, the birdie on the 8th hole?
YURI FUDOH: 9, eight foot putt, sand wedge.
Eagle at 10. Driver, 7 wood.
16 the tee shot was in the right side of the rough and second shot was edge of the green.
The distance of the second shot on the 10th hole, 115 yards.
Q. What do you think of your name being on top of the leaderboard?
YURI FUDOH: It’s only two days, so it doesn’t feel like anything.
I always think about going forward.
Q. What will you do tomorrow?
YURI FUDOH: It all depends on the weather and at least I want to keep the same position.
Q. How is the golf course playing? Many Japanese players had a good result today; does this course suit the Japanese players?
YURI FUDOH: The course looks a little bit like some Japanese courses, but it is the result of everyone’s efforts.
Q. What do you think about competing with Ai Miyazato in this event?
YURI FUDOH: I don’t feel like competing with those players but I just think I’m doing my best in each hole.
Q. There is only one other Japanese player to have won a major event, and do you have competition with how to win majors?
YURI FUDOH: I’ve never talked about that with her but sometimes I get advice from her when I don’t feel good.
Q. In the past you’ve had lots of experience playing majors and including the U.S. Open, and right now you seem to be quite comfortable. What do you think about winning a major championship?
YURI FUDOH: You know, the remaining two days is still a long ways, and I’m just thinking about doing my best on each hole. You.
COLIN CALLANDER: Thank you very much, indeed and best of luck this weekend

JI-YAI SHIN

COLIN CALLANDER: A 68 today and 10 under par total of 134. For those who were not here earlier that actually ties the championship 36 hole record. Clearly a great round today. How do you feel after that?
JI YAI SHIN: Today I was worried about the wind because today it was a strong wind.
Actually my plan is every hole, save the par, but I made three birdies and then one eagle. And then today I drove and putted very well.
COLIN CALLANDER: Why do you think there are so many players from Asia very close to the top of the leaderboard tonight?
JI YAI SHIN: This course is a little hilly. Actually this golf course is a little hilly, so more comfortable feeling on this course.
COLIN CALLANDER: Can we go through the birdies on your card?
JI YAI SHIN: First hole, I hit driver and then left side rough, and then about 40 yards, chipped in and then four or five foot putt.
5, driver and very strong into the breeze, so I hit an 8 iron in front of the green and chipped about 25 feet, two putts.
The 10th hole, eagle, driver, and then 4 iron I hit to two feet, three feet. Easy eagle.
14, birdie, driver in the left rough and then I hit a 6 iron but in the bunker. So about 120 yards from the bunker and then about 12 feet or 15 feet.
16, driver, and 7 iron and then same, almost 15 feet.
COLIN CALLANDER: Do you ever two drivers?
JI YAI SHIN: Yes, two drivers.
COLIN CALLANDER: Do you always carry two drivers or just in the wind?
JI YAI SHIN: Just the wind one driver.
Q. At the end of this year are you going to the LPGA Qualifying School, or what are your plans?
JI YAI SHIN: This year, I’m not sure about Qualifying School. Because in March, I won in Japan, so I’m already a member in Japan.
So next year I’ll play in Japan and sometimes play American tournaments.
Q. When you came here at the start of the week, did you expect that you could be 10 under at halfway and at the top of the leaderboard?
JI YAI SHIN: This course is very it is a very short distance, and then two times it rained, so the fairways and greens are very soft. So more make it compact, the iron shots. So actually I am thinking, the score is about eight or nine because it’s very windy but yesterday very good weather. Yesterday I get many chances and then 6 under par, so I think no change but 15, 17 under par would be the winning score.
COLIN CALLANDER: Do you feel this course suits you because it is quite short?
JI YAI SHIN: Yes, very difficult bunkers, but the fairways, it’s very easy course. So my plan is to drive the fairway. Yesterday just two misses, the fairway and today one or two, so very easy play.
COLIN CALLANDER: Thank you very much, indeed. Good luck this weekend.

JULI INKSTER

COLIN CALLANDER: Juli, a 70 today a 9 under, 135 total and two shots off the lead. Your thoughts on the day.
JULI INKSTER: Yeah, it was a lot harder. Basically I drove the ball pretty good again today. I drove it in the marsh on No. 2 in the pouring down rain and made bogey on 2, but I didn’t hit my irons as crisp but I kind of just managed my game today.
It was tough out there. The wind was going different ways, and trying to get the ball close to the green to have some birdie putts was tough. So overall, I’m very happy where I’m at and we’ll see what happens this weekend.
COLIN CALLANDER: You said yesterday that you had been struggling with your game but you’re improving bit by bit. Given today you’ve tested it in these conditions, you must be quite pleased.
JULI INKSTER: Yeah, I hit a few wayward iron shots, like No. 12, I made double. I had 8 iron to the green and made double. I pulled it left. I hit a couple flare outs to the right, but overall, I hit a lot of good, solid shots. I’ve just got to keep working at it.
Q. I know you’re a long way from home, but did you get a lot of calls or text messages yesterday?
JULI INKSTER: I got a couple from my kids and a couple from some friends. So we just got a new puppy on Wednesday, so they are more interested in that than how I’m playing. So pretty much basic stuff at the Inkster household.
Yeah, I mean, it’s a great position to be in. I’m just looking forward to my lag putting today was very good again, and you know, so that really helped me out. So I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.
Q. When you have conditions like this, do you go for centres of greens?
JULI INKSTER: Yeah, especially you figure you’ve got a short iron in your hand, you’ve got to play maybe a little more aggressive. But those holes into the wind, like 5, 6, 7, you know, and then 12, 16, 17, 18, it’s really hard to gauge how much it’s going to roll and with the wind and stuff.
So even on your tee shots, you know, you’ve got to on 18, I played it probably 20 yards left of where I played it yesterday. So you know, you’ve just got to really be aware of the wind and the slope of the fairways.
COLIN CALLANDER: Can we go through your birdies?
JULI INKSTER: 1, I was just short and I probably had a 40 footer and putted it up six inches and made that for birdie.
2, I hit it in the gunch left, and my only shot I was trying to do, I was trying to hit the bleachers behind 13, so I would get relief from the bleachers and then hit it on. But I flew the bleachers and went over the green on 13 into that little gully thing. So it was a cluster all the way.
So then I hit out on to the fairway, 9 iron on and I missed about a 10 footer for par. But I was all over that, it was a good bogey.
And then 4, I hit 6 iron about eight feet for birdie.
9, again, I drove the green and had about a 20 footer, 2 putted.
10, killed me. I had 4 iron into the green and made par. Just bad. Hit it in the right bunker. Didn’t get it up and down.
12, again, I had 8 iron to the green and got it turning left and hit it in the red stuff, I don’t even know what it’s called. And then I chunked it out and then I tried to putt it up the hill and didn’t hit it very far. It was just a six, so I missed about a 10 footer for a bogey.
14, I was just short in two and hit about a 25 yard pitch shot about three feet and made that for birdie.
18, I hit just a little controlled 9 iron about 20 feet and made that for birdie.
Q. Do you know much about Yuri, the woman you’re chasing now? Have you ever played with her?
JULI INKSTER: I’ve never played with her. She’s a good player. She’s won everything in Japan, so she’s got to know what she’s doing.
COLIN CALLANDER: Juli, thank you very much.

BO BAE SONG

COLIN CALLANDER: Ladies and gentlemen we have, and she scored a 68 for a two round total of 136 and is currently leading the championship.
Congratulations, great round of golf. How do you feel after that round?
BO BAE SONG: Coming into the round today, it was very windy, so I anticipated a very difficult round. But I made some good shots and it gave me a pretty good opportunity to play well today.
COLIN CALLANDER: Have you played much golf in this country before?
BO BAE SONG: This is my second British Open. I played in the British Open when Jeong Jang won it, but I think it was about three years ago, and this is my second time.
COLIN CALLANDER: You’re currently spending all of your time playing on the Japanese Tour; is that correct?
BO BAE SONG: Yes.
Q. First of all well done, but can you tell us about your upbringing and how much practise you did before you came on Tour?
BO BAE SONG: I practised and prepared as much as I would do for any tournament.
Q. What would your idea be of a day’s practise? How much hours a day would you practise?
BO BAE SONG: About six hours per day.
Q. And have you done other things apart from golf before you turned pro?
BO BAE SONG: Nothing, nothing but golf.
Q. Shopping?
BO BAE SONG: I used to play piano and violin before playing golf.
Q. And how good were you at the piano and violin, and why did you stop?
BAE SONG: Obviously I wasn’t exceptionally good at either piano or violin. I wanted to major in music so I could continue in piano and violin, but per my father’s recommendation and suggestion, I decided to turn to golf and play professional golf.
Q. Were you at any time doing all three, the piano, violin and the golf, or did you take up golf after stopping the piano and violin?
BO BAE SONG: No, not all three of them at the same time.
Q. And when did you start playing golf?
BO BAE SONG: At the age of ten I started playing golf.
Q. How are you playing in the Japanese Tour, how are you getting on, and do you want to play in the LPGA in the future?
BO BAE SONG: At this point I don’t have any plans to pursue the LPGA. I like where I am in Japan and I want to continue to play in the JLPGA.
Q. I read on the Web site that you had some injuries in ’06. Could you explain what they were?
BO BAE SONG: Not sure exactly what you call this muscle right back there, but it wasn’t torn, but maybe partially torn. So that was a pretty big injury in 2006.
Since then, my driving distance has decreased a little bit. I don’t know the actual technical medical term on this particular muscle.
Q. Leading the British Open at halfway, are you surprised or are you pleased? What are your emotions?
BO BAE SONG: We’ve still got a lot of golf to play, and it’s only been the first two days. No, I’m not surprised. I think I’ve played up to my capabilities, so not very surprised where I am.
Q. When you’re not playing golf, do you ever play the piano or the violin for fun?
BO BAE SONG: I don’t even know how to play anymore; I do not.
My father gave away my violin and piano once I started playing golf. No problem with me.
Q. You talked about the injury. How much time were you out of the game because of the injury?
BO BAE SONG: I didn’t completely stop competing. I did play with an injury, but I wasn’t able to practise much, and for that, I was forced to give up playing opportunities for the Kraft Nabisco on the LPGA Tour.
COLIN CALLANDER: Thank you very much and good luck over the weekend.

CRISTIE KERR

Q. Let’s go over your birdies.
CRISTIE KERR: I birdied No. 1. It was playing into the wind, so I had about a 50 yard pitch and pitched it up there to about ten feet and made that. I hit 5 wood to about five feet on the second hole and made that for eagle.
Sand wedge to about six feet on 3 and made that for birdie.
On 6, I actually hit like a punch 4 iron up there about five feet beyond the hole, which you don’t want to be above the hole no matter where you are, and I made that for birdie.
Hit kind of in the gorse stuff on 7 and I believe the wind was right to left and I kind of blocked it so I had to chip out. I got it up on the green and just 2 putted with a tap in from about 40 feet.
9, I hit lob wedge to about eight feet and made that.
10th hole, I hit 5 wood on the green and 2 putted from about 35 feet and made about a five foot second putt.
Birdied No. 11, hit sand wedge to about an inch, and then I parred in from there.
Q. You started off really well.
CRISTIE KERR: I started off great which is what you need to do on this golf course. This course you have to play the tough holes well and you have to take advantage of the holes you know you should take advantage of.
Q. And the conditions, how was the wind?
CRISTIE KERR: Conditions were a lot different today. My round today, it’s probably going to be the low round of the day. I don’t know if anybody else has gone real, real low. But to shoot 2 , 3 , 4 under today was great, and I shot 7, so I was very happy with the way I played today.
Q. How did you feel coming into the week?
CRISTIE KERR: I feel pretty good. I’ve made a lot of progress on my game. My swing and my short game were not where I wanted it to be last year and I’ve put a lot of work in and I’m just starting to see the benefits and that’s how long it takes sometimes.