home

jobs

	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 13, 2006

Lorena Ochoa

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

DANA GROSS RHODE: You had a 65 today, and you had five birdies on the front nine, do you want to talk about that?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I shoot 66.

Q. You shot 65.

LORENA OCHOA: Oh, I didn't see, it's a par 71. Yeah, the first couple of holes we're like, oh, because it was good for the scoring average. Yes, that's true. Perfect. I feel much better now. (Laughter).

Yes, I did have a really good round today, especially my front nine. I knew I was behind and I knew the conditions were going to be good. I told myself, if you want to have a chance, you need to post a good round today. I was feeling really good in the morning and very positive and happy and just decided to play aggressive and give myself a chance to be in a good position. So I'm glad it happened. You know, I feel really good on the front.

On the back nine, I made only one birdie on 13, the par 3, I hit real close. But two good pars, so I was happy with that. It always feels good when you don't make any bogeys. It was a fun round today.

Q. Why were the conditions so conducive to good scoring today? We've seen a lot of low numbers out there today.

LORENA OCHOA: Well, I think, you know, the course is soft if you can say, you know, with the little rain we've had. But I thought by today the greens would be a lot harder and faster but they are still holing a little bit, so that gives you a good chance.

I'm hitting my driver really good. I think if you hit the fairways on this course, especially very long hitters, you have pretty much wedge or 8 iron in your hand, so you can be more aggressive and just run right at it. Saturday is moving day. If you're behind, you need to do something about it. So it was a good day.

Q. I believe you're the only player on Tour this year to win a tournament wire to wire, which is something that Karrie is trying to do tomorrow. How difficult is it to go wire to wire out here with as deep as the competition is?

LORENA OCHOA: I think it's pretty difficult. I think there are a lot of good players out there, you know, that we're trying to win every tournament like this week. I'm just happy I'm in a good position. I don't want to think about Karrie's game. I'm trying to play my own game tomorrow, and she did play three good rounds, and hopefully tomorrow it's my round.

I didn't play good my first round, so hopefully I already got my bad round of the tournament out. I need to play aggressive tomorrow. I think I need to have a good start just to kind of get a number on the board, so maybe put a little pressure on her and we'll see what happens.

Q. After you finished your round yesterday knowing that you have to come up and make up a lot of ground today, what did you do after you got done with your round yesterday?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, yesterday I hit a couple of bad shots to the right, just a couple inches off on my backswing and just coming too quick. On my putts I missed a lot of putts yesterday. I could have made a lot more birdies yesterday. I was lifting my head a little bit on my stroke. And so I just went and practiced and made sure that I feel comfortable leaving my head down and hitting good strokes on the putting green, so I can feel comfortable today.

Q. How much momentum did you pick up that you think you can carry to tomorrow?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes, well, you know, I'm playing good. I was talking to Lance, my caddie and hopefully we can just keep making them, keep making birdies and birdies tomorrow. I feel comfortable with my game and I think I'm in a good position, because I'm always good coming from behind. So I think it's going to be fun tomorrow. It's going to be an exciting tournament.

Q. At Kraft Nabisco, Karrie came I think from seven back in the final round, and you obviously tied and were in the playoff, what did you take from that tournament? And the way she's playing now, she'll be four or five ahead of you, I think, how hard is she going to be to catch?

LORENA OCHOA: I think pretty hard. She's a really good player. She knows to play under pressure. She's been up there many times trying to win tournaments and winning tournaments. She has a lot more experience than I do, so that's why I'm just trying to you know, I'm very confident with my game and positive and very happy. I'm going to try to come tomorrow and not even think about her and her game and just try it do my own thing. And hopefully I can post a couple of birdies at the beginning so I can put her under pressure.

We'll see what happens. Every week I play to win. And tomorrow I'm just glad my position, I have a chance to win the tournament. You know, you never know what's going to happen. After Nabisco, it just makes me so more stronger and it makes me wanting to win so bad that I'm going to keep fighting.

Q. Were you out there on the putting green last night after a good long while?

LORENA OCHOA: Not long. We went to Busch Gardens. I mean, half an hour. It's a long round. You don't want to finish too tight. Just kind of get a good feeling.

Q. So obviously you were not worn out from riding roller coasters or anything?

LORENA OCHOA: We had a really good time. It was fun.

Q. Do you feel like something got away from you at 15 today? That should be a relatively good birdie hole for somebody as long as you normally?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, I made a double bogey yesterday, so it was like most improved. I was, you know, it's always nice to get birdies on the par 5s, but I didn't hit a good driver and after that, it was okay.

Q. Did you ride the roller coaster?

LORENA OCHOA: Mm hmm.

Q. How many times?

LORENA OCHOA: Three.

DANA GROSS RHODE: Let's go over your score card real quick.

LORENA OCHOA: I make birdie on the first hole. I hit my 50 degree wedge 110 yards to about four feet and I made it.

Made birdie on No. 3. I hit my utility club 210 yards and I was just on the front part of the green, maybe 30 feet for eagle, make two putts.

Then 5, I hit my 6 iron really close, four feet and made it.

No. 7, I hit my sand wedge 95 yards to the hole, maybe 15 feet and made it.

Then No. 8, I hit a 5 iron 180 yards, pin high on the right side, maybe 15 feet and made it.

13, I hit a 7 iron 153 yards to about three or four feet.

Q. At 11, you looked like you were pretty certain that putt was going to go in; you were surprised when it didn't?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes.

Q. Accurate assessment of your mood at that point? Did you think that putt was going in?

LORENA OCHOA: I thought it was in the whole way, right in the middle of the cup, fairly close to the hole. But, it's okay. It's the way golf is.

DANA GROSS RHODE: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297