Q. Not only do you have deep ties to this area, you also have deep ties to the club. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
JAMIE FISCHER: Yes, I grew up here, 10 minutes from the club. I went to Centerville High School. My mother still lives in the house I grew up in, again, 10 minutes from here at NCR. My mother played on the Tour and was a teaching professional in this area, and about my freshman year of college, she became one of the teaching professionals here at NCR. They were kind enough then to extend me playing and practice privileges, so this was my home course through college and then I played on the mini-Tour briefly and practiced here.
Then I spent a summer after I retired from competing as an assistant here at NCR. So I've spent many, many hours on the practice range, on the golf course, in the golf shop, and it's a fantastic place, and it's so special to be back here.
Q. Can you tell me a little bit about what it means to you to be playing in the U.S. Senior Women's Open?
JAMIE FISCHER: Well, first of all, I think it's absolutely fantastic that we have a U.S. Senior Women's Open. I have been so blessed and fortunate to have played in each of them so far. That's a thrill in and of itself.
As luck would have it, I also played in the 1986 U.S. Women's Open which was contested here at NCR. I was six weeks out of high school and fortunate to make it through the local qualifier. My mother caddied for me that week, and it was an amazing thing.
It is, again, so special to be here. My mom is not caddying for me this week, but she is out following and watching at age 82, and that is beyond thrilling, also.
Q. Because you're very familiar with this course especially, what are your thoughts on setup so far?
JAMIE FISCHER: So far I think it's been a very good setup. It's a hard golf course, period. The fairways are tight, and there's a lot of undulation, and the greens are absolutely -- they will test every part of your skill. Setting up a championship here is no easy task. So far it seems like it's been a good setup and a good mix of appropriate length of holes and hole locations. The rough is typical USGA quality rough, but it is playable, so that's helpful, as well.
I do know Jim Campion, the greens superintendent here, very well. He was the greens superintendent when I was here previously, and he knows every blade of grass here, so I know he and his team are working well with the USGA to create a great setup and work with the weather conditions and what it takes to set up a championship course.
Q. How does it feel to know that you're moving on to the weekend now?
JAMIE FISCHER: Again, very thrilling, and I am just thankful to be playing, and to make the weekend is a wonderful thing for me. I have some friends coming in from out of town to watch and I have some friends obviously still here in the area. In fact, I'm staying with a childhood friend and her family who live here, and that's been wonderful to reconnect.
As luck would have it, her youngest daughter is starting her freshman year of high school at my alma mater, Centerville high school, and she's on the golf team. This week she's had her first two matches, so we've been talking about that at dinner time, and that's been great fun. It's all fantastic.
Ron Sirak used the word the other night at the banquet, and I think this feels celebratory, and that's what it is.
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