Washington Quotes
May 13, 2006
Head Coach Mary Lou Mulflur
On the team's performance on the day: "I am really pleased. We struggled again early, but a couple of kids got out to a good start. Kim (Shin) birdied the first two holes and got out to a good start. We were a little shaky in the middle and then they rallied. Amber, I don't know what it is with Amber and that back side, she played awesome back there again. Paige (Mackenzie) was solid all day, she only made two bogies all week and they were both from three puts. Just a real solid week, I am really pleased. We are starting to play a little more the way I thought we were capable of playing. It has been a long struggle for us but it feels good today that's for sure."
On if the great results in this tournament were expected: "We felt like we needed to take advantage of our home course advantage. We knew that no one really else had seen the gold course because we don't host an event here during the regular year. I felt good about practice and quite frankly the practice round we had on Wednesday, Joe my assistant said that it was as good as we have looked since the fall. You could kind of feel it coming. No I am not surprised, this is more what we feel we are capable of, and I don't mean that in an ego way at all. We feel that we have a good team, and I am just really pleased with the effort they put out there this week."
On why the team has struggled this season: "I don't think that it was from a lack of effort, they have worked hard all year, they have really worked through some tough times. I just can't say enough how Kim stepped up this week, she has struggled more than anybody. To play the way she did these last three days is just off the charts, awesome and shows her character. A lot of players when they struggle are not very fun to be around, but Kim is always fun to be around. She had the complete backing of her teammates when she was struggling, she deserves this week. She has been through a lot and it has taken awhile. You never think it is going to take this long but they just kept plugging away and they never gave up, the effort was always there, I never questioned the effort for good rounds or bad."
On the team's tribulations: "Sung got rear-ended (in a car accident) three weeks ago, had it pretty much in control but she tweaked it again when she was hitting out of a bunker this week. It has been tough for her, she really gunned it out and I told her at the time, don't be a hero it is going to be ok, you don't want to do anything to injure it further or make it worse. Today out on 13, Kim tweaked her back hitting out of the long grass. We are a little bit dinged up but we have a week or ten days to get healthy and get ready to go."
On other courses similar to Washington National: "Albuquerque, where New Mexico plays is the only other college course that I can think of that has big greens like this."
On the unique opportunity Paige has competing with her team at the NCAA championships: "I told Paige in the history of our program we have not had a player that has gone to Nationals every year with her team. We have had a player go four times, but one year they went as individuals, and it keeps our juniors in tact, they are three for three."
Coach on the momentum of the tournament: "You try to build momentum that is what we have been trying to do for the last couple of weeks. And I feel that is what we are doing, we are still building that momentum and we built some more this last past week and that is going to go along with us."
On the location of the next tournament: "It has been quite a while. It is a great golf course, I really like it and I think that the players will like it. We seem to do well on difficult golf courses. I think that our length will be an advantage and our short game. I have not seen it since they did all of the renervations, but we are looking forward to it. I remember it as being a good classic style of a golf course so it should be a good week."
Paige Mackenzie
Thoughts on heading into her final college tournament: "I feel really good about it. I am even more excited that I keep playing well. It has been such a struggle for the last year and a half to be honest and finally everyone is getting a little confidence and it is good to be home. I couldn't be more excited."
On finishing her college career in front of a home crowd: "It was great, I can not say how wonderful it was to finish my college career in front of a home town crowd. I began my college career here, my very first college tournament was a fall preview my freshman year. It is kind of coming full circle finishing up here at home, it was a lot of fun there were a lot of people out there watching."
On the crowd: "It is unique to a college event. I don't think any player here has probably seen that many people out watching. It shows the support the seattle area has for golf and it feels good to be a Husky when they are out there watching you like that."
On the pressure: "Yes, not so much coming out physically, like I can not eat. That's why the coaches were pealing oranges for me because they are easy to swallow. It is all part of it, I'll take it."
On her (Paige Mackenzie's) injuries: "I could barely pick up a golf club, it is hard to believe it seems like so long ago. Two years have past since I was completely injured to becoming number one in the country. It is amazing."
