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JOHN Q. HAMMONS HOTEL CLASSIC

September 15, 2005

Paula Creamer

TULSA, OKLAHOMA

PAUL ROVNAK: You're having one of the best rookie seasons in the history of the Tour, three wins worldwide, you led the U.S. to victory in the Solheim Cup. I don't know if it's all overwhelming for you or not, but you come into this week, playing here last year on a sponsor exemption, talk about coming into this week after the high last week.

PAULA CREAMER: I've played great golf so far this year, I've definitely been in contention a lot, and I've won several times. But I think just experiencing every moment that I've had out there is the most, you know, conscious thing that I'm aware of, because I'm always thinking, I'm always trying to learn something new, and last week was just an unbelievable week. It couldn't have gone any better. It's by far the best week of golf I've ever had just emotionally.

Q. How huge was that, playing on the Solheim Cup team representing your country with these women that, of course, you've looked up to in the past and now you're right there as a teammate of theirs?

PAULA CREAMER: I get chills now every time I think about it. It was just a great week. To have Nancy Lopez as a captain, it was wonderful, and to have those 12 players, being a part of that team, it was even better. This is the best one of the best players in the world, and I think that is a huge part of it was just our team bonding. I earned my way there, and that was a big goal of mine. It was everything I expected and way more.

Q. And to come away knowing that you contributed and played very well, that had to help, too?

PAULA CREAMER: Not only did I want to make that team, but after I got there, I told myself, well, you made it, now you have to play good. I think that was big, and it was big to prove to myself that I can play.

Q. You won the Sybase, I think it was four day the before you graduated high school, what was that graduation like?

PAULA CREAMER: It was good to see my friends and it was fun. I had a good time. I had to leave for the tournament like two days afterwards and everything kind of happened so fast.

Q. So the next tournament was your senior class trip, right?

PAULA CREAMER: We didn't have one of those, no.

Q. Are you glad to be out of high school are you glad to be out of high school just so that you can concentrate on your golf career now?

PAULA CREAMER: I guess. I think that I'm still going to get my degree. It's just a matter of time of when I'm going to do that and how, but that's I'm able to focus on what I have to do. I have a great team around me that allows me to do that, and I think that knowing that I'm still going to be getting my degree is good, as well, just to keep everything still going.

Q. What does Annika Sorenstam mean for you, trying to attain lofty goals, and also for this tour, being kind of the face of the Tour right now?

PAULA CREAMER: I'm sorry?

Q. She's sets the bar for players like yourself, and just to try to attain the she's the person to beat week in and week out, what does that, having her out here, mean to you and others trying to get to that level?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, she has definitely raised the bar for women's golf and if I want to be the No. 1 player in the world I have to knock her off that list, and when she's at an event, that puts just even more energy levels for me because I know I have to play good golf and I know I have to play well and I have to compete hard because she's here. But there's also however many other people in the field, and you can't always focus on one person. But she is right now the best player in the world.

Q. It seemed like there was a lot of up and comers, might not be in the LPGA yet, like Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, what do you think about the emergence of some of the young stars? Seems like they are more brash and up in your face, what do you think about that?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, I've always been pretty kind of under the radar. I really just focus on what I have it do. I can only take care of myself. But there's a lot of girls coming up that are going to be good for women's golf and good competitors and that's good. I think that we need that and just to have new fresh faces is always a positive, as well. But definitely the competition will be stronger but I can only like I said, I can only take care of myself and I can only control what I want to do.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PAULA CREAMER: Pink is my favorite color. My nickname is Pink Panther, so I always have something pink on. Like last week at Solheim, I had my watch and I have a pink anklet that I wear, so I have something pink. It's just I've always liked it since I was a little girl and I've always worn it.

Q. Speaking of that, since you are one of the younger competitors on this tour, what's the biggest challenge with regard to your age and being a rookie and being so young on this tour?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, I guess there's lot of things that I can't do. Obviously it's hard after Solheim, everybody wants to go drink and I'm here, designated driver. (Laughter).

But we have a good time. I mean, I think that I'm just learning new things and I'm experiencing new boundaries, where to go, where not to go, and meeting people is the most important thing for myself and getting a good, group of solid friends out here is something that you have to work on. I can't rent cars and things like that, so mom and dad are with me to help me with that.

Q. So they travel with you?

PAULA CREAMER: Yes, my mom and dad do, every tournament.

Q. Last year at this tournament, not many people probably knew who you were. How different has it been coming back here this week as compared to coming here last September for you with everything that's transpired?

PAULA CREAMER: Oh, I mean, this is I come to this tournament, obviously with the same goal in mind to win, but also outside the golf course I feel very comfortable out there and I'm hitting the ball well. So it's a little bit more, I guess, positive coming here to win. I've seen it and I know what it takes to win on this course.

I'm a different player. I think I'm a little different person than I was then. I had a lot of deciding factors to go through last year, and this time, I'm pretty focused on what I want to do.

Q. You played the course Tuesday in the practice round and nine holes today, because of the rain, how different is the course in terms of toughness and stuff as we get ready to tee off tomorrow?

PAULA CREAMER: It's wet out there. So the golf course is playing long. The fairways, they are pretty long, I thought it would be a little bit more tighter fairways, but the greens aren't very fast. It's a little different than last week, let's say. But hopefully in the next couple of days it won't rain as much and it will dry out.

Q. You said that it was important for you to meet people on Tour and maybe make some friendships with some of the other golfers, has there been anybody you can mention by name, one or two of them?

PAULA CREAMER: Oh, definitely. I've been very lucky that I've had some really good people look after me, obviously like Juli Inkster, Beth Daniel, Meg Mallon, Lorie Kane, she's my big sister on Tour, Wendy Ward. There's just so many, Rosie Jones, a lot of it has to do with just you know what it takes, and they were in my position, Nancy Lopez, just people who have been there and they know what I'm going through.

Q. You've mentioned that you've flown under the radar in juniors, but you've won junior tournaments all the while, why do you think you have flown under the radar, by your own admission even?

PAULA CREAMER: I don't know. I think that I've never been one to I guess come out and say a lot of things. I guess Solheim Cup was huge about what I said, but I've never really done anything like that. I've always just let my clubs do the talking. I've always announced my goals and things like that. But that's something that I really believe I could have done and I wanted to reach.

But like said, I just try to take care of my own business and achieve what I want to achieve and just go to the next level.

Q. For somebody your age, it seems like you're very savvy, how do you learn how to deal with all of this and where do you find that strength and where do you find that ability?

PAULA CREAMER: I don't know, I guess I just it comes natural. No, just kidding. (Laughter) I'm just kidding.

I think, well, I used to be gymnast and a dancer so I used to be able to feel comfortable in a lot of people. I always had to perform in those two minutes, you have what you have and go for it. I think that had a little bit to do with it.

My dad and mom always told me, if you have media attention, you're doing something good, and doing something good for golf, as well. So if you have it, then you have the opportunities to do media, then why not.

Q. I read somewhere even back into your youth, kindergarten you're still young, you always wanted to win the races on the playground and you wanted to have the best grades. Talk about the competitive fire for you, because even though the Solheim might have been the first time that you came out and said I'm going to beat you and you

PAULA CREAMER: I didn't say that. (Laughter). I said we were going to win. I didn't say I was going to beat anybody.

Q. That's my paraphrase for you. Talk about your competitive drive, where it sort of started and then also how that has changed over the years and what has fueled that for you?

PAULA CREAMER: Like I said, I've always been very competitive with everything I do. And I think I get it a lot from my dad, my dad used to be a really good swimmer, a competitive swimmer. I don't like to lose and I don't like coming in second. I'm very driven on what I want to do and I think that I'll give 110% out there. Afterwards if someone beats me, they played better. I say it all the time, I can only control what I do and as long as I know that and as long as I know I gave it my all, then I'm proud of what I did.

Q. Did IMG help to shape some of that for you?

PAULA CREAMER: No, I've always been like that. Like you said, ever since I was little, and it's that I don't think it will ever go away. The day it does, I'll have something to worry about.

Q. Since you were a dancer and gymnast at one time, how did you evolve into golf?

PAULA CREAMER: I lived on the golf course in California Pat Hurst was there and I looked up to players like that. When I was ten, I picked up my first club and then when I was 12 I had to decide whether to be a cheerleader or on the golf team. They wouldn't let me do both at the school. I chose golf. 14, I moved to Florida, to IMG Sports Academy and David Leadbetter Golf Academy.

Q. What are your parents' names?

PAULA CREAMER: Paul and Karen.

Q. I saw after your first victory that you said, you hit a 15 footer and said, "I love this kind of pressure," you live for that, is that something every time you're out here you think, "man, I hope we come to the 18th tied?"

PAULA CREAMER: Well, obviously I want a lead going into it. If I'm going to hope for a win, I'm going to hope for a big win, not let's go and tie.

I love pressure, I really do. I think that's really the exciting part about golf. That shows you if you have it or not. I think that's one of the reasons why I like Solheim Cup so much is that pressure of looking over the sidelines and your team is over there holding your hands or eyes closed because they can't watch, the stuff like that I think is the fun part about golf. And to have that and to want that desire is something that I think only the top players have that.

Q. You talked about being involved in dance and gymnastics, was golf the furthest thing from your mind?

PAULA CREAMER: I didn't like it at first but it's something I did with my dad. It's something I picked up on and I picked up on it really quick and I had early success with it. I've had great coaches, just made it fun for me. And I enjoyed golf and we did it and I'd drive the golf cart around, things like that. I played in some tournaments and won, oh, I like this game.

Q. If you weren't a golfer, what would you like to be doing right now?

PAULA CREAMER: I really enjoy the whole fashion industry, so maybe something along the lines of like designing things. But it's hard to say. I've always I've said that fashion, I really enjoy that whole Holly wood type of thing.

Q. The white socks inaudible?

PAULA CREAMER: I did, at the British Open. Probably not this week. I don't have them, so every once in awhile, it's not an every day basis type of thing, that's just for fun.

Q. It's after Labor Day.

PAULA CREAMER: You're right, I can't wear white. You're right. Thank you. (Laughter).

End of FastScripts.

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