SBS OPEN AT TURTLE BAY 2009
SBS Open at Turtle Bay
Turtle Bay Resort Golf Club, Palmer Course
Kahuku, Oahu, Hawaii
Feb. 14, 2009

Final-round interviews: Angela Stanford | Michelle Wie

Final-round notes

Stanford wins season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay
Texan records third victory in last seven starts

KAHUKU, OAHU, HAWAII, Feb. 14, 2009 – Angela Stanford picked up right where she left off in 2008 with a victory at the season-opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay. On a day where much of the focus was on LPGA Tour rookie and Hawaii native Michelle Wie, Stanford pulled away with three late birdies to edge Wie by three strokes at 10-under-par (65-71-70=206). Dating back to September 2008, Stanford now has three victories in her last seven starts and has finished no worse than sixth place in that span.

“The win this week, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little surprised,” said Stanford after claiming the $180,000 first-place check. “I didn't have high expectations and I knew there were things that I need to keep working on. As for the way it's been going, I know I say this over and over and over, but I'm just having so much fun.”

Stanford and Wie began the day locked at 8-under-par, both getting to 9-under-par early before Stanford flew the green on hole sixth and made bogey. Wie countered with an 18-foot birdie putt on nine to take the lead by two and extended it to three strokes when Stanford made bogey on 10 after two-putting from 20 feet. The momentum swung in Stanford’s favor on 11 when Wie hit her drive into a water hazard and made double bogey. Stanford took advantage of the mistake by tacking on three consecutive birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15 to lock-up her fourth career LPGA Tour victory.

“I felt like I played pretty solid, just had one bad hole that I just, you know, kind of was disappointed about,” said Wie, who pocketed just over $108,000 as runner-up. “I feel pretty good with my game. Obviously, right now I am a little disappointed, but I can take a lot of positive thoughts from this week.”

Wie fell three strokes short of becoming the first-ever LPGA Tour rookie to win her first event as a member. This is Wie’s second runner-up finish at the SBS Open dating back to 2005, when she tied for second as an amateur. She has now finished second five times on the LPGA Tour – three times as an amateur, once as a non-member professional and this week as a member.

Ranked ninth in the world according to the Rolex Rankings entering this week, Stanford has now held the final-round lead in each of her four career victories. The 31-year-old tied the three-day tournament record of 10-under-par set by 2006 champion Joo Mi Kim and matched by 2008 champion Annika Sorenstam.

Stanford in her last seven events.
Tournament Finish
2008 Bell Micro LPGA Classic Win
2008 Samsung World Championship Tied for third
2008 Longs Drugs Challenge Second
2008 Kapalua LPGA Classic Tied for fourth
2008 Lorena Ochoa Invitational by Banamex and Corona Light Win
2008 ADT Championship Sixth
2009 SBS Open at Turtle Bay Win

Race for the Cup. With her victory at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, Angela Stanford earned 60 valuable points toward a spot on the 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup team. Stanford, who was ranked third in U.S. Solheim Cup points entering the week behind Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr, is now second behind Creamer. Michelle Wie earned 30 valuable points in her bid to qualifying for the team in just one season. The 2009 event will be played at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., Aug. 21-23. Considered the most prestigious event in women’s professional golf, the U.S. leads the over competition 7-3 and has never lost on home soil. Players will earn one and a half times the points this season because it is a Solheim Cup year.

Valentine’s Day victories in LPGA Tour history.
1953 – Beverly Hanson, Boca Raton Weathervane
1954 – Beverly Hanson, St. Petersburg Open
1960 – Beverly Hanson, St. Petersburg Open
1961 – Louise Suggs, Royal Poinciana Invitational
1982 – Hollis Stacy, S&H Golf Classic
1988 – Patty Sheehan, Sarasota Classic
1999 – Catrin Nilsmark, Valley of the Stars Championship Presented by Yamaha
2009– Angela Stanford, SBS Open at Turtle Bay

Stanford earns a stay at Canyon Ranch. With her victory at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, Angela Stanford earned an all-inclusive stay for two at a Canyon Ranch resort. In a combined effort to promote health and overall well-being among Tour players, Canyon Ranch will provide every winner of an LPGA event with one all-inclusive stay at one of Canyon Ranch's two destination resorts.

WD. Sophie Gustafson withdrew during the first round of the SBS Open at Turtle Bay. Na Ri Kim withdrew during the second round.

Final-round interviews: Angela Stanford | Michelle Wie

Angela Stanford, 65-71-70=206 (-10)
Hole 3, 452-yard, par 5: birdie – 3-wood to greenside bunker, blast to 6 feet
Hole 8, 155-yard, par 3: bogey – misclub short, two-putt from 7 feet
Hole 10, 391-yard, par 4: bogey – 6-iron over green, chip to 20 feet, two-putt
Hole 13, 175-yard, par 3: birdie – 5-iron to 15 feet
Hole 14, 375-yard, par 4: birdie – lob wedge to 4 feet
Hole 15, 162-yard, par 3: birdie – 6-iron to 10 feet

MIKE SCANLAN: Angela, congratulations on winning the season opening SBS Open at Turtle Bay. Your fourth career victory, and you now have three wins in your last seven starts dating back to last year. So some might call you the hottest player on tour. If you would just talk about the win and kind of the streak that you've been on dating back to last September.
ANGELA STANFORD: Well, the win this week, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little surprised. I didn't feel quite ready coming in. Had a pretty good lesson with my instructor before I came out, and he just told me to get here and get in the bunker and get on the range and do the things that you should have done the last two or three weeks.

So maybe that was some of it, that I didn't have high expectations and I knew there were things that I need to keep working on. So really I'm quite surprised.

As for the way it's been going, I know I say this over and over and over, but I'm just having so much fun. I mean, every time I work with Mike at home, I mean, it's he always has something goofy that we're doing or, I mean, he's making it really fun right now.

But I'm just starting to understand how to hit the golf ball, and, you know, why it does what it does and how do I make it do this, and how do I make it do that. And I feel like the last month, I don't know, I just feel like a kid again just hitting the ball and having fun. And, I don't know, it's been quite a ride.

Q. Were you concerned about stopping your hot streak in 2008?
ANGELA STANFORD: I'd be lying if I said no. I think any golfer would say that if they get on a roll and they feel like they're in that zone you want to keep playing. But, you know, in my mind I at the same time, there's a reason we have a break here. So, you know, I mean, physically and mentally I was okay with taking some time and recharging.

Q. How much did experience factor into the last nine holes?
ANGELA STANFORD: You know, I think after what happened on 11, huge. Because up until that moment, I didn't think that you know, I talked yesterday about her talent.

I mean, that front nine, she didn't make a mistake. I mean, she was doing everything she needed to do to win. And when she made the mistake on 11, she didn't rebound like I thought maybe I mean, even the second shot that went over the green and the chip, I thought, you know, that was the moment that I need to step up because it was my chance.

And so I could see it a little bit. I mean, you could see just her youth in that. And that she didn't rebound as fast as she could have, I think.

Q. Was the putter key to your week?
ANGELA STANFORD: I think overall I controlled my speed very well with the wind and, you know, the different conditions, rain here and there, so I think putting was the key.

Q. What would you say to console Michelle?
ANGELA STANFORD: You know, she just it's just a learning process. And I hope that she uses what happened on 11 to her advantage. I hope when she gets in that position again, you know, she handles it differently. And I think she will.

You know, it's golf. I mean, I think I would tell her you are playing the hardest game in the world, so, you know, you're going have to have a little patience and know that you're one of the most talented players to come along in a long time, so just keep putting yourself in contention because it's going to happen.

Michelle Wie, 66-70-73=209 (-7)
Hole 4, 180-yard, par 3: birdie – 8-iron to 20 feet
Hole 9, 511-yard, par 5: birdie – chip to 18 feet
Hole 11, 396-yard, par 4: double bogey – drive right into water hazard, 5-wood over the green, bad chip
Hole 17, 406-yard, par 4: bogey – 5-wood plugged into bunker, two-putt from 12 feet

MIKE SCANLAN: Michelle, second place in your first tournament as a member; not a bad way to start. Might be a little bit disappointed, but just take us through your day and how you feel right now.
MICHELLE WIE: You know, I felt like I played pretty solid, just had one bad hole that I just, you know, kind of was disappointed about.

But I guess there are a lot of positive things I can take from this week. You know, I shot pretty solidly in the wind in tough conditions. It was pretty tough out there today. And it's not a bad start. It's not what I wanted, the outcome today, but it's just the beginning. And I think there's a lot more good stuff to come out of it.

Q. Do you feel like you had a lot of support out there today?
MICHELLE WIE: For sure. Like I said, there's a lot of familiar faces out there. And I just feel people rooting me on, and it felt great. It felt really I had a lot of fun today. It was really fun to be in that position and to, you know, be playing that well again.

Q. Did you pick up anything from Angela out there today?
MICHELLE WIE: She had a really good ball flight into the wind. She made a lot of good putts and is a very good player. I learned a lot of things from her, playing with her today.

And, you know, the more good players I play with, the more game experience I get. And, like, different players can, you know, give me different kind of, not like I can learn different stuff from different players. And I learned a lot from Angela today.

Q. What did you do to prepare last night?
MICHELLE WIE: I pretty much became a vegetable and just sat in front of the TV and just kind of just passed out. Tried to drink a lot of water. Had a nice dinner. And I just, you know, talked to some friends and just did the usual I guess. Nothing too special.

Q. You got a late start on Solheim Cup points. Your thoughts on trying to make the team?
MICHELLE WIE: Yeah. It would be a great honor if I, you know, got to play on the team, and it's definitely a goal of mine. And I think it would be a lot of fun. And hopefully I'll get in.

Q. What is your confidence level right now?
MICHELLE WIE: I'd have to say it's pretty high. Every good shot that I hit I'm putting in the positive memory bank and gaining confidence a little bit by little bit.

I feel pretty good with my game. Obviously, right now I am a little disappointed, but I can take a lot of positive thoughts from this week. And I think I know exactly what to work on. I know, like, what I have to do to go to the next level. And I think this is just going to just missing the trophy by a little bit is going to motivate me to work even harder for the next one.