Kraft Nabisco Championship
Mission Hills Country Club
Dinah Shore Course
Rancho Mirage, Calif.
First round notes and interviews
March 31, 2011
What a Gal: After becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner during last week’s Kia Classic, Sandra Gal continued her strong play in the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Thursday. Gal’s opening-round 67 put her in a tie for second with Mika Miyazato. Gal, who moved up 56 spots in the in the Rolex Rankings following her win at the Kia Classic last week, has now shot eight consecutive rounds under-par dating back to the first round of the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup earlier this month.
SANDRA GAL, ROLEX RANKINGS No. 44
THE MODERATOR: Sandra, thanks for coming in. Good round today 5 under 67. You’re currently in the lead. Can you tell me a little bit about 
your round?
SANDRA GAL: Yes. Thanks, first of all. It kind of went by really quickly today. I don’t know why, but you know, I think at the beginning I struggled a little bit with my irons, just made a few up and downs that were good. You know, just happened to roll a few putts in and got more comfortable as the round went on. So I’m happy with the start.
Q. You alluded to the up and downs. You had that really clutch par putt on 1 and then even the birdie on 2. That wasn’t an easy putt, and then the chip in on 4. So how did just hanging in and making those help you persevere for when the birdies came?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah. It definitely helps. You know, it makes you more comfortable. If you miss the green, you can make up and down, or you know, I always focus on chipping it in from anywhere. So that definitely helps you to do that early in the round.
Q. What club did you use for the chip in? Can you describe the shot you hit?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah. I hit a 58 degree lob wedge, and there was a lot of break in it, so I kind of had to stop it quickly and kind of trickle it left to right. So yeah, it was just a little kind of small fluff shot.
Q. And did you think it was going in when you hit it?
SANDRA GAL: Yes.
Q. And how are conditions? Can you compare this week to last week where you were bundled up in long shirts?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah. Very, very different. It’s quite hot out there, but we had an early start, which was nice. And then obviously the greens, you know, as the day went on, they went firmer and firmer. I had quite a few shots that actually went over the greens. So that’s something to consider for tomorrow for sure.
Q. How long was the hole out there at 4? How long?
SANDRA GAL: Maybe 15 yards.
Q. And do you feel like you just picked up where you left off on Sunday? Were you curious how you would respond after winning?
SANDRA GAL: Yes and yes.
Q. What were you wondering about?
SANDRA GAL: Obviously, you know, with your first win, you kind of still don’t know what to expect coming into the next week, all the people that came to me and all the congrats from everyone, which I really appreciate them. It was a lot, and so I probably didn’t prepare as well as I would for a major championship normally. But I’ve played this course three years already or this is my third time. Sorry. So I just lost my track of thought.
Q. What were you wondering about?
SANDRA GAL: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was a bit nervous, yes, coming out today, you know, just coming off your first win, but I did kind of feel like I picked up where I left off.
Q. Sandra, you mentioned being a bit nervous today. You said yesterday you wanted to try and bring the same level of calmness to this week as you did last week. How successful do you think you were today in that regard?
SANDRA GAL: You know, even Sunday I was nervous. I mean you know, obviously in a calm way, but you still have adrenaline up. And you know, I felt the same way today. I don’t think it was much of a difference.
Q. Did you learn anything about yourself as a competitor or about an inner confidence by winning finally last week?
SANDRA GAL: Oh, sure I did. You know, playing against the No. 2 in the world or No. 1 in the world today, you know, there’s just obviously I respect what they do. They’ve won many tournaments, and they’re great players, but kind of knowing that I can beat them, I think that gives you a little extra confidence and kind of knowing that I can compete with them.
Q. Do you feel like maybe in a different way you belong with them out on the course now, that you’re not the 100th ranked player in the world, you’re somebody to contend with?
SANDRA GAL: I still think I am an underdog. You know, they have won way more than I have, but I believe I can contend with them, yes.
Q. For those of us confused by the Solheim Cup situation, can you just go over, I saw in 2009 you said you were going to try to qualify for the European Tour so that you would be eligible, but I guess you still are not; right?
SANDRA GAL: Yes. You have to be a member of the European Tour to play in the Solheim Cup. And the timing of Q School has just been bad. So I didn’t get the chance to do it. Obviously last year wasn’t my best year, so I didn’t qualify for the Money List, and I’m not a member right now. But there is ways to be a member if you show exceptional qualities, or you know, exceptional wins or whatever it is. But that’s up to a committee of the LET. So it’s not up to me. We’ll see what happens.
Q. If you were to win this week, with last week’s win also factored in, do you think that would be enough to convince the committee that you belong?
SANDRA GAL: That’s a very tough question. You know, it’s really not up to me and I have no experience with what their decision making is like, so I’m sorry. I can’t answer.
Q. How was it playing with Yani? It seems like you two were in a good rhythm with each other.
SANDRA GAL: It was nice playing with her. You know, she’s a great player, and you know, just watching her ball striking kind of, you know, I think improves your own ball striking. And you know, you kind of want to hit good shots. And you know, we’re both very competitive, and I played with her a couple rounds at the Tour Championship as well, and I’ve always enjoyed playing with her.
Q. Just some follow up on the Solheim Cup thing. Is there anything that you know if you do this, you will make the team, or is it all up in the air?
SANDRA GAL: It’s all up to them. There’s nothing I can do. Play well. Play very well.
Q. Do you want to make the team?
SANDRA GAL: Of course. Yeah. I’m all for it. I can’t wait to be part of the team.
Q. And when was the qualifying for the European Tour?
SANDRA GAL: I believe it was during Tour Championship.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
SANDRA GAL: Thanks.
Pre-tournament notes and interviews
March 29-30, 2011
SANDRA GAL, ROLEX RANKINGS No. 44
THE MODERATOR: We’re here with Sandra Gal for the 40th anniversary of the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Sandra was a Rolex first-time winner at the Kia Classic last week. Welcome. Can you talk a little bit about how it felt to have your first LPGA victory and what it’s like to follow that up with the Kraft Nabisco Championship?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, it’s an awesome feeling to win for the first time. It’s been crazy couple of days I have to say, but I’m just kind of soaking it all in and really enjoying the feeling.
Q. Crazy in what way, lots of people, lots of appearances, things like that?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, I mean, first of all, all the people, all my friends congratulating me, having your mailbox full and your phone constantly ringing. It’s a good thing. And then wherever you go, people wanting autographs and congratulating me, and just very thankful for that.
Q. Can you talk about your new wedges that you got last week or the week before from Callaway? I was just in the truck talking with the guys so I heard about this.
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, that’s right.
Q. You must have felt really confident when you made that shot there on 18.
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, Nick, our Tour rep, suggested I get new wedges for this tournament because the rough is high and you want to spin it, and I was like, okay, sure, let’s just put them in last week and kind of get used to them, and you know, they did their work.
Q. Did you actually change the wedges, loft, anything different?
SANDRA GAL: No, it’s the same wedges I had, just new grooves.
Q. Just the new grooves.
SANDRA GAL: They spin more.
Q. You really felt good with them?
SANDRA GAL: I did.
Q. And how was the pressure on that shot there?
SANDRA GAL: I can’t really remember. I wasn’t thinking about the pressure, I was just thinking about how to possibly hole the shot because I knew she hit it close. I’d been trying to hole a shot all week. I had one that I flew in the cup earlier in the week and it bounced out, and then I had another one that hit the pin. I was like, okay, she’s going to make birdie, I need to do something. I just came close.
Q. How are you feeling health-wise? Everything okay as far as injury-free?
SANDRA GAL: I’m injury-free. I’m still kind of dragging along a cold from last week, but nothing serious, so I’m good.
Q. I’m just curious, Martin Kaymer’s rise to the top of the men’s rankings, his first major win last week, has that acted as much of an
inspiration to you?
SANDRA GAL: Um, I think so. I don’t know Martin very well, but I’ve grown up with him playing junior tournaments because he’s from the same area in Germany, so kind of seeing him succeed, you know it’s possible, and I know he’s a great player, so anyone who achieves what he did is definitely an inspiration.
Q. That was the other question that I had and I lost track of it thinking about your wedges. Is there something special about what they’re doing for regional golf there?
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, there’s this big secret.
Q. Come on, let’s hear about it. Martin wouldn’t tell me, either. We’ve been talking about it for two and a half years now and he still won’t tell me. Is it something in the water there?
SANDRA GAL: The secret is there is no secret. No, I can’t tell you really. I mean, everyone has to do their own thing and figure out what works for them to play good.
Q. But would you say that the German Federation has given you a lot of support?
SANDRA GAL: Definitely, that I can say. I’ve been on the national team for, let’s see, I think five years, and they support you really, really well. I mean, we travel to so many tournaments, and in the winter when it was cold we’d travel to warm places just to get some practice in. We had great physiotherapists, and that is something that definitely helps your development as a junior golfer.
Q. Cristie Kerr was in here a little while ago talking about players who have won majors and players who haven’t and how players who have won majors maybe feel more comfortable in this situation. People might have thought the same thing last week with you never having won on this Tour. But you seemed to be as calm as anybody on the golf course last week. Can you carry that into a major, or does it feel different?
SANDRA GAL: We’ll see (laughing). I don’t know, I mean, I really love this course. And it is a major; everything is bigger here, but at the end of the day — you know, it’s funny, last week when I was on 17 or 16, I was walking and I was in the lead or shared with the lead, and I was like, well, this is how it feels. You’re still on the golf course, you’re still playing the shots, you have the ball there, your clubs, your caddie. At the end of the day it’s not different than anything else. So I’m just going to try and carry the same feeling on to this week.
Q. Did nothing surprise you about how you felt on the final day in the last round, or did you just take it all in your stride?
SANDRA GAL: I think what I just said surprised me. You would think in that moment maybe you get overwhelmed by the situation. I didn’t, you know, on Sunday. But that was something that I think I can take with me, just to keep that calmness.
Q. Last week several times you didn’t take driver off the tee. Some of the players talked about that. One of the appealing aspects of this golf course is that it’s not just hit driver down the middle, sometimes 3-wood, sometimes rescue, left, right. Do you feel comfortable on this golf course? You say you like it.
SANDRA GAL: Yeah, I love this golf course. That’s going to be my strategy this week. I won’t be hitting a lot of drivers.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Sandra. Play well this week.
Source: LPGA.com, 4/2011