Flash Area interview with:
MHAIRI McKAY
MHAIRI McKAY: Thank you. Thank you.
Q. Quite a back nine you had. One par.
MHAIRI McKAY: Really. Which one was that?
Q. 10?
MHAIRI McKAY: Oh, I remember now. It was fun.
Q. How did you make -- kind of walk us through those five birdie
and how you did it and what was going through your head. Or if you remembered
that were you at a Women's Open?
MHAIRI McKAY: I've just been working really hard on my game and
just been just trying to focus on a couple of swing thoughts and that
was all that was really going through my head. Keep making repeatable,
good swings. And I just put myself in really good positions and managed
to roll in some nice putts. I just tried to not be too aggressive and
always give myself a par chance. And fortunately I hit some greens and
rolled in some putts for birdie. I probably made about a -- on 11 I
made a 10 footer. I had I hit a sand wedge in there. On 12th par-3 I
hit my wedge to about three feet. Made that one.
On 13 I hit pitching wedge and it rolled just off the side of the
green and made a putt from about 18 feet.
On 14 I hit my sand wedge to about four feet. I made that one.
Then on 15, par-3, I hit a 5-iron to about 15 feet and rolled that
one in.
Q. What are your overall feelings about probably going to be
the overnight leader after the first round of the USGA Women's Open?
MHAIRI McKAY: It's Thursday. There's a long way to go. I'm just
really happy. I've been working hard on my swing the week prior to this
with my coach, Chris Wolkey, down in Palm Springs. And I just felt like
I made some really good swings out there. And I was really happy just
to see a tight ball flight. And that's what I've been looking for. And
I was just glad I did it in a tournament round off the range, actually
on the course.
Q. How do you not get too excited or too emotional knowing you
have the lead going into tomorrow?
MHAIRI McKAY: It's Thursday. There's still a lot of golf to be
played. You can't get that far ahead of yourself. This course can create
a lot of problems and trouble for you if you get carried away. So I'm
just trying to play some smart golf and give myself good opportunities.
Always try and give myself that par putt and tomorrow is another day.
I'm going to enjoy today.
Q. There's a lot of talk all week about the number of teenagers
in the field. Now that the tournament's started is it at all surprising
to see a 15 year old two shots behind right now, Morgan Pressel?
MHAIRI McKAY: There's some just great, great talent out there.
Especially the young golfers. And they're getting so much experience
they play in a lot of events and I think that it's great to see them
out there and pushing us all.
Q. Surprising you at all?
MHAIRI McKAY: No, I think that there's -- you look at Michelle
Wie, look what she did at the Dinah Shore, for a 13 year old that's
fantastic. And I think they're probably looking at Michelle Wie and
just gaining confidence from that. Playing some great golf.
Q. Looking at your last three events you said you were working
on some swing thoughts, was there anything that happened that made you
feel that you were ready to do what you did today?
MHAIRI McKAY: I worked with my coach and we keep on working really
on the same stuff and my swing tends to bounce around a little bit.
I just got it out of kilter. And we kind of worked on a few keys and
something just seemed to click last week. My ball flight was pretty
tight. But most of that work was done on the range. So it was just nice
to get here Monday. My practice rounds have been pretty good and I was
managing to hit some of the shots that I was picturing with the swing.
And I don't know, I just am happy it's working out and I'm just going
to try and make so many same swings and hopefully it will keep going
over the next few days.
Q. When that happens, was the confidence building over the course
of the day?
MHAIRI McKAY: Yeah, I got some confidence from the last three days
being out on the course and seeing the things that Chris and I have
been working towards actually happen on the course. And just keep telling
myself, yeah, I can make those swings and keep repeating them. And I
was really excited about a lot of the shots I had the out there.
Q. Can you describe that pitch shot on 18?
MHAIRI McKAY: It was -- I'll tell you. It was just in the -- between
the rough and the first cut. And I had 42 yards to the front, 51 yards
to the flag. And I walked up there and I saw it was getting really,
really dry and burnt out. So I told my caddy that I was trying to land
it somewhere near the front edge and let it roll up. And he said, well,
remember it sneaks in a little right-to-left. And it left the club and
felt very nice. And it got closer and closer and was glad it was a short
putt for a birdie.
Q. This course the scores seem a little lower this afternoon.
Was the ball rolling more?
MHAIRI McKAY: I'm not really sure what the course conditions were
like this morning, but certainly the fairways were getting pretty fiery
and the greens are firming up a lot. Maybe, I don't know if that helped.
It let us have shorter irons into greens or if that was any reason for
lower scores in the afternoon.
Q. You won your first professional event in February, but otherwise
you've only had one really good tournament on the TOUR so far. What's
been going on this year, do you think?
MHAIRI McKAY: Like I say I've been working really hard on my swing.
I think sometimes when you work towards something sometimes it's just
not always there. Especially when you're competing week in, week out,
you're trying to improve your swing at the same time as trying to get
results out on the golf course. And I felt like Chicago I had been working
on some things and it just seemed to click and then it kind of fell
out of sorts a little bit. And then I worked on my swing again and at
the moment it feels great. But I just am keeping working towards this
goal with my swing and just trying to make it really tight and be able
to hit some really tight shots. And I just am confident in what I'm
doing, I'm disappointed in some of the results I've had this year, but
I firmly believe in what I'm working on and I'm just going to keep working
towards that and not dwell on too many of the results.
Q. Do you call Palm Springs or Scotland home?
MHAIRI McKAY: Scotland is definitely home.
Q. How much time out of the year do you spend at each place?
MHAIRI McKAY: I definitely spend a lot more time in the USA than
home. I only get home maybe a couple months over the year. In fact I've
not been back there since January. So I spent a lot of time in Palm
Springs and off weeks I go there and work with my coach.
Q. Turnberry on your sleeve there?
MHAIRI McKAY: That's my home course.
Q. Nice home course. And those who wouldn't know you, you were
at Stanford when Tiger was there, correct?
MHAIRI McKAY: That's right.
Q. Is there any kind of friendship that's lasted through the
years?
MHAIRI McKAY: I've not really spoken to him since he left Stanford.
But I've got very happy memories of Stanford and with him being there.
He was just a great guy. And it was a great opportunity to get to know
him just as a normal student. He was an exceptional golfer. So it was
nice to get to know him on that level.
Q. Do you have kind of a Stanford Mafia here with you?
MHAIRI McKAY: I think so. I'm staying with friend that I met through
Stanford. So the women's golf coach Caroline Conner is out here also.
And some Stanford friends.
Q. On the last three holes you kind of lost a little of what
you had. Is that part of your old swing or something that you're still
trying to work out. Because you were left off the last tee?
MHAIRI McKAY: I guess that was part of the old stuff creeping in.
I was just trying to -- I know what I'm working on is right and just
trying to get that feeling and trust it.
Q. I think you hit 3-wood off the tee on 18?
MHAIRI McKAY: I did, yes.
Q. Would that be your normal play or were you kind of leaking
oil and wanted to get it in the fairway?
MHAIRI McKAY: No I definitely thought 3-wood was the right play.
Especially with the wind so hard left-to-right. Those bunkers were in
play. And Sophie hit driver and she leaked her drive a little to the
right and ended up in the grass above the bunkers there. So I was just
trying to put myself in good position definitely give myself par opportunities.
And if the birdies come, then that's great. And just trying to play
smart golf.
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