RHONDA GLENN: Ladies and gentlemen, Michelle Wie is here, she's 14 years old as you know, and Sunday she was runner up in the Women's Public Links. You have had an opportunity to get over that difficult loss and proceed with this week and get yourself set for this difficult championship.

MICHELLE WIE: I was really sad after losing that. But I had another tournament to play, so I better forget about that and think about next week. I still get sad whenever someone mentions it, but I'm fine right now.

RHONDA GLENN: I understand that your father gets 150 interview requests a month for you. As a 14 year old, is there going to be a time when you're going to say, "I don't want to do all of this press." It's kind of like a job for you, play golf, go to the media room. You're pretty young for that.

MICHELLE WIE: There are times I feel tired, I don't feel like talking, and, well, my dad is really good at that. He doesn't really say yes to every interview. And I really enjoy doing this, playing golf, coming to answer your questions, and it's really fun.

Q. After Sunday, have people tried to tell you that losing makes you stronger, and do you place much -- do you believe in that at all?

MICHELLE WIE: I believe that you -- you learn a lot when you lose. You learn a lot more when you lose than when you win, because when you win you're just so happy and you think that you're so good that when you play bad it kind of hits you. And I think that -- I think it's good in a way that I lost the tournament. When you -- I was so close to winning, you want to win the next tournament more, you have that anticipation, it's the kind of thing where you feel you have to win the next one. And I'm kind of feeling that, and if I won that tournament I would get a little bit lazy, just like rest Monday, and I wouldn't really care. But since I didn't win that tournament, I feel I'm more ready for this one.

RHONDA GLENN: Did you come out and play a few holes yesterday, Monday?

MICHELLE WIE: I played 18 holes on Monday.

Q. What were your impressions of the course, and what do you think of Western Massachusetts?

MICHELLE WIE: I think the course is really good. I love it. The fairways are wide and the greens are pretty small, which you need really accurate irons. I think if you're in the right part of the fairway, the right part of the greens and make the putts you'll shoot low. Well, that's true in every course, but I think it's really true in this course. The greens are a little bit tricky, so the best putter is going to win. Your putting has to be really good this week.

Q. Sorry to keep bringing up Sunday, but we're going to have to kick it around a little bit. The TV showed you crying on your mom's shoulder, is that the first time you cried on the golf course, and when you finally stopped and dried your eyes and got home, what were the things that you thought about from the match that struck in your head?

MICHELLE WIE: That was the first time I cried on the golf course, except for the time I was ten on the Public Links and I was losing, I was crying during the round, I cried when I was playing. But I never really cried that hard in a long time. I think it was good.

Q. What about the match, what are some of the golf moments from the match that stuck in your head and that you want to think about?

MICHELLE WIE: I felt like I lost the same way Virada lost to me. I was 4-up and I missed a three footer to lose, and it's basically the same way that she lost to me.

Q. Why do you think those emotions came out like that? Do you think the fact it was the finals or were you feeling like all eyeballs were on you more and more and it builds up or what?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I think I cried because I wanted to win -- no one wanted to win that tournament more than me. I feel like I really wanted to win that tournament and it just came out. I'm starting to cry now.

Q. Coming off that tournament and coming into this tournament, the U.S. Open, what's your routine like, how do you prepare for this?

MICHELLE WIE: I came from a really long, hard, intense week, and right now before the tournament I'm trying to save as much energy as I can. Like yesterday I didn't play a straight 18 holes, I rested after nine holes and went out and played another. I'm not going to practice that much, because I felt like I played enough golf last week, and I think that I'm ready for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

RHONDA GLENN: Speaking of that, Michelle, just how tired are you or how energetic are you? You played Curtis Cup, APL qualifying, nine rounds in six days for Women's Amateur Public Links.

MICHELLE WIE: I'm not really tired, I'm just so ready for this tournament that it hasn't really come into my mind that I'm tired. I think I'm going to be dead after this week, though, after all the pressure is gone, after -- on that kind of vacation kind of type thing. I think I'm going to relax and not use any energy at all. I'm just so ready for the tournament that I'm really energetic.

Q. Talk about the Kraft Nabisco Championship, where you came in fourth, how -- where does that rank in your performance so far?

MICHELLE WIE: That's just such a long time ago. Well, I didn't really play that good that week, I mean I wasn't having my A game, but I was playing really -- I was scrambling really well, I was putting good, and I felt that that fourth place is a good finish for that kind of game that I had that week. And I think that my game has got a lot better since then.

Q. I read today that one of your goals is to play The Masters some day. Would you talk about your goals and what you want to accomplish?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, obviously everyone knows that I want to play in The Masters, so I don't have to say that again. But I really want to have a life outside of golf, too. I don't want to play golf until I'm 80 years old. I want to play as much as I want to play, and have a life outside of golf, too. And I think that I want -- I want to play in both the PGA and the LPGA Tour, I think it would be really fun to do that and just try stuff that no one ever even thought of before. That's always fun to do.

RHONDA GLENN: This might be a good time to clarify something. Last week you did tell us when you wanted to turn pro and about your college. Nobody picked it up, why don't you reiterate when you want to turn professional.

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I'm not sure, I mean I think that waiting like seven more years might be a little bit tough, but I still want to go to college, and I'll see what happens from there. So I might -- I don't think I'll petition or anything, but I'm not going -- I might not wait until I'm like 25 years old to turn pro. I might turn a little bit earlier, but still go to college.

RHONDA GLENN: You mentioned you wanted to play the Curtis Cup at St. Andrews.

MICHELLE WIE: Of course, when they said that they were going to play the Curtis Cup at St. Andrews, I really want to play there. And hopefully I'll stay amateur until then.

Q. What kind of goals have you set for yourself for this week?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, there's a lot of goals, I mean one goal that's really obvious is that I really want to win this tournament and I just want to try playing my best game that I had. Most of these tournaments that I played so far like this year I didn't really have my A game going, and this week I'm going to try to have my A game going and see what score I shoot then.

Q. Can you sort of tell us, last year you gauged your game for us at the U.S. Open. Can you do that again? What are you better at now, what have you been working on last year?

MICHELLE WIE: I've been working on consistency this last year, and the shot making, different kind of shots, short game, putting, just all around everything. I've been trying to get my game more consistent, trying to shoot under par every round, not really give away any shots. And I learned how to fade the ball, which is a really big surprise for me. I've been learning how to shape the ball, and it's been really good.

Q. Could you talk about the decision to have your father on the bag this week and what it means to you to have him with you?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, my decision to do that is we were going to get another caddy, but then I have to get used to him and I didn't want to wait the time to get used to the caddy while I have to get used to the course as well. And there's no one that knows me better than my dad, so I just have him on the bag.

Q. How often did you hit your driver during your practice round?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I hit it mostly every hole, because this course is not short. It's medium long, and I think that you have to hit it -- you have to hit a driver to get it close enough where you can get it somewhere near the hole.

Q. What are you going to hit on 1?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, obviously there's a creek running across so you can't hit driver there.

Q. You wouldn't try to knock it over the creek?

MICHELLE WIE: No.

RHONDA GLENN: 3-wood?

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah.

Q. There seems to be a debate in some of the other major sports in letting young athletes into their leagues. What's your response to people saying you're too young to play with some of the pros out here?

MICHELLE WIE: I'm kind of different, I'm not really making any money out here. But other sports they're trying to make money, they're trying to join the Tour, so they can make money. I think I'm different. I'm trying to play here for experience. And I think that -- I think that my game is good enough so that I can play with them. I'm not really trying to be 14 and trying to make the money for my family. I'm just trying to play golf.

Q. What did you think of Paula finishing second at ShopRite and how do you think your games measure up to each other?

MICHELLE WIE: I think she did awesome at the ShopRite. She did so good. I really wanted her to win. It was really good. I didn't see her play, because the U.S. Open was that week. But it was really good for her. And I think that -- I don't know how my game really measures up to her. I don't really like measure myself against anyone.

Q. Did you guys play with each other at Sea Island?

MICHELLE WIE: Yes, we did, we really got to know each other, we got really close.

RHONDA GLENN: Is it true, you called her "Princess".

MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it's really funny, she gets so annoyed when I say that.

Q. There's been obviously some discussion about you getting a special exemption. I was wondering your feelings why you deserved it and if you had any added pressure to do well because you did get one?

MICHELLE WIE: I feel like I deserved it because I earned my way here. There's a lot of ways to qualify for this tournament. And one way is to qualify, another way is to get exempt by money ranking, and another way is to get an exemption. And I believe I got exempt because I played in three LPGA tournaments, I got 28th in the money list, so I would be exempt for this tournament. And that's all I have to say.

Q. Do you feel any added pressure to perform?

RHONDA GLENN: She said that's all she had to say.

Q. You made your first step trying to qualify for the Masters, trying to qualify to the Men's Amateur Public Links -- I think you missed by two shots. Can you reflect on that and how you were received by the men and how close you think the goal is, now that you've taken the first step?

MICHELLE WIE: They were really nice to me in the qualifying, there weren't bad feelings, it was all really warm. And I just felt like I didn't really play that well that day. And it was very hard on one day qualifiers, you either have your game or you don't. And it's not really -- it's not really by pure skill, it's just that you have to really have a really good game that day. And I believe that I might try next year and do whatever it takes to reach my goal.

Q. Could I just ask you about the Curtis Cup. How much did you enjoy it?

MICHELLE WIE: I really loved the Curtis Cup. It was such a good experience for me. Playing a links type golf course, it opened up my mind to different kinds of shots and different kind of golf courses. And I think that it was really good for my golf game, and it really opened up my mind to new possibilities. It was really fun, because suddenly you're playing for a team, you're all bonded together, and it was really fun going to England and playing.

I was really tired, because it was cold, I had played 36 holes, and I had all these suits on, my rain jacket, so I weighed probably three hundred pounds. But I was tired going into the final match. And I saw the flag raised and I felt like I had to do this. And I suddenly felt pumped and I felt like I was ready to go again.

Q. Obviously you're 14 and you're going to grow a lot in this game, but at this point what is it about your game that makes you think that some day you could compete in a tournament against the men at say The Masters?

MICHELLE WIE: Well, I think that I'm actually -- I mean, I don't know, but I think I'm -- I might be the first person that actually thought about it. I mean, I actually believe that I can do it and I think that's what drives me. And I think that I hit the ball far. I hit the ball as far as them. And I think that the fact that I believe in myself, really, makes me wonder if I can play with them.

Q. Did you watch the U.S. Open?

MICHELLE WIE: Not really, but I really want to play the course. It looks so fun, especially the 7th hole, I want to play it.

Q. Can I ask a couple of questions about the course. What do you think of No. 16, here, do you think it's a bit like 7 at Shinnecock?

MICHELLE WIE: That long par-4. I actually like that hole. I love long holes. It actually gives me a better chance and I think that if you put it in the fairway and you give yourself a putt and you make a par every, all four days, then I think that you get like a shot or two. If you make par, then you just get a shot. The average is going to be like five. I think that you if you make a par, you don't have to make birdie, par is going to be fine.

Q. Can I just ask about No. 9? Can you get to it?

MICHELLE WIE: I didn't really try today, because I just felt like -- I just laid up there and I didn't -- I'm probably going to try tomorrow or in the tournament, you never know.

Q. Did your dad tell you to layup?

MICHELLE WIE: Not really. I don't really listen to my dad anymore on the golf course (laughter). I'm just so used to playing, you know, just relying on myself for such a long time that I don't know, it's a little bit weird getting a little bit of information from my dad. I think I just chose to layup on No. 9 because I feel more comfortable and that tree overhanging and that bunker, I don't know, I don't feel comfortable going for it, but I might, you never know.

RHONDA GLENN: Thank you very much for being with us and good luck in the tournament.

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