RICOH Women's British Open First Round Notes and Interviews
Ayako Uehara of Japan hits an approach during the first round of the Ricoh Women's British
Open at Royal Birkdale on July 10, 2014 in Southport, England.
RICOH Women’s British OpenRoyal Birkdale Golf Club
Southport, England
First Round Notes
July 10, 2014
Ayako Uehara, Rolex Rankings No. 125, -4
Mo Martin, Rolex Rankings No. 99, -3
Morgan Pressel, Rolex Rankings No. 41, -2
Stacy Lewis, Rolex Rankings No. 1, -1
Holly Clyburn, Rolex Rankings No. 98, -1
Charley Hull, Rolex Rankings No. 32, +1
Michelle Wie, Rolex Rankings No. 6, +3Michelle Wie, Rolex Rankings No. 6, +3
Q. So are you disappointed with the opening day or is there more out there that you can maybe change?
MICHELLE WIE: I definitely felt like my tempo was a little bit off. Felt really good coming in and I kind of went ‑‑ can we just play 18 more holes. But it's been a long way until Sunday and I battled. I battled out there. I scrambled pretty good and hung in there. Definitely not the score I was looking forward to on Thursday but it could have been a lot worse and I really hung in there today.
Q. So if you lose your tempo, which is what you say happened, how do you get it back? How to you re‑find the right tempo?
MICHELLE WIE: I just get a little bit too quick and especially just wasn't hitting it well and when you're starting not to hit it well, you start to get a little quick and I just kind of calmed myself down and tried to think slower.
Q. What part of the game let you down? That stinger shot has been so good this year.
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, it was just off the tee. I just hit a couple just off line. It's not the widest of fairways out here and just a couple of bad bounces here and there, a couple of pot bunkers. I just chipped out a little bit more than I wanted to today but I made some really good pars out there, made some good birdies. Just felt like I could have made a lot more birdies out there but just didn't drop today.
Q. What do you do for the next three days?
MICHELLE WIE: Just going to do the same thing I did today. Just go out there, tough golf course, it's been a long way till Sunday. Par is a great score out there. Birdies are great. I'm just going to go out there and try to make as many pars and birdies as I can.
Q. You said earlier in the week you wanted the wind to blow. Are you hoping for tough conditions the next three days?
MICHELLE WIE: I'm glad with anything. It was a bit of a surprise how warm it is today. It's actually quite pleasant out there. It was really nice. But I'll take whatever comes. You can't really hope for one thing because the opposite will happen. Like I said, I wanted wind, I got no wind. The weather never listens.
Q. You sound surprise that it's pleasant in England?
MICHELLE WIE: It's never pleasant over here, is it? (Laughing).
Q. How did you find the first round then today?
MICHELLE WIE: It was a battle out there. I just played well. I just wasn't so well off the tee and put myself in some really hard positions, but I'm proud of myself. I really hung in there. I just didn't give up until the end. I scrambled pretty good today. A lot of putts I felt like could have dropped in.
But you know, it was definitely a battle out there this morning.
Q. Is it a course that if you're not hitting on to the greens, it can be a bit punishing, isn't it?
MICHELLE WIE: It's really for me just off the tee. Off the tee I was in a lot of pot bunkers. A lot of shots I was chipping out. I think I scrambled pretty well today and I'm pretty proud of how I finished, even though under the circumstances.
Q. Hung in there, meaning keeping yourself an option for tomorrow?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, you never know what happens out here. It's been a long three more days out here. There's a lot of golf to be played in the afternoon. You know, there's some low scores posted this morning, but I just need to keep trying to make pars, make a couple more birdies and see what I can do.
Q. Is there something special about this course? Do you enjoy playing this course, today perhaps aside?
MICHELLE WIE: I do. I think it's a great course. It's really challenging. It's one of my favorite links golf courses. I look forward to it. I think it's a little special to me just because it was my first British Open golf course.
So it was definitely a lot of fun today.
Q. Do you get a lot of support from the local crowd as well?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, there was a good crowd out there today.
Q. You left yourself some awkward distances; was that by design?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I left myself short of those bunkers. I didn't want to mess with those bunkers. A couple of them they didn't quite turn out the way I wanted to.
Yeah, the par 5s, I just kind of played it a little bit safe. On 17, a couple of shots just a bit unlucky the way it turned out.
Q. The ball, was it releasing more than you thought it would?
MICHELLE WIE: Early on it did. It really did. I think just practicing under the rain a couple days ago and ‑‑ I tried to get a feel for it. It's so different from how it bounces over in the States, so I think it just takes a couple of tries to get used to it even though you try to get used to it in the practice round, it's still different once Thursday comes around.
Q. A little softer in the practice round when you're playing?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, I think so.
Q. And you looked like you had a fairly conservative plan for the fives.
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah, just I played it aggressively, I played not aggressively. I just think playing conservatively, you leave yourself a 30‑yard chip or less, and I feel like you just give yourself more of an opportunity rather than going for it.
On a couple of the holes, if I hit driver going into the bunker, it just ‑‑ links golf is tricky because it can either be perfect, just ten yards short of the bunker or you can have a bad bounce and be 50 yards short of the bunker. But I would rather be 50 yards short of the bunker than in the bunker.
Q. What did you have on 6, beautiful tee shot right in the throat, what did you hit for your second, 5‑iron, 6‑iron?
MICHELLE WIE: 6‑iron. See, that was another awkward distance for me. I could have hit one more club, but it would have got really close to the bunker. Like I said I would just rather be a little bit shorter and have a chip shot than mess with the bunker.
Q. And going for the green, no?
MICHELLE WIE: I just can't carry the bunker. So it just would be landing it and be praying (laughing). Thought I made a good game plan. Just didn't hit good shots today.
Q. And then 17, what did you lay up with there?
MICHELLE WIE: See, that was a perfect lay‑up, too. That was a 6‑iron.
Q. And to go for that green, you're trying ‑‑
MICHELLE WIE: I just can't carry that 30‑yard bunker that short of the green and stop it. I saw what Sandra's ball did. I thought I landed the chip shot perfectly. I think if I tried to flop it, it wouldn't have stopped quicker than that.
Link to Article:www.lpga.com/golf/news/2014/7/ricoh-1st-rd.aspx Wie (75) stays positive during British openerLink to video:www.golfchannel.com/media/wie-75-stays-positive-during-rd-1/
