An interview with:

JULI INKSTER

Q. Juli Inkster shot 71 today, and finished 54 holes at even par. She'll be paired with Shani Waugh tomorrow. I know that was a tough way to finish -- I know you hate it, just as you did in round 1.

JULI INKSTER: And 2.

Q. But you struggled and scrambled today, you putted well and made a lot of great saves.

JULI INKSTER: I did. I'm still struggling with my swing, and I hit a lot of good shots out there but, consistently, I wasn't there all day. I putted good the last hole. I fell in love with the line and I forgot to hit it, but, you know, I'm close, and that's  -- i just got to keep telling myself I'm close.

I need to go out there tomorrow and play better, play more consistent, because early on I did have some birdie opportunities on 4, 5 and 6, and 7 I made birdie but I turned around and gave it up on 9 with the perfect iron, perfect yardage to the hole. I have to play a little more consistent and make it a little easier for myself.

Q. A couple iron shots, when you missed them at all, it seemed like several of them were going a little left  --

JULI INKSTER: Just a little left, or it seems like I was just over, or just right, or just left. I had a lot of just little dinky chip shots. You know, I don't know. I don't know. I'm searching just like you guys, so  --

Q. Let's go over your card.

JULI INKSTER: Let's do that.

Q. Birdie on 7.

JULI INKSTER: Hit a driver, 3-iron over the green, chipped up to about 6 inches, made that for birdie.

Q. Bogey on 9.

JULI INKSTER: 9, again, I hit a driver, not a very good one, but I hit 6-iron, left, had a tough chip because I had to stand in the bunker. Chipped, didn't get it on, and chipped up and sunk about a foot putt for bogey.

12, I finally did hit a green but, unfortunately, it didn't stop, went over the green and had -- not the worst lie in the world, didn't hit a good chip, hit to the left, and rolled off the green again, and chipped up to about 6 inches, made that for bogey.

13, 14  --

Q. 14?

JULI INKSTER: 14, I hit sand wedge in there, I think I had like 60 yards to the pin, and hit it left below the hole, hit a good putt about 18 feet for birdie.

Q. 18, what happened off the tee?

JULI INKSTER: 18, I hit a 3-iron, hit it left, had a bad lie. I was just trying to get it up there to the right, and, you know, when you're hitting out of the rough, the club just closed down and I hit a great chip. I wanted to hit it about 35 yards and let it roll out, and I ended up having about an 8-footer down the hill for par, which I've been making, and I just concentrated too much on the line and I forgot to hit it. So there you have it.

Q. As good as your short game has been this week, can you hit the ball the way you have if you have this short game tomorrow and win?

JULI INKSTER: Probably not. I don't know. I mean, I did have, like, 5 or 6 birdie opportunities out there. You know what? I think I'm just going to have to go with what I got and do the best I can. As much chipping as I'm doing, sooner or later I'm going to chip one in. I've gotten enough practice. The odds are in my favor. Get one of the chips to go in and stuff, who knows what could happen? But it would make my life a lot easier if I start hitting the ball better.

Q. Do you prefer being in the final pairing or do you like being in the group in front?

JULI INKSTER: I'd like to have that shot to be in the final group, but I don't have it, so I'm going to love to be in the second-to-last group -- it's going to be great. Shani and I are good friends, and hopefully we can go out there and put some heat on. That's what we need to do.

You can't go out there and play aggressive and try to make birdies. You've got to play smart and let the birdies come, and try to stay away from some mistakes.

Q. You have been mentioning your shortcomings the last couple days after you played. Do you feel fortunate being where you are considering it's a U.S.  Open?

JULI INKSTER: Very, very fortunate. I guess that's why it's golf. Unfortunately, you're not hitting the ball the way you like, but your short game is saving you. But sometimes your short game is not there, and right now  -- i'm not far off, that's the key. It's right around the corner and I just hope it shows up tomorrow.

Q. As the week has gone on, are these greens getting harder to hold a ball on?

JULI INKSTER: Yes, they are. It's getting tougher and tougher. Today it didn't blow like it did the day before. If it blows tomorrow like it did on Friday, you're going to need some chipping, regardless if you hit the ball good or bad, so just wake up and look out the window and see where the flags are going.

Q. Have you ever struggled so much with your game the yet been in position to win?

JULI INKSTER: Yeah, I have. I mean, I really -- when I won my second McDonald's I didn't hit the ball well at all, but I hung in there and I putted good and I ended up winning the golf tournament, but sometimes  -- sometimes you need to struggle, you know, to keep your head in there, keep going, and all of a sudden something clicks and you start hitting the ball well.

That's what I'm trying to do. I'm just  -- i can't say any more because it's not like I'm not trying. It's just not there right now.

Q. You were here reasonably late last night. When you're struggling like this, could you walk us through the things you did to try and find the various things you're missing?

JULI INKSTER: Hit some side-hill lies, because usually where my feet are below the ball, and it flattens my swing out and gets the ball  -- my swing a little bit more rounded; I hit a lot of punch shots trying to get my lower body and my upper body to coordinate. That's pretty much what I did, just trying to find one key that I could go with.

Q. Juli, Annika has such a history of going into final rounds and not making mistakes and dominating. Will that make your job and the other contenders that much harder tomorrow?

JULI INKSTER: Of course. She hits a lot of fairways, she hits a lot of greens, it's going to be tough but, you know, I feel if I put my game  -- if I get my game going, I can do it, so that's the bottom line.

And 18 holes is a lot of golf, a lot of shots to be hit, and I don't like spotting her two shots, but I don't have anything to do about that. I just have to go out there and play one hole at a time and see if I can make them up.

Q. Juli, you talk about how you were struggling with your game, yet you're in second place two shots out. Where are you as far as your confidence goes?

JULI INKSTER: I'm not really  -- i'm struggling with one aspect of my game. I feel like all the other aspects are working. I'm just a little off on my swing and, unfortunately, that's a big part of the game.

But my confidence is up, I feel like I'm playing well; I've played well the last six weeks, and I'd like to have a good Sunday round and see what happens.

Q. Juli, do you sense the crowd is out there rooting for you, and do you get some sense of an idea what that crowd would be like if you could get on a roll tomorrow?

JULI INKSTER: I think it would be great. I do get the sense the crowd is behind me, and you always want to play good for them. It would be awesome. Hopefully I can give them something to cheer at.

Q. Juli, considering the international influence that the LPGA has started to see, I'm not trying to incite anything, but what would it mean to see an American win the U.S.  Open this year?

JULI INKSTER: You know, I  -- i mean, I'm prejudiced, I think it would be great. July 4th weekend and you're here in Kansas in the Midwest, and I think it would be awesome, but I've got to go out and play a good 18 holes to do that, so.

Q. Thank you very much, Juli. Good luck tomorrow.