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WENDY'S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CHILDREN

August 28, 2005

Paula Creamer

DUBLIN, OHIO

PAUL ROVNAK: Thanks for coming and speaking with us. Tied for second, I know that's not the finish you wanted, but another great finish for you with two wins this year. You earned Rookie of the Year Award and Solheim Cup team, which we'll have later on. Not what you wanted, but still a great day. Talk about that a little bit.

PAULA CREAMER: I never really got a rhythm going from the beginning. I gave myself chances to make birdie and it never really happened. I made one and then I had a bogey out there. It was just one of those days where I couldn't see the hole wasn't four inches, it felt two inches. That was a little different than yesterday. I birdied the 17th hole to give myself a good chance, which was a good thing for me.

Q. Would that hole on 18 apply to the (No microphone.)

PAULA CREAMER: I had a perfect putt there. I couldn't ask for a better putt. It was a good speed. Everything was good about it. It just didn't go in. I thought I had made it.

Q. How far was that putt?

PAULA CREAMER: Away from the hole?

Q. Yes.

PAULA CREAMER: Probably, I don't know, 45 feet, maybe. I would say about 45, probably even a little longer. I'm looking around. It was probably 50 feet, just down the ridge.

Q. With regard to never being able to get in a rhythm, the pace of play seemed really slow. Cristie was playing very deliberately. Did that contribute to not being able to get in a rhythm?

PAULA CREAMER: Yes, it just seemed like they would wait for her turn to do all their work, when normally you do it before and when it's your turn you go. She won the tournament, so whatever works works. I know she was very deliberate today. I'm not really like that. I'm a more feel kind of person. Give me the numbers and the wind and we don't need to talk about every little angle out there.

Q. Is it typically how she plays or was she more deliberate today, would you say?

PAULA CREAMER: I think normally she plays very deliberately, but today I think was a little more than what normal circumstances are. I've only played with her a couple of times, the British Open. And then I think last time was Shop Rite.

I've only played with her a couple of times. She's pretty deliberate, but she is a good player a great player. She's won several times, and whatever works works. Like I say, with Annika, you can still watch what she does, but it may only work for her, not for you.

Q. Is there anything else in particular that you learn on a day like this when you didn't have your A game but you still had a chance to win?

PAULA CREAMER: I mean, if I'm not playing my best and can still be in contention on the leaderboard, that only shows to myself that I can play out here. I can win. I can still be in contention without that. I think it's huge that I made a good putt on 16 and then a birdie on 17 to show I'm not out of it. There's one hole left and I'm not out of it yet.

Q. You weren't happy yesterday with the way you finished. You talked about driving it badly, distance control was bad. Did you sort that out today? You said you gave yourself a lot of chances.

PAULA CREAMER: Yes and no. I hit my driver okay. At the beginning I didn't hit it very good. Near the end I started hitting a little better. It seems the first two days the course was dryer than yesterday and today, because of the rain. But still, I didn't hit it as far.

I don't know, I think I was kind of sore out there, just a lot of playing, a lot of hitting balls, and my body was kind of tired. At 19 years old, what's going on here? (Laughter).

Q. As a 19 year old, now that you've already won a couple of tournaments, have you grown accustomed to this level of golf. Is this routine for you now?

PAULA CREAMER: Kind of. I've been in contention a lot this summer. I mean, it seems every week I have a chance, besides last week. I'm always around there. That's a good thing to myself because I know, like I say, I don't have my A game and I'm still there. Anything can happen.

When I was walking down 18 I hit a poor shot in there, and I'm in the last group. I'm one back. I haven't been playing good, and I have a chance to win. So I think that's a big thing, a big part of it.

Q. It's been a foregone conclusion you've been Rookie of the Year for a while. But it's official. Can you reflect on the fact you graduated from high school and got Rookie of the Year on the LPGA Tour?

PAULA CREAMER: This year has been so good. We have so many tournaments left that I want to do well in. But Solheim is happening in a week or so, and Rookie of the Year is finalized. All my goals are being checked off. So I have to go back and rethink what I want to do for the rest of the year, because I am very goal driven and it seems like everything is done now. But we'll see.

Q. (No microphone.)

PAULA CREAMER: She won the tournament, definitely. She played hard. She played good and she definitely hit some good shots out there. She wasn't going to give up. I knew I had to birdie the last hole to win or to get into a playoff to win, but she played really well today. I was very impressed, with the pressure and everything and coming down 18.

Q. You talked a little bit about the weather conditions. Compared to yesterday and today, how did that play into your game?

PAULA CREAMER: Today I think because it was moving so slowly the last two days, it felt hotter than what it really was. But the golf course, like I said, was a little softer, so it played a little longer. It was hot, but it was comfortable out there. I mean, I had my sweat bands, so I was okay.

Q. You were obviously able to keep track of Cristie and Soo Yun as you were playing with them. No. 1, were you aware Annika had posted 17?

PAULA CREAMER: Yes.

Q. And did you know that Pat went into the trees off the tee on 18?

PAULA CREAMER: We were waiting on the tee box. I could see she was in the trees. Annika, I knew she was at 17. I think when I was on the par 5, 14, I believe that's when it was, that hole or the par 3.

Q. I'm sorry, did any thought go through your mind, oh, my gosh, there's Annika Sorenstam?

PAULA CREAMER: She is a great player. She's going to go as low as she can. And she's been playing decent this tournament, having lots of birdies. Then when I saw the 17 finish, I knew I had to get under 18. I went for the putt on 16, but a little firm.

Q. Annika thought the course was playing a little more difficult today. She said the wind was coming in from a little different direction than it had been all week. Was that your same perspective?

PAULA CREAMER: It was really swirly out there all day long. The last several holes were supposed to be downwind but they were into the wind. It was real odd out there. The pins were much tougher than they were the first two days. The score board shows it.

7 under for two holes and we were 16 and 10 for the other two days. So it shows the golf course played tougher.

Q. You're not playing Springfield, are you?

PAULA CREAMER: No.

Q. After your practice session at Crooked Stick tomorrow, what will you doing to get rested and ready?

PAULA CREAMER: Do nothing. Lay on my couch and do absolutely nothing. I'll hit balls later on in the week, but I'm going to go out with my friends and thing like that and go shopping and do normal things right now. There's been so much golf lately, it's time to get away from it.

Q. Cristie wins. You tie for second. The leaderboard is full of your Solheim Cup teammates.

PAULA CREAMER: I'm so excited. We have a great team. Everybody gets along so well and we all want to win. I know I do. I would do anything if the team needs whatever to be done to win, I'm there for them. We're all playing well. Like you said, the leaderboard shows it. It's a huge confidence booster for all of us.

Q. Sometimes rivalries are built on performance, sometimes on personality, sometimes both. Would you and Cristie, how would you characterize the rivalry?

PAULA CREAMER: I don't know. That's a question I think it's hard to say. We have two totally different games. She's played longer out here. She knows things that I haven't seen yet before. I think it's hard to say. On any given day I know you want me to answer, but I'm not going to (laughter).

Q. You're two different type people, personality wise, right?

PAULA CREAMER: Definitely, I think so. I don't understand.

Q. Having said what you said about two different personalities, who do you see yourself being paired with at the Solheim Cup that would be a good fit for you?

PAULA CREAMER: It's hard to say. We have to play practice rounds together, alternate shot kind of thing. Cristie would be good. We get along well. We're pretty good friends. With that, it's all about being compatible with the other player. If you don't get along, it's not going to be good on the golf course. In that situation you're such a team that you're bonded already because of that. I mean it just really depends on what Nancy thinks. It's all in Nancy's control. We have very little say. She's the captain and she knows best.

Q. People see 16, 17 under and they think the course maybe is setup too easy. But if the men do that they think the men are that good. Where does the TOUR have to get to show how good you guys are and get past that stigma, I guess? If that makes sense.

PAULA CREAMER: It seems this whole year, there's been many first time winners. That's a big part of it. Annika was dominating earlier in the year, but now there's been so many more first time winners. I think that's a big part of showing there are other players out there. She's raised the bar for all of us to do well. Especially for myself, I know that she's definitely done that.

Q. Did you think the conditions were easy or the setup was easy?

PAULA CREAMER: I don't necessarily think it was easy. Definitely you could make a lot of birdies out there if you were hitting the ball well. Today and yesterday, you could fly it to the flag. This golf course has always been known to go long. I personally like more tree lined courses, which doesn't necessarily bring the whole field into play.

PAUL ROVNAK: Take us over your score card. Start with the bogey on 7.

PAULA CREAMER: I had 165 yards. I hit 5 iron, but I hit it way right. I three putted from 35 feet, but it was through fringe and downhill. It was a terrible putt.

PAUL ROVNAK: Birdie on 9.

PAULA CREAMER: I didn't have a very good drive. 215 to the hole, 200 to carry the bunkers. And I hit 3 wood to the back of the green and 2 putted from 30 feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: Birdie on 13.

PAULA CREAMER: 9 iron to two feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: Bogey on 14.

PAULA CREAMER: I hit my drive in the right bunker and then I barely got it out.

PAUL ROVNAK: What did you hit for the your second shot?

PAULA CREAMER: Punched out with my 9 iron and didn't do a very good job at it. 6 iron to layup, and great wedge to 5 feet and missed it.

PAUL ROVNAK: Birdie on 17.

PAULA CREAMER: It was 125 yards, I think, and it was downwind. I hit a little 9 iron to four feet, five feet probably.

Q. How many birdie chances did you get?

PAULA CREAMER: I would say eight.

PAUL ROVNAK: Can you give us the club and yardage on 18, your approach?

PAULA CREAMER: I had 185 to the hole. This is insane because the other days I had 9 iron into the green and today I had 4 rescue. I hit a little 4 rescue and hit it right. I didn't really trust it.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thanks.

End of FastScripts.

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