FIELDS OPEN IN HAWAII

February 23, 2006

Lorena Ochoa

Q. Can you just talk about your day, playing great, you're leading the tournament at 8 under par, can you just talk about your day? LORENA OCHOA: Well, I'm very happy with the way I played. It was one of my goals just to have a good first day to make sure that I have a chance to win a tournament on the weekend. I got off to a good start last week and was really focused today. I feel great. So a couple more days to play good. Q. How important it is to get off to a good start in a three day tournament? LORENA OCHOA: I think it's more important, four day tournaments are very different. You can have maybe even par or a couple under and then come back and be in contention. But a three day tournament, you need to be on every stroke, every hole is very important. You need it take advantage of conditions. I'm very pleased with the way I finished. Q. Talk about your play today, 64, 8 under, that's one off your personal best. Were you just on fire out there today? LORENA OCHOA: I was. I think that it was my irons, my short irons and my mid irons. I hit them very good. I was just pretty much close to the ball all day long and having great opportunities. So that makes a big difference. I think if the course is playing good, especially that we have a different wind direction and a couple of the par 5s are pretty short, it would be good to take advantage and try to reach the par 5s only and get advantage of all those birdies. Q. Talk about the par 5s playing them at 5 under par today, just talk about the par 5s. LORENA OCHOA: That's my best. I never played the par 5s more than 4 under par, so having those three birdies and that eagle, it was my record for the par 5s and it's just a special time for me. I'm very happy. I also want to say thank you to my caddie, he was really good on the golf course today and hopefully we get a couple more good ones. Q. Talk about the start of the year, you shot 74 in the opening round last week and then 65 67 and 64 today. How good of golf are you playing right now? LORENA OCHOA: I really feel very good with my game. Again, it's very important for me because when I play in Mexico in a couple of weeks, that's a really big tournament for me. So having a good start on the year gives me confidence and I know what I need to work on. I'm hitting the ball farther but I think that's pretty good, too. It makes the golf courses a little bit easier, and I can't wait to have a good week here and have a hell of a week in my country. Q. And talk about your goals for the year, you traditionally say to finish Top 5, just talk about your goals this year. LORENA OCHOA: Well, I want to be No. 1. I think it's something that, you know, I have faith in God and I have the belief that I can do it. I have the opportunity to win every eagle week I'm out here. I'm just trying to be positive and I want to go week by week and I want to get ahead of the game and just try to go day by day. I want to have just a better year, be more consistent, like last year that I had some up and downs, so hopefully I can get as many Top 10s as I can, more than I did my rookie year and my second year, and hopefully at the end of the year, my results, we'll see. Q. Talk a little bit about this course, if the wind doesn't blow, is this going to be a shootout? LORENA OCHOA: I mean, if the wind doesn't blow, I just know that we need to play aggressive. I'm thinking that we could get close to 20 under par, so that would be amazing in three rounds. Q. Your thoughts on 36 holes to go, it's a stacked leaderboard right now, if you look behind you, you have Wendy Ward who has won, beat you in Las Vegas, you have Juli Inkster who is up there, Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato; it's a very, very good leaderboard. Just talk about what you do now with 36 holes left. LORENA OCHOA: Yes, well, I want to do tomorrow the same thing as I did today. I want to get really focused on the first hole and get a good start so I can keep it going and be aggressive. There's a lot of birdies out there and I'm going to try to get them and make a low round and be in contention for the tournament. Q. Take us through your round, the bogey on 12? LORENA OCHOA: I chipped short maybe six feet. 13, I had 235. I hit my 3 wood maybe ten feet. 14, I tried to reach the green in two but I was on the right side, short and I hit a good chip maybe six feet and made it. Then on No. 15, I had 110 yards. I hit it a little bit long on the right side, maybe 25 feet and made it. Q. So what did you hit for your third shot, wedge? LORENA OCHOA: 110 yards. 16, I had 195. I hit my Sonartec, rescue club. Q. How far? LORENA OCHOA: Again, like 12 feet maybe. Q. 18? LORENA OCHOA: I was 145, I hit 3 iron to maybe 18 feet and made it. . 1, I tried to hit the green in two. I was just on the right side and I chipped maybe five feet and made it. 5, the par 5, I hit the green in two with my 3 wood, 235, really close, maybe ten feet and missed the eagle putt. Next, I hit my 9 iron 128 yards and I had again like 15 feet.

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