Tanah Merah Country Club, Garden Course
Singapore, Singapore
Feb. 25, 2011
Second-round notes and interviews
CHIE ARIMURA, -10, Rolex Rankings No. 19
KARRIE WEBB, -8, Rolex Rankings No. 13SUN YOUNG YOO, -6, Rolex Rankings No. 30
Rolex Rankings No. 19 and LPGA of Japan (JLPGA) member Chie Arimura maintained her lead following a 6-under-par 66 on Friday at the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore. Arimura leads LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member Karrie Webb, who also shot 6-under-par 66 today, entering the third round of play at Tanah Merah Country Club's Garden Course. A five-time winner on the JLPGA in 2009, Arimura started the day bogey-birdie-bogey before an eagle at the par-5 fifth hole. She added birdies at Nos. 8, 9, 13, 15, 16 to move to 10-under-par 134 for the week.
LPGA and World Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb is chasing Arimura for the “Champion of Champions” crown. Following a tie for third and ticket to the season-ending Titleholders at last week's Honda LPGA Thailand, Webb shot 6-under-par 66 on Friday to move two shots back of the leader. Webb also tied for sixth at the Ladies European Tour's Women's Australian Open and tied for ninth at the Australian Ladies Masters to begin her 2011 season. A 36-time Tour winner, Webb is approaching the $16 million mark in LPGA career earnings.
Of note… Chie Arimura had the shot of the day on No. 5 where she made eagle from 80 yards with a pitching wedge... Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng dropped to a tie for eighth following an even-par 72 on Friday… Cristie Kerr produced a 5-under-par 67 including a nine-foot eagle at the driveable par-4 16th… Defending champion Ai Miyazato shot 2-under-par 70 on Friday to move into a tie for 12th at even-par… Tanah Merah's Garden Course played to a stroke average of 72.71 on Friday compared to 73.83… Sybase Match Play Championship winner Sun Young Yoo shot 4-under-par 68 to move into solo third place entering Saturday's final round.
Chie Arimura, -10
Q. Rough start to the day with bogey at 1 and 3, were you nervous?
A: I would not say I was nervous, but my body was telling me something was wrong. I told myself I needed to focus and get my rhythm back so my body could cooperate. It got better gradually and Istarteded to enjoy the round more.
Q. Talk about the eagle at No. 5.
A: This eagle helped me today, it was great. I did not feel good about my shot, my body was very tense. I swung my body a few times to loosen up and I felt better, then I started to pick up again and play better shots. This cheered me up and whenever I had doubt during today's play, I reminded myself I should be confident and play shots like on hole 5. I didn't know I made an eagle since I was not able to see it go in, but as soon as I heard the cheers from the spectators, I knew I made it. I am very pleased.
Q. What will you focus on this weekend?
A: Two more days to go. I need to control my rhythm. I should not play too fast when I am not playing well. Today was a perfect example, I had a rough start but I controlled myself so it got better in the end. I also want to focus on each shot.
Q. How many professional wins do you have around the world?
A: I have never won outside of Japan.
Q. Who is your role model and why?
A: Ai Miyazato is my role model. I like her personality and she is a great player. She plays excellent golf. We spend time together especially when we are in America, we work hard on our goals.
Q. Rough start to the day with bogey at 1 and 3, were you nervous?
A: I would not say I was nervous, but my body was telling me something was wrong. I told myself I needed to focus and get my rhythm back so my body could cooperate. It got better gradually and Istarteded to enjoy the round more.
Q. Talk about the eagle at No. 5.
A: This eagle helped me today, it was great. I did not feel good about my shot, my body was very tense. I swung my body a few times to loosen up and I felt better, then I started to pick up again and play better shots. This cheered me up and whenever I had doubt during today's play, I reminded myself I should be confident and play shots like on hole 5. I didn't know I made an eagle since I was not able to see it go in, but as soon as I heard the cheers from the spectators, I knew I made it. I am very pleased.
Q. What will you focus on this weekend?
A: Two more days to go. I need to control my rhythm. I should not play too fast when I am not playing well. Today was a perfect example, I had a rough start but I controlled myself so it got better in the end. I also want to focus on each shot.
Q. How many professional wins do you have around the world?
A: I have never won outside of Japan.
Q. Who is your role model and why?
A: Ai Miyazato is my role model. I like her personality and she is a great player. She plays excellent golf. We spend time together especially when we are in America, we work hard on our goals.
Karrie Webb, -8
MIKE SCANLAN: Karrie, if you would just take us through your round today, 6 under par 66 puts you in very close proximity to the lead at the HSBC Women's Champions.
KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, I feel great about it. You know, fairly solid round. I putted really well today. You know, I didn't probably hit it as consistently well as I did yesterday but I didn't really make any really bad swings, and you know, when I missed greens, I was able to get them up and down. And then I took advantage of the good iron shots that I hit and made a few birdies.
MIKE SCANLAN: I know we spoke last week and you were feeling pretty comfortable with your game obviously. You've been on a four week stretch of playing now. How are you feeling overall?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, I've gotten a bit of a cold over the last couple of days. I think my body is telling me I wouldn't be doing five in a row; put it that way.
Q. Is it easier or more difficult to compete as you get older with more experience?
KARRIE WEBB: I don't know if golf ever becomes easier. I think, you know, if I look back when I was younger, I probably wouldn't have agreed with you ten, 12 years ago; that it was the ignorance of youth. Now that I look at it, it really was.
I think the more experience you have, the more good and bad experiences you have. So I think to me, it's just overcoming all of those things and just going out there and playing golf.
Q. Do female athletes have to work harder to get noticed?
KARRIE WEBB: I don't know if we have to work harder. I think we just do it anyway. I think that just comes naturally to us, you know, to be more involved with the fans and to appreciate people being out here watching us and not take it for granted.
I think we do have to make sure that we keep doing do that and not think of ourselves as above the normal standard of every day people. I think women tend to keep a level head that way a little bit easier, so I don't think we have to work that hard. But I know it's an important aspect of the LPGA, anyway; that we do give back to the fans.
Q. Do you prefer more people watching...
KARRIE WEBB: Well, yeah, I think so. I think that's sort of similar to my last seasons. Just that you don't get to the top of the sport without having an ego. I think everyone's got to have an ego. But I think, you know well, I can only speak for myself.
But I know my ego is on the golf course and once it's done, you know, I have to check that and descend into non golf Karrie.
Q. Speaking of egos, must be nice to be near the top of the leaderboard.
KARRIE WEBB: Yeah, it's nice to be up there on Friday with a chance and making up a little bit of ground to even give myself a chance.
You know, I'm looking forward to the weekend and we'll see what happens.
Q. Have you ever considered giving up golf or moving on given all you've accomplished?
KARRIE WEBB: No. I mean, times where I thought, you know, do I really need to beat my head up against the wall anymore. But I've never had anything else that I wanted to move onto.
Q. (Regarding career after competing on the LPGA Tour).
KARRIE WEBB: I don't know. You know, I would stay involved in golf in some way. But I would like to look outside the box, as well, and look at other challenges.
You know, golf's been good enough to me that I don't think I'll have to do an extreme amount of work to make a living. So, you know, I'd like to find something that actually means a lot to me.
Q. (And do you have interests outside of golf you like to do)?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, I love being on the water. So I love boating and fishing and just being by the pool reading. Anything out by the water I love.
Sun Young Yoo, -6
Q. How was your round?
SUN YOUNG YOO: It was a little bit windy out there but pretty much the same wind as the practise round. I feel comfortable and I know I'm hitting it good. So I just have confidence and made some putts.
Q. You're one of the better placed South Koreans on the leaderboard, along with Na Yeon.
SUN YOUNG YOO: I know, everybody knows she's a great player and we still have two more rounds. Actually everybody has a chance at the moment so we'll see what happens.
Q. Is there anything that you can do to play better the next couple of rounds?
SUN YOUNG YOO: There are some holes that have narrow fairways, but I think I handle pretty well right now.
Q. Conditions are pretty tough with the wind, but you had five birdies today; what was the secret to that?
SUN YOUNG YOO: Just keep my ball flight low a little bit. And I've been working on the windy shots for the season, so actually feel pretty comfortable.
Q. So far the weather has been good but there could be rain this weekend. How could that affect?
SUN YOUNG YOO: I don't know, there is nothing you can do about the weather. So I just deal with it.
Q. But the fact that because if it rains, it's going to make it that much tougher.
SUN YOUNG YOO: It will be softer fairways and slower greens, but it's the same for everybody, so I'm not complaining about it.
