The 2001 U.S. Women’s Open kicked off with several
player interviews on Tuesday, one of which was with Kris Tschetter.
Rhonda Glenn, USGA Manager of Communications, served as host.
Glenn: The last time we were here at the
USGA at Pine Needles, Kris finished runner-up to Annika Sorenstam.
Only the fact that Annika fired a 66 in that last round really
kept Kris out of the winner's circle. You've been through a few
things in recent years, some health problems. How is everything
going now, how are you feeling?
Tschetter: I'm feeling much, much better.
I had hip surgery last June, which I actually got a Cortisone
shot for, hoping to make it through last year's Open. And after
about a week I said I'm just wasting my time. So I ended up getting
it done June 28th. And I not only had a labral tear, I had a cartilage
tear, which is when the doctor went in. He thought it was a tear
with the cartilage; it turned into 6 to 8 months. So I wasn't
able to even start in January. And started slow and still have
to be careful not to do too much. But I'm so much better than
I've been in such a long time that it's fun again.
Glenn: Have you played a practice round here?
Tschetter: I have.
Glenn: Today?
Tschetter: Yes.
Glenn: What do you think of the golf course
this year as compared to 1996?
Tschetter: It's hard to say, because there's
just been so much rain that the course is playing real slow; the
last six holes are playing really long. But that can all change.
I'm sure the course, if we don't get any more rain, is going to
speed up and we're going to get some more roll-out there. I'm
sure the course is going to be playing so differently by Sunday.
We're going to be getting more roll on our drivers and the putts
aren't going to be quite as friendly.
(Questioning opened up to the media.)
With your hip injury – Casey Martin’s ruling
came down in favor of him today -- do you think walking is an
important part of golf?
Tschetter: I do believe that walking is part
of the game. And I do think that by not walking, it definitely
gives you an advantage -- at the end of the week, at the end of
two weeks, at the end of the year. There's some wear and tear.
That was what kept me from coming back this year. I knew I could
not walk 18 holes of play. I could play 18 holes in a cart or
I could walk 18 holes, but I didn't do both.
Do I think he's taking advantage? No. I think he's
got such a weird problem that I don't think he gets an advantage
from being in the cart. But I think for most people not having
to walk -- you'd have more energy at the end of the day.
You have a chair with no wheels on it. Would
you think about using a cart or you think that takes away from
the game?
Tschetter: No, I think -- like I said, I
think walking is part of the game. In my situation it's not severe
enough. I think I would gain an advantage over some people. But
I really have to consider things. I have to -- like today, I got
done with my practice round and I went back home and laid down
for a little bit. Because I just know that if I try to push myself
too much, that's when I get into trouble.
So I really had to change my practice routine. When
I'm out here I get done playing and I go rest a little bit before
I come back and practice. And when I'm home I try to work harder
at home and save my strength a little bit when I'm out here.
So things are definitely different for me now. And
the chair, it's been great. It's kind of the joke out on the LPGA
right now; the caddies are all worried that it's going to become
a trend. But for me, just being able to get off my feet, it's
really more that my back gets real tight and gets tired. Just
to be able to sit down, even if it's three or four minutes rather
than standing in a fairway, that makes a big difference for me
at the end of the day.
Have you had to make any swing changes?
Tschetter: A little bit. I had to make more
-- I'm able to get back to the way I was swinging before. In the
last couple of years I've messed around with my swing quite a
bit, just trying to figure out a way to play. And now I'm able
to swing pretty much like I want. There are a few things that
I can't do. But fortunately my husband -- he's a great teacher
-- he knows my swing so well that he's been able to really figure
out how to get the maximum out of what I can do.
Can we see your scar? No, just kidding.
Tschetter: It's not as high as you might
think.
Just kidding. First of all, do you think remembering
how well you played out here and how well you figured this Donald
Ross course out that that's going to give you a little more inspiration
– maybe pump up some of that adrenaline to get it going? And how
are you playing coming into this championship?
Tschetter: Definitely to have these good
memories from this golf course. I really, really like this course.
It really suits me. And so I think that will definitely help me.
And to answer your second question, I feel like
I'm playing really well. I've been just really working on a lot
of things. And, again, to just be healthy again has been so much
fun. My caddie -- actually, my husband's caddieing for me this
week -- but my regular caddie the last few weeks, it's been really
interesting, because he's had to really learn about my game again.
He's been caddieing for me for two years, and I've been lame the
whole time. And finally one day I had to look at him and say look,
I'm a different player now, I can hit these shots again. And it's
really learning to adjust to that.
Kris, knowing that if this course does dry up
as they say it will -- although Annika last year kind of ran away
with it, but not a whole lot -- the winner is not going to be
a whole lot under par. Does that also work into your scheme of
things?
Tschetter: I think so. I mean, I really enjoy
playing golf courses and playing tournaments where par is a good
score, where you really have to think your way around the golf
course and place your shots and be patient. So I hope that the
course really does kind of stand up and show us who's the real
champion, which would be the golf course, in a U.S. Open, usually.
Glenn: Kris, you were interested in ballet
for many years. Is your injury a result of the ballet as well
as the golf? That's two very strenuous.
Tschetter: It's really hard to say. I did
start back taking ballet about five years ago, and then I had
my hip problem. And then I looked at film of me in college, and
I was doing this thing with my foot, trying to compensate for
my hip, even back then. So it's really hard to say. I have a little
bit of hip dysplasia, which is where your hips aren't fully covered,
and it really lends itself to getting a tear. Plus the fact that
I'm real loose jointed. I'm able to compensate and kind of do
things.
And I was able to play a lot longer because I was
compensating so many other joints in my body. So the answer is,
I don't know. And the doctor didn't know. I asked him about that.
And he said it probably got worse because I played with it for
so long. But I went to several doctors who told me I had nothing
wrong for two, two-and-a-half years.
Kris, when you first came out on Tour would it
be fair to say you were just an average length hitter off the
tee, and now you're one of the longest hitters? What did Kirk
do?
Tschetter: He got my swing on a better plane.
And I think we all have our mistakes in our swing that we will
fight with until the day we die. But I've worked on getting my
downswing a little bit better. And actually, with all of my injuries,
I've had to really -- all of my injuries have been joint related.
And I've had to strengthen the muscles around my joints in order
to continue to play. And I think that that's helped, because I've
gotten stronger.
With the recent emphasis on your full swing,
is your short game sharp enough to win this week?
Tschetter: Yes, it is. Actually, in the last
year, after my hip surgery, I had to hit a lot of wedges. My wedges
are getting really good.
Were you worried at all? I noticed in Phoenix
you didn't lose any distance; if anything, you're longer. Some
people were joking that you have a bionic hip now?
Tschetter: Phoenix, I don't know what it
is about that air, you just hit it long out there. You know, I
wasn't sure. I wasn't sure if I would lose distance or not. I
don't feel like I really have. But I do find that I have to be
careful. Sometimes the better you start to play and the better
you start to swing, it's easier to swing harder. And I really
have to kind of pick my moments. I've learned to be a little more
conservative on holes where I don't need to hit it far -- to try
to hit a real controlled driver. And on the par 5s maybe try to
hit it a little harder. But it's just a wear and tear thing. And
I think the more I can save it a little bit, the better off I
am.
Glenn: Kris, you were a good friend of Ben
Hogan's, as well as a student of his. He certainly was the victim
of one of the worst disabilities we've ever known in golf after
his car accident and was unable to play in the PGA Championship
because of the length of that championship and he couldn't walk.
Did he ever discuss with you anything about, well, ‘If I'd had
a golf cart I could have played longer,’ or did he ever talk about
any of that with you?
Tschetter: You know, I don't think it ever
even entered his mind to ask for something like that. I think
that -- that's why in the last few years he didn't play many tournaments.
His body just could not handle the week in, week out of playing
tournaments. But I just -- I don't even think he thought about
it. And I don't think golf carts were that big back in the '50s.
Did they have them?
Glenn: Yes, they did. But he played into
the '60s.
Was the hip injury a career-threatening injury?
Was there a point you were concerned about it ending your career?
Tschetter: You know, it was interesting,
I always felt like I would eventually figure it out. I went to
a lot of different people and everybody kept saying, well, I think
it's this, I think it's that. And nobody was really sure. And
there were times where I was really concerned because I knew there
was something wrong. But nobody could really help me. And I think
deep down I always knew that we'd figure it out. Because I was
going to keep looking until I figured it out.
But it was just a question of how long is it going
to take? It's not like I'm at the beginning of my career here.
I'd like to figure it out and get it fixed and be able to go on.
So I guess the answer is just I always knew we'd figure it out,
I was hoping it wouldn't take too much longer.
Kris, it took you a while to get your first win.
I know you kind of struggled to get that. But now it's taken longer
to get the second. I know you've been injured. Which one would
you say was tougher?
Tschetter: I don't know. I'll let you know
after the second one. I'm such a better player now than I was.
And I've been a better player for a lot of years. And there's
just -- there's so much to winning. It kind of has to be your
week and you've got to get yourself in the game.
And I think that's my biggest problem is just not
being consistent, not giving myself a chance every week. The top
players, they have maybe 10 to 15 chances a year; I'm just not
giving myself enough chances. I think being healthy again will
definitely help. I feel like I'll be able to be more consistent.
What is it about this particular golf course
that you like so much?
Tschetter: It's just very subtle. And you
really have to know where you need to hit it. You have to be able
to hit. I think it helps to be able to hit different shots into
these greens. If the green is sloping this way, you can hit a
little fade and not be such a victim of the slope. And I like
to work the ball. So I guess that's kind of why I like it.