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SYBASE CLASSIC

May 21, 2006

Lorena Ochoa

NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK

PAM WARNER: Lorena, congratulations on your victory here at the Sybase Classic. Your second victory here in six career victories. Talk about how you're feeling right now.

LORENA OCHOA: Thank you. I'm very excited. It's been a fun tournament, but a really good day today. I played really good, didn't make any bogeys and made five birdies. It was a fine round. When you don't make bogeys all day on a course like this, it's always good.

PAM WARNER: What were your thoughts coming into today? You were down by a few.

LORENA OCHOA: Lance, my caddie, they won here last year, the tournament, and we knew that the scores were known to be too low. We didn't play good the first two days, we didn't play bad, we just hung around even par and felt we had a good chance to win the tournament.

It's about finishing strong and having a good back nine and having a chance to win the tournament. That's what we did. We made one birdie. We saved a couple of good pars out there. We were really positive and trying to stay one hole at a time and give ourselves an opportunity to make birdie.

It just worked out. On the back 9, I hit close to the hole. And coming from nowhere I was one shot behind and then I was tied for first place. I was hanging in there and I'm happy.

PAM WARNER: Let's go over your score card.

LORENA OCHOA: I made birdie on the 5th hole. I hit 7 iron no, 5 iron for 165 yards, and it was about 18 feet, and I made it.

I made birdie on No. 11. 115 yards, and I put it really close, maybe four feet.

No. 12, about the same, 120. I hit my pitching wedge on both of them. I put it again about 5 feet.

And then on No. 15, the par 5, I tried to hit on in two. I went a little bit over on the right side, and I chipped it and then I went a little bit long, maybe about 15 feet, and made it.

18, I was in the right rough, like 40 yards from the green, and I put it about 4 feet, 5 feet, and I made it.

PAM WARNER: We'll take questions.

Q. Lance talked about the second shot that you hit at Nabisco was sort of a monumental shot for you in terms of turning things around giving yourself confidence. Talk about your confidence level after that shot in particular.

LORENA OCHOA: Yes. That was a really good experience. It was a really fun time. I was so happy just to see myself put things together. Being under so much pressure and in a golf position where you're on the 18th hole and it's crowded and you have to make eagle to have a chance to win the tournament. And that second shot, just making that eagle, just proved to me that my golf I feel confident now. I think four years is a lot of years to work under pressure, manage yourself, control yourself, and that gave me confidence in my game because I know I can do it. I know I have the shot. I'm ready to win tournaments. So that was a big tournament for me. I just took all the good things about it and I feel excited, I feel good, and I'm going to keep it going.

Q. Last week you finished first or second in six straight events. How proud are you of that?

LORENA OCHOA: Very proud. I worked extremely hard in the off season to put things together. I worked a lot on my swing especially. It's good to see the results are showing. I feel really good with my game now. I'm in a good position because big tournaments are coming so I'm focused on what I'm doing and trying to play well one week at a time and really concentrate in doing the same things I've been doing, especially for the big tournaments.

Q. Given that the run you've been on and the fact you're leading the money list, do you consider yourself right now to be the best player in the world?

LORENA OCHOA: That's a tough question. I don't think I can answer that. There are a lot of good players out there. I think what is important is who is in that top position at the end of the season. I'm really happy I'm playing really good. I think the more chances I have maybe being on the top and trying to win tournaments week by week it's going to show who is the best player. And I'm really focusing on that. A long term goal.

I'm just trying to go one tournament at a time. That's my dream. That's my goal.

Q. You're a success. Do you think it's making a big difference in Mexico, particularly maybe for girls?

LORENA OCHOA: I hope so. I'm trying my best and I'm trying to always do things the right way so they can follow what I'm doing. It's very nice to go back home and see so many little girls and boys playing now, because before there were no boys playing, no kids. And right now when I go back to my home course there's 250 and 300 little kids playing. That's nice to see. Hopefully they will be here in the future.

Q. There are so many people from Mexico who are in the United States who come to tournaments to follow you. You see them at every stop. What does that mean to you? And you spend a lot of time with them as well when you're here.

LORENA OCHOA: I'm very proud to be Mexican. I know that most of the workers on a golf course is Mexicans. And that's very special for both of us. I represent them and I represent my country with a lot of pride. They're so happy that there is a Mexican representing them or just having a chance to win a tournament where they live or where they work.

It's very special, in every tournament I play, there are Mexicans around and they wave flags or shirts. And that gives me extra motivation. I really enjoy that and I appreciate the support.

Q. Did you see the leaderboard when Annika tripled the 9th hole? What did you think?

LORENA OCHOA: I didn't know what happened until I was on the 13. It surprised me. But sometimes, you know, we're hoping for something to happen. On a course like this, it's so easy to make a mistake or even to have a good shot that ended up bad. You can have a good shot that ended up in a really tough position.

That's why we never lost just thinking we could win this tournament. Just be patient, one hole at a time. You finish 10, and okay, minus one. You finish 11, okay, minus one. It's a big challenge, this golf course. I took advantage of the momentum and the opportunity.

Q. Was this more like a major or U.S. Open?

LORENA OCHOA: It's like a major. We talk about it, because the first day it's really good training for us to have big tournaments coming to big golf courses. And just like this, you have to be really, really patient. And pars, most of the time, are good. And then when you make a birdie, just try to keep it as long ago you can.

Q. Coming up through the amateur ranks, was Annika really the benchmark of a standard you were shooting for?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes, always. Even now, she's always been up there. And my dream and my goal is to be No. 1 in the world. Every time we are around her we always have something to learn from her. I respect her very much. And I admire her very much and I'm trying to catch her.

Q. How much do you think you and some of the other successful players have closed the gap on her?

LORENA OCHOA: I think a lot. There are so many good players now. There are so many good players and I think that's really good for everybody, for the media, for the tournament sponsor and everybody. I'm just really happy I'm part of that and I'm enjoying it really much and I'm pushing myself to be at the top.

Q. This is your first win with her in the field; is that correct?

LORENA OCHOA: I think so.

Q. Does that have any extra significance to you?

LORENA OCHOA: A win is a win. I've been on top in many tournaments with her before, but this is my first win. A win is a win. I'm really happy with this win.

Q. It's been so long since Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam won the money title. Is that intimidating or does it feel like it's about time?

LORENA OCHOA: I think things are going to change. I think we are all working really hard to be in that position. I believe in myself and that's my goal. That's my dream. I want to be up there so I'm going to keep working hard.

Q. (No microphone.)

LORENA OCHOA: Leaving that hole with a par feels like a birdie.

Q. Did you roll the ball very well today?

LORENA OCHOA: I think that was the key the whole week. Yes, I'm glad I hit my driver straight on a course like this. I need to keep doing the same for the next few tournaments.

Q. Do you know how many fairways you were in?

LORENA OCHOA: I have no idea.

Q. Related to Kraft Nabisco, was there a point in your career earlier this year, last year, when 266 coming from behind to win a tournament the way you did was not something you felt was in you, just mentally? Was there a point in your career when you didn't have the confidence to come from behind and win the way you did?

LORENA OCHOA: No, I always had confidence in myself. I'm an aggressive player. When you're young you don't think that much about the consequences and you go for it and go for it and sometimes end up making big mistakes, making double bogey. The way I am, I'm very aggressive. And now is the time to learn when to be aggressive and when to play more save. You know more yourself what you can do at what time, and that really helps. Experience is a lot. But I like to be aggressive. To be number one, you can't play conservative all the time.

Q. Are you playing the next two weeks before the LPGA Championship?

LORENA OCHOA: I go home tomorrow for a week and then I'll be in Atlantic City.

Q. You really heated it up on the back nine and obviously you're focusing on your game, was there a point where you got a peek at the leaderboard and you kind of say to yourself, I can go get this thing, I can win this? Does that ever happen?

LORENA OCHOA: Thursday. I always had a chance to win the tournament. We were never too far behind. We were always hanging in there around par. I play to win. Having a good start, we had a chance and we were always thinking we can win the tournament.

Q. That last approach shot, you went to the left rough to the right rough and then you hit a great chip. What was your lie like and what was your approach going into the shot and describe your execution?

LORENA OCHOA: I hit a good driver just in the left lie. It was a good lie. I was glad to see that. And then we decided to hit a 3 wood and give it a chance to roll down to the green, or just put it as close as we can. We had a lot of green to work with so we decided to leave it on the right side so we had green to work with. And that's exactly what happened.

We were in the rough. It wasn't the best lie but it was okay. And I just felt comfortable because I had a lot of green to work with. And I told myself, just put it up there in the middle of the green and let it roll close to the hole. And that's what happened. That was a good feeling.

Q. You're known as someone who can make a lot of birdies in a hurry. Was this a different kind of attitude for you, to be this patient?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes. Lance, my caddie, he's always saying, it's fine, you're around par, you're fine. Sometimes I try to be aggressive and try to put it long not long, but where the flag is. And Lance is saying, Maybe this one is fine. It was a big challenge to make the right decision. You have to be patient. You have to trust it. Sometimes it's much better being 20 feet below the hole than three feet above.

Thank you to Lance. It was a really fun week. He is the defending champion. I told him this week he had to defend his title, so that was good.

Q. I think two weeks ago you were leading and then she took over and won and now you won. Is this becoming a race?

LORENA OCHOA: I think it's going to be a race for this year and many years to come. It's going to be fun.

End of FastScripts.

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