An interview with:
SYDNEY BURLISON
RHONDA GLENN: Sydney Burlison of California is officially our youngest
contestant. She was born on October 20th. Michelle Wie was born October
11th. So this year Sydney is the youngest by 9 days. And we are still
determining, Sydney, I guess there are 14 teenagers playing in this.
You are just going to the 8th grade this year.
SYDNEY BURLISON: Yeah.
RHONDA GLENN: What's it feel like to play in the U.S. women's Open?
That's got to be different than some of the other championships you've
played in.
SYDNEY BURLISON: I'm really nervous. It's the biggest tournament
by far that I've ever played in. And I just hope to have fun, and maybe
learn a couple of things from some of the better process.
RHONDA GLENN: What did you shoot in the qualifying?
SYDNEY BURLISON: 76, 76, total of 152.
RHONDA GLENN: How long have you been playing golf?
SYDNEY BURLISON: About three years.
RHONDA GLENN: That's pretty impressive. And last year and this
year you were runner-up in the California Women's Amateur Championship,
at the age of 12, and you've been playing two years.
SYDNEY BURLISON: Yeah.
Q. Can you just kind of take us through this year, how many
tournaments will you play the entire year?
SYDNEY BURLISON: Well, I've played in about five so far, and then
after this one I'm playing in the Girl's State Junior,
up in Monterey, and then I'm going to Junior World
in San Diego and U.S. girls and the U.S.
women's Amateur, and I'm about finished.
Q. What have you been able to take away from what Michelle
Wie has been doing this summer at your age? Is it a benefit
you're slightly under the radar compared to her?
SYDNEY BURLISON: Yeah. I think I'm not as nervous, because if there
were a bunch of cameras swarming around me 24-7, I wouldn't be able
to focus as much. But I'm glad she's getting all this attention, because
it kind of helps women's golf.
Q. Congratulations on being the youngest player. It's pretty
tough this year to do that. Does this surprise you that this many girls,
Junior Golfing girls are in the U.S. Open?
SYDNEY BURLISON: No. Because I play with them like -- almost in
all the tournaments I play in they're there, and I know they're all
good players. And they all could make it. And even more of them could
make it, but just some of them didn't have good days.
Q. Would you describe yourself as a really competitive person?
I'm trying to get a sense of a 13-year old, 12 -, 13-year old girl
winning championships and how competitive is it in Junior Golf
for you?
SYDNEY BURLISON: It's really competitive. It gets more and more
every year. But for me I kind of -- I'm just out there to have fun.
I usually have more fun when I play well, so that's kind of my main
goal, to have fun. And I get competitive and I try and work hard so
I can finish well, but out on the course I just try my best, and whatever
happens, happens.
Q. Did Tiger Woods have anything to do with your
involvement in this sport from the beginning?
SYDNEY BURLISON: Not from the beginning, but as I go on and I'm
looking at different swings, I usually use Tiger as my main point
of what I'm supposed to do, because he's so simple and everything. So
I have a bunch of pictures of him in my room and I just use that to
help me with my swing.
Q. What do you hope to -- what are your expectations this week?
How do you hope to play and how is the course treating you so
far in your practice rounds?
SYDNEY BURLISON: Some of the holes have been kind of mean to me,
but I hope to make the cut. My main goal is to have fun. And I think
if I play well, then I have a good chance of making the cut anyway.
Q. Have you and Michelle talked a lot? What have
your conversations been like? What are your relationships like?
Because you're going through the exact same thing she is, both
at the same age and level.
SYDNEY BURLISON: I've played in two tournaments from her. We talked
a little bit at the U.S. girls last year. The main thing
we were talking about is when we get our braces off.
Q. She beat you to that?
SYDNEY BURLISON: Yeah, she did.
Q. Who are your role models this week? And have you gotten
a chance to talk to them and ask them any advice?
SYDNEY BURLISON: My main role models here are Annika and
Juli Inkster, because they're the biggest threats in women's
golf right now, from my point of view. But I like a lot more of the
process. I haven't gotten -- I talked to Sophie Gustafson,
and she was really nice. I think if I get a chance during the week,
I might ask them a couple of questions about different shots out of
the high rough, because I'm having problems with that.
Q. Since Michelle is so nationally or world famous now,
what are your impressions of her game? What do you think about
the way she plays golf?
SYDNEY BURLISON: I think she's a really good player, and she hits
it far, and that might be her strength. But she's definitely going to
be one of -- hopefully one of my rivals in the future, if I get on Tour.
Q. Is Michelle the top junior girl out there now or are
we overlooking some other players?
SYDNEY BURLISON: I know Paula Kramer is ranked 1
right now, because maybe Michelle hasn't played in as many Junior
events. There are a lot of good Junior girls out there. They're
really competitive and any one could win on any given day.
Q. Would you tell us when you first started playing golf, and
also what's your first memory of seeing women play golf on television?
Do you have a first tournament you remember watching on TV?
SYDNEY BURLISON: Well, I started playing golf, I started at a range
in Monterey when I was about 10 or 9 and a half. And slowly I got into
it more and more and just all of a sudden I started playing every day.
And I think one of the main tournaments that influenced me was the Pebble
Beach Invitational, hosted by Callaway. I got to see Annika there the
first year, and it was kind of motivating.
RHONDA GLENN: That's a mixed tournament, by the way, it's men and
women. And they usually invite two or three women or four women to compete
in that, correct?
SYDNEY BURLISON: Yes.
RHONDA GLENN: Do you remember any other LPGA all-women events
you saw on TV when you were younger?
SYDNEY BURLISON: I got to go to the Long's Drug Challenge,
and that helped me with how some of the women play on more difficult
courses. And I got to look at a lot of their swings, so that kind of
helped, too.
Q. Can you give us a sense of your length off the tee with driver
and some of your other clubs?
SYDNEY BURLISON: I definitely don't hit it 300 yet, but I average
about 230, probably. Right now I'm getting a little more roll, so it
could go up to 250. But from there it's just kind of -- my 3-wood I
hit 210, and from every club down it's kind of a 10-yard difference.
RHONDA GLENN: What do you use from 150 yards, Sydney?
SYDNEY BURLISON: I use a 6-iron.
Q. Just curious to know, what are your strengths and weaknesses
of your game?
SYDNEY BURLISON: I think my strengths are my short game and just
keeping the ball in the middle of the fairway, where right now I'm having
problems with my short game on the course, since the rough is so thick.
But I think it's still pretty good. And my weakness is probably my driving
distance, because so many of the girls are hitting it really far, where
I have longer irons and they have wedges. So I think if I get a little
stronger I'll be able to improve more.
Q. Can you give us a sense of how you got so good in three years?
How much time do you spend practicing and how much of your life
is golf?
SYDNEY BURLISON: I practice in summer all day every day. And during
school, five hours a day. And it's just -- I love it so much, where
I never get tired of it. And golf is basically my life where things
reinvolve around it. I get to hang out with friends. I pretty much like
my schedule right now.
Q. I know it's a few years down the road, but are you determined
to go to college or are you leaving that door open?
SYDNEY BURLISON: I definitely hope to get a college scholarship.
I want to play on the golf team at a good college, and then I want to
turn pro. So college first, professional golf later.
Q. What do your friends that you're spending that much time
with golf -- what do they think about that? Do they understand
that kind of devotion? I can speak for a lot of us at 13, we didn't
know what we wanted to do, and watch television a lot. What do your
friends think about that?
SYDNEY BURLISON: About 90 percent of the time they're always really
supportive. If a couple of times in a row I have to turn them down on
something, they can get a little bit annoyed, but I know they always
understand in the end.
RHONDA GLENN: Sydney, best of luck this week in your first Women's
Open. And we hope you have wonderful rounds and we see you in
here again.
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