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MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 10, 2006

Paula Creamer

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

PAUL ROVNAK: Paula thanks for coming in speaking with us. We know you just got back from Japan so imagine you're still a little jet lagged. Talk about your year to date so far and then we'll take some questions.

PAULA CREAMER: Well, obviously so far this year, I haven't, you know met my expectations. But I'm just trying to stay patient and not get ahead of myself and be able to just go out there, relax and have fun, let all the hard work that I've done pay off.

Q. From last year, your caddie breaking his leg, how much did that shake you and what's it like?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, I won two weeks after he did it, so I don't think that it was too much, you know. It was funny, yesterday when we played, we looked down the hill and I'm like, how do you walk down that, why would you do that. And actually someone hit it over there today, he didn't go get it, someone else did.

I think that Colin and I work really well together. It's just, you know, he doesn't hit the shot, I do, and I think that's the most important thing to remember on a golf course is that, you know, he can help mow the most with the number and I get the confidence from him.

Q. Just wonder your reaction to last year when it happened.

PAULA CREAMER: Well, there's not much that you can do.

Q. They carried him off?

PAULA CREAMER: Yeah, they carried him off. We all thought it was just a sprain. We didn't think he broke it in three different places. My boyfriend actually came and caddied for me after that. You know, it's just a freak accident, really.

Q. What's your confidence level coming into this particular tournament?

PAULA CREAMER: Right now, it's actually pretty high. I feel like I can I'm hitting the ball well, I'm putting well and that's most important thing is I played well the last two days in Japan so I'm coming off of a good finish. I'm excited to be here. This is a big event and it's a big purse and it's a well known tournament. I want to play well and I want to be in contention.

Q. Why did you go to Japan? Just for the experience?

PAULA CREAMER: No, I went to the Salonpas tournament. It's a great golf course. The tournament's been there 35 years. So it was a nice experience for me to go over there and play some golf over in Japan.

Q. First time over there?

PAULA CREAMER: No, my third.

PAUL ROVNAK: She won her last two times over there last year.

Q. The Big Sister program, were you in that last year, and who was yours?

PAULA CREAMER: Lorie Kane.

Q. How much does that sort of help as a rookie coming in to have a veteran to introduce you to folks and guide you through maybe some pitfalls?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, I still I think you just learn things every day when you're out on Tour. If you have someone that you're able to go and talk to, especially your first year out, it's quite a whirlwind experience.

It was nice that, you know, she was always available for me if I had any questions. You know, there's little things out here that you kind of take for granted, like where is the nearest gym; where is this; where is that; what time do tee times come out, things like that. And just it's nice that they are available for you when you need them.

Q. How much did that help you get through more smoothly than maybe you might have?

PAULA CREAMER: I mean, like when I had a question I played in a couple LPGA events before that, so I knew what it was like. But it helped; when I had a question, she answered it for me.

Q. How does it feel to be a part of a young generation of very talented golfers kind of giving the LPGA a lift, along with the veteran golfers on Tour?

PAULA CREAMER: How does it

Q. How does it feel to be a part, we talked to Annika and we talked to Cristie about the younger players are coming through here just so talented, and it seems that you guys seem to be pushing the others; your reaction to that?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, I love what I do. I think that I'm very lucky that this is my job, I guess you could say. I have so much that I want to try to achieve out on the golf course, not only there but as a person, as well. I think that I've been given so many opportunities to try to achieve those dreams and to be a part of that movement is very exciting because it just shows that there's so many young girls getting involved with golf. Basically we've been proving ourselves that we can play out here, and I think that we wouldn't be here, though, if it wasn't for the veterans. I have a lot of respect for them and I hope that they have the same for us. We just want to do what they want to do.

Q. Did you expect it to be this good this fast?

PAULA CREAMER: My expectations are very high, definitely. I feel that if I don't achieve what I want to achieve then I basically have not necessarily failed, but I haven't proven anything to myself.

You know, I work really hard at it. I wouldn't expect anything other than to be the best. That's just what I've always thought. I'm very competitive.

Q. As good as you were last year, has that raised the bar for your sophomore season; like if I don't play at least as well as did I as a rookie, it's not going to be as good a year?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, there's always that in your mind. You have such a good rookie year, you come out, I think that's what's happened to me the first couple of events. I just put so much pressure on myself, and I have to just sit back and relax. That's what happened last year and I won a couple times.

So there's no reason why I can't win again. I've worked just as hard as I did last year, if not harder, and you know, it should be I feel that I should be able to win out here. That's basically what it comes to.

Q. Michelle Wie brings up the age factor, does that get brought up a lot to you, do people come up to you and say you're not supposed to be doing this against veteran players, or does that even matter to you or even come up in conversation?

PAULA CREAMER: Does what?

Q. Like coming on this young and being that good.

PAULA CREAMER: No, I don't know anything other than who I am and what I want to do. So I feel that this is the right thing for me.

Q. I'll ask you the same thing I've been asking everybody coming through. With Michelle playing in Korea last week and making the cut in the men's event, is that something you took notice of, and is that something aspire to do at some point in your career, to play against men, to maybe even play on that Tour?

PAULA CREAMER: Right now, I don't have any desire to do that. Maybe later down the road. There's just so much I want to do out here first. I mean, this is my second year, and I feel that there's just so much to achieve.

But lake I said, maybe later down the road. I was in Japan last week, so I didn't see any of the coverage of it.

Q. When she's in the field, do your juices flow a little more?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, I'm not playing her necessarily when I'm on the golf course. I'm playing the golf course. You know, you can have the best players in the world but you can only take care of yourself. And I feel that I play my best golf when I play with good players, and I play under pressure and like I said, it doesn't really matter who is in the field or not but definitely, she brings a lot of attention to the events and the tournament.

Q. Do you like this course, does it set up well for your game, just talk about playing here.

PAULA CREAMER: Yes, I love this golf course. It's a great test of golf. It has huge greens. You have to hit sections and there's smaller greens out there. It's a variety.

You know, when the wind starts blowing, it gets difficult. It's a little wet still, so it's playing a little longer. But, you know, it's fun to play. It's definitely different than what we play in the other tournament.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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