LPGA Corning Classic
Corning Country Club
Corning, N.Y.
May 24, 2007

First-Round Interviews: Charlotta Sorenstam | Beth Bader | Paula Creamer | Shi Hyun Ahn | A.J. Eathorne | Jean Batholomew

First-Round Notes

Sorenstam ties career-low with 64, holds one-shot lead after first round. Charlotta Sorenstam fired a first-round 8-under-par 64 to tie her career low score and currently leads after the first round on Thursday at the LPGA Corning Classic. Sorenstam holds a one-shot lead over Beth Bader, who shot a 7-under-par 65. Her 64 also ties the low-18 on a par-72 course this season, which Lorena Ochoa also shot during the second round of the Safeway International Presented by Coca-Cola, and it is the low first round score on a par-72 course in 2007.

Sorenstam, who began her round on the back nine, carded a bogey-free round with eight birdies that included four straight birdies on holes 5 through 8. On Thursday, Sorenstam tied her career-low score of 64 that she posted during the second round of the 2000 Standard Register PING, where she went on to become a Rolex First-Time Winner.

Bader also recorded a bogey-free round with seven birdies on the day. Her score of 65, marks a season-low and her fifth round in the 60s this year. Bader has recorded two top-20 finishes this season, with a tie for 15th at both the MasterCard Classic Honoring Alejo Peralta and the Corona Championship, which were both held in Mexico.

Corning debut a first-round success for Creamer. Paula Creamer (33-33=66) notched four birdies in her first seven holes during Thursday's opening round of the LPGA Corning Classic. Despite never competing in the event during her previous two seasons, Creamer had no problem adapting to the Corning Country Club, where her 6-under 66 landed her in a three-way tie for third place heading into Friday's second round.

Rookies record career-low rounds. Rookies In-Kyung Kim and Charlotte Mayorkas both recorded career-low rounds on Thursday during the first round of the LPGA Corning Classic. Kim and Mayorkas both shot 5-under 67 and are currently tied for sixth. Kim's previous career low was a 68, which she shot during the second round of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill. In her first season on Tour, Kim has recorded two top-20 finishes, including a 16th-place finish last week at the Sybase Classic Presented by ShopRite and a tie for 17th at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay in February.

Mayorkas has shot 69 twice during 2007, once during the second round of the Fields Open in Hawaii and in the opening round of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill. Her best finish this year was a tie for 28th at the SemGroup Championship Presented by John Q. Hammons.

Hullett ties career best at Corning Classic. Jamie Hullett (34-32=66), currently standing in a three-way tie for third place at the LPGA Corning Classic, tied her career-best 18-hole score during Thursday's opening round. Hullett's round included two birdies on the back nine, where she started the day, and two additional birdies and an eagle on the front side. She first fired her career-best of 66 at the 2006 State Farm Classic during the final round, which tied her for a 19th-place finish.

Mallon records season-low 68. LPGA Tour veteran Meg Mallon (33-35=68) shot a season-low 68 in Thursday's opening round of the LPGA Corning Classic in Corning, N.Y., to tie for 11th with 12 fellow competitors. Mallon, whose resume includes 18 career victories, carded a bogey-free round on the par-72, 6,188-yard Corning Country Club, with birdies on holes 2, 7, 9 and 17. Before today's round, Mallon's previous opening-round score in the 60s came at the 2006 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, in Sylvania, Ohio, where she also shot a 68.

First-Round Interviews: Charlotta Sorenstam | Beth Bader | Paula Creamer | Shi Hyun Ahn | A.J. Eathorne | Jean Batholomew

Charlotta Sorenstam, 32-32=64 (-8)
Scorecard: Hole 11, 158-yard par 3: birdie – 7-iron to 15 feet
Hole 15, 147-yard par 3: birdie – 8-iron to 12 feet
Hole 16, 310-yard par 4: birdie – 9-iron to 2 feet
Hole 18, 377-yard par 4: birdie – 9-iron to 12 feet
Hole 5, 449-yard par 5: birdie – 4-iron to 20 feet, tap in
Hole 6, 307-yard par 4: birdie – wedge to 12 feet
Hole 7, 152-yard par 3: birdie – 6-iron to 7 feet
Hole 8, 363-yard par 4: birdie – 9-iron to 25 feet

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for joining us today. You're at 8 under, with a bogey-free round, and you're the leader in the clubhouse going into tomorrow's round. Can you talk about your round for a minute.
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: It was a lot of fun. No, I hit a lot of fairways out there. Only missed three fairways and two greens. Lately that's been my fault. I've been hitting a lot of roughs.

So it was fun hitting out of fairways today. It was a lot easier to attack the pins. I must say this is the first year I'll only hit driver on just a few holes here. I've always hit driver, driver, driver.

I thought, It's running out there, you might as well hit the fairways and run it up. I hit a lot of short irons as well today. I made some crucial putts, so I got lucky on a few bounces out there and ended up with a good round.

Q. You're not exempt, correct?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: Correct. Yeah, I'm in the tournament winner category, so I'm nonexempt.

Q. Because I see for most of year you haven't played, and then you played the past couple tournaments. Have you been hurt or something else?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: I have actually been doing something else. Been working on my sister's academy teaching and trying to run the place.

Q. And where is that?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: It's at Ginn Resort in Orlando where we just had a tournament.

Q. What brought you back to the tournament scene?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: Well, I'm lucky because we're closed down for the summer. Now I can get into tournaments. I just needed a little break from playing as well. And her coach is the head instructor there, so it was my way of seeing him a little bit more than I have lately.

Q. Again, going over your scoring earlier in the season, your low round was a 73, so this absolutely shattered it.
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: I played pretty good at Michelob, but I putted like a beginner, so...

Q. Is everything starting to click for you?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: Definitely luck on the putts. I mean, some days they go in and some days they don't. For me, today was one of those days that everything I did was correct. I found a coin out there so I picked it up.

Q. When is the last time that you were on the top of the leaderboard?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: I can't remember.

Q. How does it feel to see your name up there ahead of everybody else?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: It was great. I was hoping they would put a C. in front so everybody knew it was me.

Q. Does this lead change your thinking going into tomorrow? Do you approach the game differently, or do you just go out and play like you would any other round?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: I think I'm going to approach it the same which I did today because it worked. So just hit the fairway and hit the green and hopefully make the putt.

Q. A lot of players who have layoffs or injuries for whatever reason take a long time to get back. Are you surprised at all that you came out ans shot such a great score after such a long layoff?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: Yes and no. I knew it was in me, that's why I haven't given up the game. So I'm just going enjoy every minute from now on.

Q. While you've been teaching people, have you learned some lessons yourself?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: Yeah. Just try to make it simple, work on setup. That's what I've been doing. That's what I'm going to continue doing, with me or anybody I help out or teach.

Q. If you are able to keep this going and put a victory up there, are you going to charge a higher fee for teaching?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: Yes.

Q. You sound pretty casual about your round today. Is that how you tried to play, too?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: Well, it's the first day. You can't win a tournament the first day. You can just put a good score up there. There are three more days, and the tournament doesn't start until the Back 9 on Sunday. I'm just glad to have a good run in there.

Q. And talking about the Back 9, you started there, and usually that's kind of the tough nine holes here. Did you realize then that you could really put on a big score?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: Yeah. I was thinking that if I go 4 I'll be 8, and I did. 64 has been a number I enjoy, because when I won I shot 64. Couple years ago in Singapore I shot 64 as well. I just lost on 18 there. But it's got good memories, so hopefully they'll stick.

Q. Was the coin heads up?
CHARLOTTA SORENSTAM: I have no idea.

Beth Bader, 32-33=65 (-7)
Scorecard: Hole 2, 446-yard par 5: birdie – 6-iron to 6 feet
Hole 5, 449-yard par 5: birdie – 6-iron to fringe, two putt
Hole 6, 307-yard par 4: birdie – pitching wedge to 6 feet
Hole 8, 363-yard par 4: birdie – 50-degree wedge to 4 feet
Hole 10, 364-yard par 4: birdie – 56-degree wedge to 4 feet
Hole 14, 510-yard par 5: birdie – 6-iron to 10 feet
Hole 17, 336-yard par 4: birdie – 56-degree wedge to 8 feet

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for joining us today. You're the leader in the clubhouse with 7 under, and you also had four 7 birdies today. Will you talk about your round?
BETH BADER: Yeah, 7 birdies and no bogeys, which was nice. Like I said earlier, the golf course is yielding some birdies, but there are some tough holes out there.

I think I hit 11 fairways and 17 greens, so that helps. Once you hit the greens they're small enough you can get birdie shots on every one of them. I hit the ball really good and I made some putts.

Q. You just went over your distances and yards. Every birdie you had you knocked it within ten feet. Was that the key today?
BETH BADER: Yeah, that was a key today. Like you said, I was hitting it good and having those opportunities with some shorter irons, which was nice.

It kind of allows you to be on the right side of the pin, left side of the pin. This is a golf course that a lot of the holes you need to be below the hole, and it worked out pretty well today.

I was able, with shorter irons, able to kind of pick my spot and was actually able to hit it, so that was good.

Q. What's the main thing this year that's holding you back? You don't have a coach or anything.
BETH BADER: Yeah. Well, you know, honestly I've been hitting ball so good this year and it's been pretty disappointing that I haven't scored or placed higher in a tournament.

But I just feel like I just haven't been making putts as of lately. That's even more frustrating to hit the ball as good as you do to 4 or 5 feet and miss the putts, because I did that at Kinsmill and missed the cut by one. I just missed so many putts it just drives you bonkers.

You just have to keep grinding and know these putts are going fall. They fell today and I felt comfortable. So I obviously worked hard in the off season with my iron play and it sure has improved. Now I just need to get focused a little bit more with the putting. It turned out pretty good today.

Q. So you're not considering this season a disappointment, are you?
BETH BADER: Yeah. I have made a lot more cuts. If you look back, I haven't started the seasons out very well in the past. I know it's my seventh year and I know I feel like I'm a veteran I should be up there more often, but golf is so crazy.

I'm pleased with my season, how it started. Would I want more Top 10s? Absolutely. Bu you have to be patient and I am staying patient. It's still early in the year. I feel like I'm kind of getting in form and coming into some bigger tournaments. You know, majors are coming up.

So you just have to stay patient. I don't know how many times you can say that word. But I have and it's been paying off. My ball striking has become really good. I feel really good over the ball. I feeling like I can hit my targets.

So I'm pleased with how the season has started. Yeah, absolutely.

Q. Prior to this what is your lowest round at the Corning Classic?
BETH BADER: Oh, you've got to help me on that one. Got to be 66 or 65 maybe. I had a hole in one here. I think last year 66 maybe.

Q. Is there something about this course that fits your game?
BETH BADER: Yeah. You know, I'm a fairly long ball hitter, so, you know, a short golf course where you got to work it off the tee doesn't necessarily per se help long hitters.

But, again, with my ball striking and actually getting better off the tee, I feel comfortable hitting driver off the shorter Par 4s, and then I have wedges in.

So it's a golf course that can you can score. You know, but, again, you have to place it in the fairways and be in the right position on the greens, and today I was.

Q. Is the course playing fast today?
BETH BADER: Not particularly fast in the fairways but the greens with running out pretty good. I said to the my caddie yesterday, you got to kind of really study these pins, and a lot of times even with pitching wedge, 50 degree wedges that normally spin back they don't spin back. They may sit, but they don't come back at you.

The greens are rolling wonderful, but they're not slow. They're not soft, but they're not slow.

Q. Was there an advantage to going off early this morning instead of later today?
BETH BADER: Yeah, I think so. I mean, it was pretty warm from 9:30, 10:00 on. But, yeah, it's going to get definitely more sticky out there this afternoon. It's supposed to be a perfect day all day, so today is not really an early morning or late afternoon advantage.

Q. Have you ever led in a tournament?
BETH BADER: I have a couple times, and I think maybe this might have been one. Yes, I have.

Q. So it's not new territory for you going into the round leading?
BETH BADER: No, it's not new territory. I'd love to be talking to you on Sunday. I don't think I've had a going into a Sunday lead before, so that's going to be a different story. I would love to be able to sleep on the lead.

So but it's time where I feel like I can I always thought that I could contend, and it's like I said, you just have to be patient and wait for your day to come.

Q. Have you changed your mechanics when you're putting?
BETH BADER: Yes. I have worked a little bit on my grip and my stance. So I had a pretty wide stance in the past and I felt like I was kind of flaying. So I put my feet a little bit closer together which helped me use more of my shoulders.

So, yeah, there has been some technical issues that I have worked with over the last couple weeks. That, again, too, putting and thinking about this and my shoulder and my feet. Today I said, Pick your target and hit it. I'd rather you miss your line and misread as opposed to having a really weak stroke. That's what happened today.

Q. Are these greens tricky to read?
BETH BADER: Yeah. Well, I don't know how old this golf course is, but these greens have a lot of roli poliness to them. There's a lot of little indentations and stuff.

So, yeah, you can't take for granted the 3 foot putts and the 4 foot putts. But the greens are rolling so pure and so nice, but you still have to pay attention to the river and look ahead to the horizons. There are some tricky greens to read out there.

Q. Are you going to approach tomorrow differently after your round today?
BETH BADER: No, no. You just have to make birdies out here. It's not like I could sit at and expect to win the golf tournament. Like I said, there's No. 2 and No. 5 are short holes, and you need to really make birdies on those Par 5s.

Because there are some Par 4s that are tricky, so you have to capitalize on some of these Par 4s that are shorter.

You just got to keep going for that. This isn't a U.S. Open where even Par is going to win a golf tournament. I know that you've got to keep going, so that's what I intend to do.

Paula Creamer, 33-33=66 (-6)
Scorecard: Hole 2, 446-yard par 5: birdie – 6-iron to 20 feet, two-putt
Hole 4, 355-yard par 4: bogey – driver to left rough, punch under trees to 120 yards, chipped to 8 feet, missed putt
Hole 5, 449-yard par 5: birdie – 4-iron to 30 feet, two-putt
Hole 6, 307-yard par 4: birdie – 50-degree wedge to 5 feet
Hole 7, 152-yard par 3: birdie – 6-iron to 6 feet
Hole 10, 364-yard par 4: birdie – 9-iron to 5 feet
Hole 13, 412-yard par 4: birdie – 6-iron to 10 feet
Hole 14, 510-yard par 5: birdie – 9-iron to 20 feet

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for joining us. You had a great round, 66, and you're currently tied for third. Talk about your day a little bit.
PAULA CREAMER: I gave myself plenty of chances out there for birdie. I didn't hit my driver quite as well as I have been the past couple tournaments, but when I missed I missed it in relatively okay spots. On the right holes I should say, except the last hole.

Overall it's the first day. I know I had to come out and just keep pace. I knew somebody was going to go low, so I just had to stay up around there.

Q. Seeing what the morning scores were like, does that put a little more pressure on you to play a little more aggressively and attack the course?
PAULA CREAMER: Not necessary aggressively, but there's a little extra pressure. 7 under is a leading. You want to be able to stay up around that leader because it is you can't put yourself out of it really the first day, or win it the first day, but it's good to be around that.

So after the first couple holes I started to settle down and just make my birdies and went on a little run there for a while.

Q. Did you learn anything about the course from today's round that you can use going into tomorrow?
PAULA CREAMER: Oh, definitely. The greens are getting a little firmer and not spinning as much, so that's good. That makes it a little bit more difficult.

You know, the fairways are also getting a little firmer too, so that certain shots you can't be too aggressive off the tee. Just take your 3 wood or your I have a 4 rescue in my bag so sometimes I hit that. Those are the two biggest things.

Q. Coming in today and playing here for the first time in a tournament, is this the type of round that you sort of visualized?
PAULA CREAMER: Oh, yeah. I mean, anywhere you shoot 6 under, that's a good day. I'll take 6 under first day every day, no matter what the golf course is.

It's a good course to go low on, that's for sure. I said earlier if you miss in the wrong place you're going to make bogey. The greens here are so punishing if you're above the hole and you have to be aware of where you hit the ball.

Q. With so many low scores out today, there's a number in the 60s, does that leave little margin for error going into tomorrow?
PAULA CREAMER: Seems like a lot of our tournaments we have a really low first day and then it just kind of stays around there and gets better a couple times.

To run away with it, of course we're going to have to go back to back four times in a row to win this. It's always been a pretty low tournament.

I think, if you're aware of that going into it and you birdie all the Par 5s, you're 4 under right there. You're bound to make a couple other birdies. I think you just have to go into it with that mindset.

Q. Do you feel like you left some out there, like at 16 and 17?
PAULA CREAMER: I did. Not even those holes. I mean, No. 11 I missed a 4 footer for birdie. But I made some really good putts, too. Overall it was a good day. It was a stress free day, and that's what you like. You like to come out your first round and have 7 birdies and 1 bogey.

Q. All three people in your group were shooting really well. What does that do as the round progresses for your attitude. Does it create a sense of camaraderie or a sense of competition?
PAULA CREAMER: Everybody's out there competing against the golf course. You're really only playing someone down the stretch in the last couple holes to win. But, yeah, JJ and Young Kim played good today. When you're in a group like that, people always making birdies, JJ holed out on 10, you want to be in that mix as well and be a part of that and play good.

Q. You last won in February. Seems like this year you've got so much more confidence than last year. Is that an accurate assessment?
PAULA CREAMER: Yeah. Last year my expectations were incredibly high. I think that I just came out and was just pushing way too hard on the golf course. I was very anxious.

This year I've kind of just more relaxed and settled down into the rounds. There's so much golf every week. If you have a bad week you have to turn around and bounce back.

Even out in the golf course if you have a bad hole it's not like it's all over. You got 10 holes left or whatnot. You just have to be strong and fight through it, and I think I learned that from last year.

Q. How do you feel about seeing your image all over some of the publications here at the Corning Classic?
PAULA CREAMER: Yeah, I know. Scary. It's great to see that. I really am blessed that I've been given the opportunity to do this. I have a great family and team around me. It's such a balancing act out here.

When you see that, I think it's from the way you play. If you play good, I think you deserve to be like that.

I think that's a different assessment. But I think if you just go out and play your game then it's nice to see that. I don't really go looking for it, but I find it, so I see it.

Q. You've traveled all over the world playing golf, and seen lots of terrains and lots of weather. How is the hot weather out there treating you?
PAULA CREAMER: I mean, the harder the conditions I like that. I think that's great. Today is a beautiful day. Not much wind. That's with why the scores were low, too. You can just fire at thing. It's nice to be able to go to different climates. I live in Florida right now, so I'm used to this hot, muggy weather.

I have traveled so many different places and played in so many different climates like that. But, you know, I just like the harder the better, I guess. We'll take sunny days though for sure.

Shi Hyun Ahn, 32-34=66 (-6)
Scorecard: Hole 10, 364-yard par 4: birdie – 8-iron to 9 feet
Hole 13, 412-yard par 4: bogey – 58-degree wedge over pin, two-putt
Hole 16, 310-yard par 4: birdie – pitching wedge to 2 feet
Hole 17, 336-yard par 4: birdie – 49-degree wedge to 7 feet
Hole 1, 402-yard par 4: birdie – 7-iron to 9 feet
Hole 3, 191-yard par 3: birdie – 5-iron to 6 feet
Hole 5, 449-yard par 5: eagle – 7-iron to 12 feet

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for joining us today. You shot a 6 under, 66, with one eagle and 5 birdies in your round. Want to go ahead and talk about how you played a little bit?
SHI HYUN AHN: (via translator) Had a rough start. It was I made a very good long putt on the first hole, which was 10th hole. Made a long putt from the fringe, and then on the 13th hole I was trying to make the shot but I hit it thick and made a bogey.

So overall I play well. I like the course and I think the course likes me. It kind of fits my course, so I think we played well.

Q. You played very well today. Is this a sign of your season progressing?
SHI HYUN AHN: Well, even though I play well, but the thing that I want is win.

So I'm not really that happy that I wasn't able to get the win out of through six tournament that I play. And since I play well today, I really want to have a win this week.

Q. The last win was in 2003, I think.
SHI HYUN AHN: Yeah, 2003 in South Korea.

Q. So you think you can regain that form that you had?
SHI HYUN AHN: I'm always ready. Always prepared.

A.J. Eathorne, 34-34=68 (-4)
Scorecard: Hole 10, 364-yard par 4: birdie – 7-iron to 4 feet
Hole 13, 412-yard par 4: birdie – rescue to 7 feet
Hole 1, 402-yard par 4: birdie – 5-iron to 20 feet
Hole 2, 446-yard par 5: eagle – driver, 4-rescue to 8 feet
Hole 5, 449-yard par 5: birdie – two-putt from 20 feet
Hole 6, 307-yard par 4: - bogey – drive into trees left, punch out, didn't get up-and-down
Hole 9, 364-yard par 4: - bogey – short of green, two-putt

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for joining us today. You shot a season low 68 in the opening round. Can you talk about your round for a few moments?
A.J. EATHORNE: Sure. It was obviously beautiful out this morning at 7:40. Just managed to get off to a good start and had a birdie on the first hole, on hole # 10.

Q. How has your game been so far this year?
A.J. EATHORNE: It's been not so good. I've struggled a little bit. Last year I took half the year off with wrist injuries, so I think at the beginning of year it was a bit tough because I wasn't quite mentally confident with myself. Just been struggling a little bit this year.

Q. Overall, other than a couple of bad holes there, you pretty pleased with the way you played?
A.J. EATHORNE: Yeah. I mean, you never want to end on a bogey, but it could have happened anywhere in the round so I can't kick myself too much.

I'm just happy that I did make some birdies out there. That's usually the key to my game: Make enough birdies to cover up the bad holes. Those Par 5s are playing pretty short, so you want to jump on them when you can.

Q. When you play well do you handle the bad holes psychologically, the fact that you are playing in the next day?
A.J. EATHORNE: Yeah, it might fire you up a little bit. Tomorrow I'll be wanting to birdie 1 and 2 pretty quick, or birdie/eagle again.

But, no, for the most part you just got to look at the whole round. The first ten or fifteen minutes choked, but now I'm okay.

Just got go and practice. Nobody wins it on Thursday they always say, so I got to keep playing and have fun.

Q. What did you learn from this today?
A.J. EATHORNE: We just got a wrong yardage. We missed it by about 8 yards because they were looking at the head. The head number was 100 to the front and we forget that we were 8 yards behind that.

Just missplayed it, and then I think I was still a little bit mad when I hit my shot up and hit it a little bit too far.

Q. This is not the first time you shot well at Corning. Is there something about the course that works well with your game?
A.J. EATHORNE: Yeah. I love it here. One of my best friends lives here. It's sort of a place that feels like home to me because it's a small town and I come from a small town. Tee box and greens are real close to one another. Just a nice comfortable feeling here.

Q. Do you mind telling us who that friend is?
A.J. EATHORNE: Lisa D'Amore now. Lisa Kiggins, used to play on Tour. Married Rob D'Amore.

Q. Looks like obviously you're one of the leaders right now. When is the last time you've been in this position?
A.J. EATHORNE: It's been a few years since I've been anywhere on a leaderboard probably, but I'm not sure. Like I said, I struggled last year with a wrist injury so I haven't really played much. But it's been a couple years at least.

Q. It feels good to be back?
A.J. EATHORNE: It feels great, yeah. I definitely like seeing my name on the board. So it just makes you feel good, and I know my parents at home are probably going, Sweet, we can actually find her. You don't have to scroll down and scroll down. They'll be happy.

I have got lots of great people that visit my website or just friends from home, and they're always asking, Is there anything that we can do? And it's just nice to be able to put a round up there and you can breathe a little easier.

Q. Did you see your name on the leaderboard on nine?
A.J. EATHORNE: No, I didn't actually.

Q. The temperatures are souring obviously. How much of an advantage is teeing off early?
A.J. EATHORNE: There are advantages to both. It was great to get out this morning with the nice cool temperatures a little bit so we don't get heat exhaustion.

But for the most part, if you play in the afternoon you get a lot drier course so the balls are going to roll a little bit further. But then it's harder hitting into the greens in the afternoon a well.

The course plays shorter in the afternoon, but the greens hold a little better in the morning. So that's sort of the difference. You got it take what you can from both rounds.

Q. Do you feel like you're 100 percent back from the wrist injury?
A.J. EATHORNE: Oh, yeah. My wrist has been great since the beginning of the year. It's just more mentally a trust issue and confidence over you don't swing for a few months, probably three months I didn't swing for, and it just didn't quite feel right. Now it feels really good.

Q. I think it's been a while since you've been able to cash in. Sounds like your putting today was quite good. Has that been the difference?
A.J. EATHORNE: No. My putting is usually really good. The problem lately has been my driver, putting myself in bad positions off the tee. So I switched to a new driver this week, a new Calaway one, and it's great.

Found the fairway a few more times today and it's a little easier to the hit the middle of green from there. My putting has been great, and my chipping I didn't have to use too much today, thank goodness. The thing is if you hit fairways and greens you're going score a lot better.

Q. Have you scored at all this well this season or been in this position?
A.J. EATHORNE: No, not at all. This is the best round of the year so far, and it hasn't been this way for a while.

Q. After this round, are you maybe looking at this tournament as a turn around, so to speak?
A.J. EATHORNE: Yeah, yeah, exactly. I keep saying every week, This is going to be my week, just hoping it's going to click in sooner or later.

Like I said, this is like a home week so I feel a little bit more relaxed, and staying with friends. If you can relax on a golf course you're ahead of half the field out there.

Q. Which wrist?
A.J. EATHORNE: Left wrist. I had a frayed ligament. They just went in and scoped, surgery.

Q. The past champions are not here this year. Does that open up the field for players who may not have won before?
A.J. EATHORNE: Yeah, I think Corning's always been a great place for first time winners because it is a friendly place. Even if you're never won a golf tournament before that crowd really gets behind you. I think that plays a big part in it as well.

Past winners, yes, unfortunately Hee Won got pregnant so she can't come. I know she's love to be here. It's always a great place at that come. So if you can win here, even better.

Q. Does this change how you're going to play tomorrow's round?
A.J. EATHORNE: No. I think I'm just are going to go out and hit it hard. I think the butterflies might be there more but it's still only Friday. Just go out and hit it and find it and hit it and find it again, as they say, and have some fun.

Q. Do you have any predictions what the cut may be?
A.J. EATHORNE: That's hard to say. I mean, there are still some low rounds out there to be had, and especially beautiful weather and the greens are rolling great.

They've done an awesome job getting this course ready for us. So the course is ready to go taken down, as they say, and hopefully I can do it again tomorrow and some other girls get a chance to do it, too.

Jean Bartholomew, 31-37=68 (-4)
Scorecard: Hole 2, 446-yard par 5: birdie – wedge to 6 feet
Hole 4, 355-yard par 4: birdie – 2-iron, wedge to 6 feet
Hole 5, 449-yard par 5: birdie – chip to six feet
Hole 6, 307-yard par 4: birdie – 5-iron, gap wedge to one foot
Hole 9, 364-yard par 4: birdie – 2-iron, 9-iron to 20 feet past hole
Hole 10, 364-yard par 4: bogey – driver to 60 yards, sand wedge over green, chip, two-putt
Hole 11, 158-yard par 3: birdie – 7-iron to 10 feet
Hole 12, 545-yard par 5: bogey – driver hooked to left out of bounds, driver for second shot, wedge to 10 feet
Hole 13, 412-yard par 4: birdie – driver, 9-iron to 12 feet
Hole 17, 336-yard par 4: bogey – 3-wood to right which bounced off tree and into bunker, second shot into thick rough, third shot on green, two-putt

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for joining us today. You had 5 birdies in your first nine holes, and you shot 68 out there. Go ahead and talk about your round a little bit.
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: Sure. Let's see, considering I have only played in one event this year I was pretty pleased with my round.

I didn't have a very good warm up. I don't like this range very much, so I didn't feel like I was hitting it very good, but you never know when you go out to play.

Q. Why have you only been out once before this?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: I don't have full status this year. It's the first year in this is my 11th year. This is the first year, and I played ten years pretty much straight through. It was just had a bad season last year and didn't finish in the top 125.

Then went back to Q School and played bad there. Now I have the Class A status which doesn't get you in many events anymore. We used to get in more when we had more events. People would take off, but this season you're not getting into anything.

I've tried to Monday qualify, but that's just a crap shoot. You never know. You know you have to have a good round on that Monday. I was real happy that I got in.

Q. Where did you play previously?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: My last tournament, the only tournament was Mexico, Morelia. The second Mexico. I made the cut and did okay, but I really haven't completed in a tournament since Q School or the last LPGA event last season, so it's a very strange feeling.

Q. You've held the lead at this tournament two or three times in the past – is this a surprise?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: I've been leading this tournament so many times. I said it owes me one. It's kind of like my home event being from New York. I never miss this event, and I have my birthday here this week. I love this tournament and I am so glad I got to play.

Q. What is it about this course?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: It's a fun golf course. It's tight. You can make a ton of birdies. If you miss the rough you can make a lot bogeys, too.

It's fun to play a course where you can make a lot birdies. It's true, you do use every club in your bag. There are some real long Par 4s and there are some dinky little Par 4s where they're very tight and you have to just get it in the fairway. I always love to golf course.

Q. Your birthday is today?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: No, it's on the weekend.

Q. Is it a big one?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: No. We're not talking about that. You don't have to worry about that.

Q. How does it feel to be doing so well?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: I'm just glad, you know, because you never know what to expect when you're not competing a lot, and I was just glad that I kept my compose and I hit some good shots.

I'm not hitting it great, but it was better it wasn't better than I expected, but you don't want to go out when you have the chance to play in an event and shoot a bad round on the first day and start off an a bad foot.

So I didn't get upset at my bogeys. You just kind of expect it out here sometimes. You're going to make some birdies and some bogeys. Hopefully a lot of birdies.

Q. Can you talk about your putting? It seems that you were putting really well out there.
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: I putted really well today. Some days you can just see the lines, and I guess having played here so many times is an advantage, because there are subtle breaks on these greens.

There's no real, Wow, it's left to right. There are a lot of putts that if you haven't played here a lot you get confused. Today I just saw the lines and made a lot of good birdie putts.

Q. What's your practice routine like, since you're not competing every week?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: Yeah, I practice, and I've been doing the four, five Monday qualifiers, but that's different. You're trying to go for everything because you know you have to have a low round.

Q. Where were you when you found out you were in this week's field?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: I was about to walk to the tee for the Monday qualifier, but I had a feeling I'd get in because there were some people on the list that I kind of knew weren't coming that hadn't taken their name off the list.

People like me were waiting. So I just had a feeling I'd get in. But, you know, there was only six girls, I think, in qualifying, so I felt good about the qualifying as well. That I had a good shot. Sometimes there's 30, 40, trying for two spots.

Q. Did you play in the qualifier?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: Nope. Didn't even have to tee off. I was so happy.

Q. Any family or friends come up?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: My parents come up when they found out I got in. They haven't gotten to see me play in a while either. So they've always come up to this event anyway. I'm from Garden City on Long Island. Was born in Queens. My parents still live there, so it's not a bad drive to come up here.

Q. They still live in Queens?
JEAN BARTHOLOMEW: Garden City.