An Interview With:  MEGHAN BOLGER

            MODERATOR: That was a remarkable round of golf considering the kind of conditions you were playing in.  It's the championship, first of all, it's the final match, everything is on the line and the weather was absolutely horrible.  And I have you at 1 over par for the 13 holes.  How did you do it?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  Well, the weather was a lot better than I thought it was going to be, and I've played in a whole lot worse.  Condition-wise, my goal was to have as many pars as possible and not be stuck in the rough.  So I just tried to be in the fairway and hit as many greens as possible.

            Q.  How much did Thuhashini Selvaratnam's game affect your approach?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  Not very much.  All weekend, trying to play my game, and she is a great player to make it this far and I knew she was going to be able to get up and down a lot when she needed to, so I just tried to make as many pars.

            Q.  You said she had to hit longer and longer because of the weather, did you have the same experience?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  Today because of the weather, yes, it was colder.

            Q.  Give us a club comparison.  Maybe look at the par 3s.  No. 3, what do you normally hit and what did you hit today?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  3 today, I hit a 5 back there about pin high.  It was mainly one club today.

            Q.  Normally you would hit a 6?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  Yes.

            Q.  And 7, about the same?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  7 gave me a lot of trouble this week, not a lot of trouble with big scores, but even if you're on the green, it's a tricky green.  I three-putted several times this week.  Today we were both able to get up and down.  I hit a great shot in, but it was just a little short.

            Q.  I'm just talking about club comparison.  What did you normally hit throughout the week?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I hit the same club.

            Q.  How about 12?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I hit the same club, 9-iron.

            Q.  The weather was pretty bad out there, yet you managed to hit 11 of 14 greens. Talk about how good your ball-striking was today.

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  It's pretty good for me.  I putted well this week.  I tend to hit a lot of greens and have a lot of shorter irons in, which helped me game, so I was able to hit a lot of greens.

            Q.  You also rarely trailed in a match all week. You lost the first hole three times, including today, yet managed to get it back right away by winning the second hole every time.

MEGHAN BOLGER:  I really never want to be down in the match.  I felt pretty good.  I knew I hit a great shot in there on that second shot [on one]   I thought I had the putt but it lipped out a little bit.  The second hole, the par 5, I was able to 2-putt [for par].

            Q.  You never trailed again after the second hole?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  Yes.

            MODERATOR:  6, 7, and 8, three 3s on a day like this, can you describe those two birdies?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  6 and 8.  6, I putt the approach shot right where I wanted to be.  I wanted to be a little right and pin high.  It was a tricky pin there.  And I was able to make that putt.

            MODERATOR:  What was the club?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I had a wedge in, and I think it was about 90 yards.

            Q.  How long was the putt?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  12, 15 feet. 8, she conceded that hole, I had about a 10-footer.  I hit a 5-iron in there.

            Q.  How much were you affected by the weather?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  Not right now, no, I just know I have.  In college tournaments we play in just about everything.

            Q.  She lives in Phoenix and is from Sri Lanka, where it is warm, how much advantage do you think you've had playing in bad weather since you are from New Jersey and have probably played in these conditions more often?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I was prepared for anything.  I have a great caddie and my dad being there too.  It made it a lot easier.  I think I hit him in the head about 10 times with the umbrella.  But we had a good chemistry going and a really good routine getting to the ball and being prepared for that. Playing college golf, you play in everything.  That's what I've been doing for the last 10 or 11 years of my life, so we've seen a lot.

            Q.  This is a national championship.  You're the national champion.  What does it mean to you?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I think it's going to hit me a little bit later.  It's still very exciting right now.  It's new.  Seeing my name in the exemption.  I wasn't aware of that before.  That's exciting.  I qualify for the [Women's] AM, I think.  That's exciting.  That's even more exciting, because I just love match play.

            Q.  How much will you play in an effort to possibly make the next USA Curtis Cup team?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I'm going to take a couple in January and try to play.

            MODERATOR:  So you will play a lot?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  As much as I can.  I have to check my schedule here, but I will play as much as I can. I played the Southern last year.  That was fun to be able to play.  I played the North and South.

            Q.  I know you're headed to Auburn to be with your players.  What kind of celebration do you think they're going to have for you?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I don't know where this came from, but I guess I owe them a cake.  I don't know where it came from.  We have a lot of team dinners.  We're able to share those, so I guess I'm making a cake.

            Q.  What kind?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I don't know.

            Q.  What's more exciting, winning a tournament yourself or watching your team win a title?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I would love to see them win a tournament.  Maybe this weekend.  They're great players.  I'm very comfortable with my game and playing.  What you want to see with them is playing a lot, hitting a bad shot here and there and recovering.  Hopefully after yesterday, they saw that and will be able to recover if they need to.

            Q.  (Inaudible?)

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I sure hope so.  We'll get it out there and look forward to seeing what happens with that.

            Q.  What hole was the turning point of the match for you?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I think right -- the second hole.  And then after making that good putt on 6 I think definitely help me get going.

            Q.  That put you 3 up.  And you thought you were okay.

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  I never think that so early on, because it is early, especially with these conditions.  She's a great player, so you have to keep making good shots.  I think once you get to 10 or 11, you're able to think a little bit more along that line.

            Q.  I know you're from New Jersey.  To win a championship in Mississippi where you now live and coach, how does it feel?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  It feels good.  I can't even describe it.  It feels that good to represent the state.  It's just very exciting.

            Q.  What did you think about the comment of a bunch of Bulldogs.  Saying we offer Mississippi State, but we're also from Mississippi?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  That's how it is.  It's a great rivalry and that's how it is across the SEC and it's something you deal with.

            Q.  What did you think when the lady said that?

            MODERATOR:  She was talking about her committee.

            Q.  There are a few other coaches that played this year.  Do you think more college coaches will play?

            MEGHAN BOLGER:  They may, yes.  There are a lot of great players out there and I look forward to ... (inaudible.)  We're one and one now.  That's exciting.  We're going to see each other at the course and even with our teams too.