BECKY BREWERTON (Wales)
Scorecard: Hole 2, 161-yard par 3: birdie – 8-iron to 10 feet
Hole 3, 355-yard par 4: birdie – nine iron to 15 feet
Hole 5, 333-yard par 4: birdie – chipped in from fringe
Hole 7, 526-yard par 5: eagle – three-wood to four feet
Hole 11, 351-yard par 4: birdie – driver, wedge to 20 feet
Hole 16, 311-yard par 4: bogey – second short, chip and two putts
Hole 17, 115-yard par 3: bogey – three putt
BETHAN CUTLER: Obviously tied for the lead. After the first round with a 67, you had a 68 today. You started off really well. What was the secret?
BECKY BREWERTON: Just carried on where I left off yesterday. I felt really good on the range this morning, and it was exactly the same thing.
My short game was excellent. Everything was great. I holed a couple really nice putts again, chipped in, and just felt very good in all parts of my game.
BETHAN CUTLER: Coming back, obviously had a couple bogeys on the last three holes. Was it the rain? Did that play a part, would you say?
BECKY BREWERTON: No, no, because it didn’t really start raining badly until we got onto the 18th tee. Just missed a couple fairways.
Well, on 16, you know you can’t miss it on the left because the rough is horrendous, which I did. I didn’t really have a shot. Just literally tried to hack it out. I only had 80 yards to the green, but I could barely hit it 30 yards. Actually, my wrist is quite sore after hitting that one. Then just had a chip on the green and just a bit unlucky and left my putt just short. But that’s the thing here, you get punished if you miss the fairway.
Then I had a 3 putt on 17 from probably being a bit too aggressive with my first putt. But I’ve been aggressive all week and it’s worked so far, so I’m not gonna change that.
BETHAN CUTLER: How would you have felt at the beginning of the day if someone told you you would be leading again at the halfway stage of the tournament, tied for the lead?
BECKY BREWERTON: Yeah, I had have been very happy. Obviously there’s a touch of disappointment because I got to 11 under. Again, like I said yesterday, this is a really tough course to not have any bogeys. It would have been quite an achievement not to.
Disappointed I did at the end, but I would have taken 68 at the start of the day.
BETHAN CUTLER: What’s the plan then for tomorrow?
BECKY BREWERTON: Well, just the same really. Be interesting to see what happens with the weather tonight. I guess if it keeps raining like this the course will be softer and it will make it play a little bit different again.
But I’m really enjoying it. Get out tonight, have a nice meal, sleep well, and do the same thing.
BETHAN CUTLER: How did the course play compared with yesterday?
BECKY BREWERTON: Pretty similar. Really good pins on the slopes, which was good. It was very, very similar to yesterday. You just have to hit it on the fairway again and try and make birdies probably more so on the front nine than the back. I think the back is a little bit tougher.
AI MIYAZATO (Japan)
DANA GROSS RHODE: You had a great round. Moving into second place today. How does that feel?
AI MIYAZATO: I feel great. I mean, this is my sixth time at Evian, so I have been playing here for years. I’m very happy with that.
DANA GROSS RHODE: What were some key holes for you today? You only had one bogey.
AI MIYAZATO: Um, well, I think my first birdie was No. 3 today. That was pretty long putt, like six meters.
DANA GROSS RHODE: What club did you hit in?
AI MIYAZATO: Pitching wedge. That was a really good stroke. It was really tough spot to birdie. After that I could like keep it going after that birdie, so it was good.
DANA GROSS RHODE: Okay. Questions.
Q. I guess this year do you feel like everything is coming together? You have been out here five years. I know it’s been a little bit of an adjustment. You’ve learned a lot. How has that changed? Anything you’re looking at this year?
AI MIYAZATO: Not really big different, actually. I had really good experience last few years. It’s more comfortable now, so I can like concentrate my game like 100% right now. I have confidence, too.
Q. How is the course playing for you? What’s suiting your game very well right now?
AI MIYAZATO: Oh, what’s good for my game? My game is getting really simple now. Like hit the fairways and hit the greens and make some putts. So that’s the most difficult to do, I think. But most comfortable is my putting. So that makes really good.
Q. How long have you had your caddie?
AI MIYAZATO: Fourth year, I think.
Q. Everything still going good?
AI MIYAZATO: Yup. I’m playing good. (Laughter.)
DANA GROSS RHODE: Can we go just over your scorecard real quick?
AI MIYAZATO: Yeah, and I hit 3 wood and was a pitching wedge again.
DANA GROSS RHODE: Okay.
AI MIYAZATO: And my birdie putt was like three meters. And 10, second shot was pitching wedge again, and it was a seven meter. 11, I hit 9 iron and was like four meters.
DANA GROSS RHODE: Okay.
AI MIYAZATO: 13, it was 9 iron, too, and three meter again. 15, I hit 3 wood my tee shot and 3 wood second shot and third shot was 7 iron, but I missed the green and I couldn’t get up and down.
DANA GROSS RHODE: When you hit on, how far was the putt?
AI MIYAZATO: No, just like off the green with my third shot no, no, fourth shot. Yeah. And then got up and down.
DANA GROSS RHODE: From how far?
AI MIYAZATO: My bogey putt was like two meters.
16, I hit 5 wood for tee shot and pitching wedge again second shot and one meter.
18, 7 iron on the second shot, and the third shot was 60 yards with 58 and two meters.
DANA GROSS RHODE: What was it like playing with Karrie Webb in your group today?
AI MIYAZATO: I mean, it was always fun to play with her, because I played with her at the U.S. Women’s Open as well in the first three days. (Translated from Japanese) We had good chemistry, atmosphere.
DANA GROSS RHODE: How much of your game or improving your game is skills and also the psychology, a balance?
AI MIYAZATO: I think 50/50 right now.
NA YEON CHOI (South Korea)
DANA GROSS RHODE: Congratulations on another great round today. You had a low round yesterday, and you’re still in the lead today. What did you tell them?
NA YEON CHOI: I was just saying like yesterday really comfortable on the course. Putter was really good today.
Yeah, I just have fun today.
DANA GROSS RHODE: What’s the key to having fun? Is it playing good golf? Is it the people you’re playing with?
NA YEON CHOI: I think Brian, he was help me sometime. We just more try to play smart golf. He is a lot of help for me.
DANA GROSS RHODE: Are you able to be aggressive, or just concentrating on fairways and greens?
NA YEON CHOI: I think I have confidence I think this course, and I feel really confident. Yeah, I think I can do it.
DANA GROSS RHODE: Do you have memories from last year when you did so well here? Do you bring good memories back with you?
NA YEON CHOI: Just a little bit, so I was a little nervous starting No. 15. But I’m try with calm. Yeah, today just, yeah, it’s okay.
DANA GROSS RHODE: You were a rookie last year and now you’re a second year player. What have you learned in one year between the two Evian Masters tournaments?
NA YEON CHOI: Now I can more composure on my game and not much nervous, first of all.
SOPHIE GUSTAFSON (Sweden) 71-66=137 (-7)
Scorecard: Hole 2, 161-yard par 3: bogey – 9-iron to 30 feet, three putt
Hole 4, 374-yard par 4: birdie – 9-iron to 10 feet
Hole 6, 380-yard par 4: birdie – 9-iron to 20 feet
Hole 7, 526-yard par 5: birdie – sand wedge to five feet
Hole 8, 174-yard par 3: birdie – 7-iron to six feet
Hole 9, 482-yard par 5: birdie – 5-iron to 25 feet, two putt
Hole 11, 351-yard par 4: birdie – missed the green, chip in from 20 feet (on fringe)
Hole 14, 196-yard par 3: birdie – 6-iron to 30 feet
Hole 16, 311-yard par 4: birdie – gap wedge to 36 feet
Hole 17, 115-yard par 3: bogey – gap wedge to 12 feet behind the hole, three putt
Q. What are your thoughts about this week and the Evian Masters?
SOPHIE GUSTAFSON: I think this tournament has always been special to me. My first year was 1996 and the only reason I got to play was because they extended the field for me because I won the week before over in Lausanne (Switzerland). That was 1996 and this is my 14th year here and I think the more you play the course and the more you get to know the greens, the more of an advantage you’re gonna have.
Q. Is the course playing different today than yesterday?
SOPHIE GUSTAFSON: I played 20 minutes earlier today, so it’s about the same conditions. Yesterday was a lot tougher because it was windy and the wind kept switching because of everything around us.
Q. How about today? Your putting today was great.
SOPHIE GUSTAFSON: You obviously have to have some elements of luck to make 25- and 30-footers. I definitely think being here so many years really helps.
