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U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 4, 2004

Paula Creamer

SOUTH HADLEY, MASSACHUSETTS

Q. Four rounds, you're in the top-20, which earns you a return visit, how does that set into your head now?

PAULA CREAMER: Right now it hasn't set in. It's been fun, it really has, out there playing today, it was tough conditions, but I tried to hang in there, I had a lot of good saves. But most importantly I had fun, and that was the main thing.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PAULA CREAMER: Very important. There was a lot of pride going into that. I don't know what Michelle is going to do. But if not, that's okay with me. I know I played good golf and hung in there.

Q. Did you talk to her on the range, the putting green about it?

PAULA CREAMER: No, we haven't.

Q. Do you think the two of you, playing as well as you have, and as close together, will be good for the game in the long run?

PAULA CREAMER: I do think so, I think any good girl golfer out there will promote girl golf and LPGA golf. It's fun to see new faces and good players coming.

Q. What have you learned from watching the Veterans?

PAULA CREAMER: I played with Meg Mallon in the practice round, and it's been fun to watch her name. Definitely in the course management, the short game is unbelievable. I hit my irons probably just as good as anybody, but if I could make more putts it would be a big difference.

Q. You mentioned Michelle, do you recognize the potential there for a rivalry?

PAULA CREAMER: I think that we are very good friends, we're very close. On the course I think everybody has a rivalry with everybody out there. Like I've said before, when you win a tournament you beat everybody, so I don't know if there's going to be an on course rivalry, but I like to win all the tournaments that I play in.

Q. You doubled 17 and come back and birdie 18. Is that important to you?

PAULA CREAMER: Yeah, it was. Talking to Tarik, I was saying that I thought I kind of blew it on that hole, I didn't -- it was a mental error, and I tried to come back from it, but it was a big birdie on the last hole, and I think I needed it.

Q. What was your yardage?

PAULA CREAMER: I had 180 to -- 185 to the flag and I hit a 4 rescue.

Q. Why did you happen to play with Meg?

PAULA CREAMER: It just happened.

Q. What happened on 17? The TV didn't show it?

PAULA CREAMER: I blocked it way right into the hazard and I punched out and I couldn't get up-and-down from where I punched out.

Q. What did you learn this week about yourself and about the game?

PAULA CREAMER: I learned a lot about patience, a lot about knowing my capabilities out on the golf course and definitely never giving up, anything can happen in any tournament, especially in the U.S. Open.

Q. What did you hit on 17?

PAULA CREAMER: 3 quarter 4 rescue. I hit that club a lot out here.

Q. You only need four clubs in your bag.

PAULA CREAMER: Yeah. On 17 it was about 8, 9 feet up the hill for bogey.

Q. On 18?

PAULA CREAMER: On 18 it was about 6 feet, I'd say.

Q. The rest of your schedule this summer?

PAULA CREAMER: I'm going to Canada tonight, actually, for the Canadian Women's Open. And then I have a break. Then I think I have the Women's Am, U.S. Girls is in there and two more LPGA's.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PAULA CREAMER: Yes.

Q. Looks like you'll be top-20, so you'll be coming back?

PAULA CREAMER: You know, I'm feeling really good about it right now. It's -- that was a huge goal of mine. It takes an extra day, an extra -- all that worrying, are you going do get in or not. Hopefully it stays like that.

Q. Which day did you play with Meg?

PAULA CREAMER: I played the second day, so that would be Wednesday.

Q. On 5, par-3, has a potential for a big number there, how relaxing was it to get that third shot?

PAULA CREAMER: That was a hole that I am so glad I made birdie on, because it could have been a disastrous hole. That was more -- I think more about controlling my emotions within myself and with my caddy, because we talked about it and he said, "You can still make bogey." My shot into the green made my bogey a lot easier, but it was -- I think a turning point right there.

Q. Who else did you get to play with or talk to or pick their brains that you'll remember?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, I think playing with Kelly Robbins really helped me a lot. Watching her game. She's very long. She can attack a lot of the par-5s. And I learned a lot, knowing that you have to be long out here, but her short game was great, if she missed a green, she got up-and-down.

Q. When was that?

PAULA CREAMER: That was yesterday I played with Kelly Robbins.

Q. This is a whirlwind, second two weeks ago, the Curtis Cup before that, and now this. Is there any way you can rank the highlights of all these or are they all on the same level?

PAULA CREAMER: Nothing is better than representing your country. I really do feel that Curtis Cup was a lot of fun. It's so hard because ShopRite was a great week. It's very hard to rank them.

Q. You talked about how it's been a mental adjustment believing in yourself. Is your confidence at an all time high right now?

PAULA CREAMER: It is. I know I left a lot of shots out there. Right now I'm hitting the ball well, and it's all really in your mental game right now. I am tired, I'm fatigued after a couple of weeks, but this is what I want to do and that only motivates me more out there.

Q. (Inaudible).

PAULA CREAMER: No, we just talked about everything, really. It was -- every kind of conversation. We talked about our seasons coming up, our tournaments. It was just a very relaxed practice round and I liked that.

Q. (Inaudible).

PAULA CREAMER: I watched her course management and heard the way she hits off tees, and I learned a lot off her.

Q. What kind of statement do you think you guys as teens made this week at this event?

PAULA CREAMER: We can play. We're coming. It's just a matter of time as to when we'll be out here. There's a lot of really good girls that will be coming out to women's golf.

Q. When you see all the attention that Michelle gets, do you kind of say, "Wait a second, I'm 17, I'm not exactly old here", is that in your mind?

PAULA CREAMER: I guess it does, but like I've said numerous times, it only motivate me more to practice hard.

Q. You know Michelle pretty well from the Curtis Cup, what was that like?

PAULA CREAMER: It was a lot of fun. It was a great week. To top everything off we won, which makes it even better. It was a week where it's just, you're representing your country and that Curtis Cup I think I've learned more from that golf tournament than I have in a long time.

Q. After so many big events recently, will it be hard to gear yourself up for some junior tournaments later this summer?

PAULA CREAMER: I don't think so, every tournament I go in with the same mindset, and that is to win. So I don't think that -- there's some good junior players out there. It's not going to be like a giveaway tournament.

Q. There are a lot of good amateurs that are here this week.

PAULA CREAMER: Right.

Q. Did you always have a feeling it would be you and Michelle jousting for low amateur on Sunday?

PAULA CREAMER: I never really thought about it that way. No, I didn't think it would be us two. No, like I've said -- anybody can shoot a good round. And there was a lot of really good players out here, and it could have been anybody's tournament.

Q. Is there a good story about the pink pig on your bag?

PAULA CREAMER: Pink is my favorite color, and my dad gave me that bag, and Tarik gave me several pigs after that.

Q. And he wore pink?

PAULA CREAMER: Since I couldn't wear it today.

Q. The earrings?

PAULA CREAMER: I got the earrings from a shopping trip to the mall several weeks ago, one of my shopping trips.

End of FastScripts.

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