Monday, July 30, 2007

In Their Words: Natalie Gulbis

PAM WARNER [Moderator]: Thanks for joining us, and congratulations on becoming a first-time winner. You must be thrilled right now.

NATALIE GULBIS: Thank you. It's a whirlwind. Wasn't it great? What an absolutely fantastic ceremony. I've seen a lot of champion ceremonies, and I couldn't believe it. Parachuters and a flag and champagne and my friends out there and a little silver thing flying, the volunteers, American flags. That was great.

WARNER: Can you take us through the playoff hole?

GULBIS: The playoff hole I hit a really good drive. That's usually a par-5 that I cannot reach into. And on 18, because it was into the wind today, and for some reason I hit it about 50 yards further the first time around and about 60 yards further the second time around and only had a rescue in.

Pulled it a little bit left, but it usually kicks up that hill and it did. I actually thought I made the putt when I hit it, because I hit the putt exactly how I wanted to hit it. Thankfully did not have very far left.

WARNER: How long would you say that putt was?

GULBIS: The first putt was about 25 feet, and the second putt was about a foot.

WARNER: Can we go over the rest of your scorecard?

GULBIS: Sure. I have no idea what I did.

WARNER: Birdie on one.

GULBIS: Birdied the first hole. Didn't have very far, 4 or 5 feet, sand wedge. The sixth hole I had an 8-iron in and made about a 15-footer.

The ninth hole I made about a 25-footer, par-5, with an L-wedge. On 14 I bogeyed. I pulled it left. It's interesting looking at the card, because I felt like I played much better than only shooting a couple under. I kept giving myself chances, and eventually they paid off.

Q.: What was in your mind as you're waiting for the end of the game before the playoff?

GULBIS: Before the playoff I was very upset at myself because I felt like I had given away this tournament. I thought I needed to get to 7 under to win, and I end up at, 4? Going in today I never thought that 4 under would have won this tournament.

Obviously it was meant to be for me. So I was frustrated because I knew the players that were behind me. I thought there was no chance that they would not … I didn't even think it would get to a playoff.

Cristie Kerr and Greg, my caddie, were there. And they kept saying, "No, no. You could be in a playoff. You need to get over the fact that you're so the pissed off and go and practice." They were really good. It's amazing the people that support you right when you need them. They were great.

I went over and putted, because I hadn't been putting very well. We worked on my putting. Greg was kind of giving my advice and Cristie was holding my head. I went over to the driving range and I was hitting shots over there and still hitting the ball really well, and I was excited because I had to play in a playoff.

Q.: What does this mean to you?

GULBIS: What does it mean? How long do you have? This is my sixth year on tour, and obviously the U.S. has been quite a bit of hype on if I would ever win a tournament. I was really close last year where I lost a playoff, and coincidently it was right after the match play. It was like déjà vu.

There was a match play event in the United States. Lost in the first round. Worked really hard on my game. Came over here was hitting the ball well, and these two events I really wanted to play well in.

I had been injured for a lot of the season and was way back on the money list, like 44th, maybe 50th. Probably the lowest I'd ever gotten to. Just tried to stay positive, so that means a lot, that the hard work has paid off. So many great people supporting me in the U.S. from the media to my team to my fans. It's great.

Q.: Would you say there was one thing that sort of turned your game around?

GULBIS: Yeah, My back injury.

Q.: Clarify that one.

GULBIS: I got hurt two months ago. Had a lower back injury and had to take about a month off. I had to change my golf swing because of my injury. I had to work on my posture and I had to do all the things that I had been working on with my father for about four or five years.

We had been working on these same things and they just weren't happening, and it took an injury. I was kind of thinking this might be a blessing in disguise with the injury, and I kept working on it and working on my posture and I kept hitting it further and all the things I wanted to happen on my golf swing started happening.

Q.: Yeah, because I remember when we talked we talked about your fitness a couple years ago. That's why I was so surprised when you said the injury. Very good.

GULBIS: Thank you.