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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 26, 2006

Virada Nirapathpongporn

CORNING, NEW YORK

PAM WARNER: Virada, thanks for coming in and joining us today. You're currently in the lead at 11 under. Talk about your day first and how you're feeling right now.

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: Excited, for sure. It's a place on the LPGA I haven't been, but every level of my golf career I have, at the top I mean. Still, we're halfway, and I look forward to playing the rest of the weekend, keep playing golf.

PAM WARNER: You're a rookie this year. Then you had a setback with your eye injury. Talk about coming back and now being in the lead of a tournament after having that injury.

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: I took a good rest. I took care of myself. I just learned a lot, that I just have to be flexible and never take anything for granted. I think I've done just fine recovering. I'm back where I belong again. So I'm very happy, very excited about where I am.

Q. What exactly happened with your eye?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: A rubber band came off a doorknob and it hit just right underneath. And just the impact of it made the inside of my eye bleed. But it wasn't like my eye was red or anything. You couldn't tell. It took me about three weeks to recover from that.

It was a different experience for me, because the doctor said stay still, sit upright, don't do anything. And I said, "Sit upright? Does that mean I can do stationary bike?" He goes, "No." He says, "Lady, you can stay still for two weeks for me."

Q. When did that happen?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: That was March 3rd.

PAM WARNER: Can we go over your scorecard, just your birdies? You started on the front?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: Yes, I started on the front.

PAM WARNER: What clubs did you hit?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: Par 5, the first two birdies were par 5, just driver I actually chunked my second shot. And my caddie said, "Do you want to do this again? Should we change our game plan?" I chunked it to about 40 yards in front of the green. I just laughed it off and just think of it as I think of these two holes as par 4s and trying to get the ball in the hole in 4. That's basically what I did for the first two holes. Driver and then try to get on the green.

PAM WARNER: What did you hit up on the green with?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: It was like a wedge. It was like a 40 yard shot, pitch to about probably, 12, 15 feet. It released a little more than I wanted, so I had a long putt coming back, but I made it. That settled me down a little bit. A nice par and birdie start.

On 5, driver and great 7 wood into it, 15 feet for eagle. Didn't make that, but a birdie was good enough.

9, just hit a really nice approach shot, 8 iron to about eight feet, made it. Pretty straightforward putt.

Almost holed out that's a tough green to hit because you pretty much take the green out of play and hit it way left and let it trickle in. I think it's a combination of luck and your aim, as well. So I hit it where I aimed and got the right bounce. I hit it to about this far.

PAM WARNER: What did you hit off with?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: 8 iron.

Q. How close?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: Inches.

PAM WARNER: Then the birdie on 17?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: Birdie on 17, driver, on the downslope a little bit, but just a simple wedge, 52 degree, 80 yards, 85, to about seven feet right above the hole. It was not a too straightforward of a putt, breaking right to left a lot, but good speed and everything.

PAM WARNER: We'll take questions.

Q. If you do maintain the lead, will this be your first lead as a rookie, first time in the lead?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: Yes. I've seen my name on the scoreboard before, on one of those big ones. It's not like I haven't seen my name. Like I said, I have been here before on the leaderboard and winning golf tournaments. I just have to go out with the belief in myself, believe in all the work that I've done, keep on forward.

Q. Who has been your biggest influence in your golf game?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: There's been a lot of people, because I've been on my own in the U.S., so I have to credit a lot of people really. I couldn't be here without my father, my family, to begin with, and then my coaches, all the way back from high school, college, Coach Brooks from Duke University was very influential. He's still my biggest fan out there.

I just saw him a week and a half ago, just working on my game a little bit. He's probably busy with his national championship today. I can't wait to call him to see how he did. He had a 13 shot lead yesterday, so I hope they pulled it off. He'll be excited to hear how well I've done, too, I'm sure.

Q. There so many great young players and rookies. Do you look at this as your chance to get your name right up there among those and kind of make a statement here this week?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: Definitely. If ever I have a chance, I take it. Like the injury, what happened to me really taught me, hey, if you've got a chance I see being on the LPGA as an opportunity already, a great opportunity for me, and I'm going to take it and do the best I can. There's no holding back, no fearing of any sort.

Q. Do you think the break that you had from golf while you were recovering, did that help you improve little bit maybe, getting away from it a little bit?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: In that perspective, I think it helped me see from the outside. The reason I had that accident was because I was doing a shoulder exercise, because my shoulder was a little inflamed and I had to strengthen it. So I think that gave it a nice break, too. I try to find the positives out of this.

Q. You're talking about one those exercise bands?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: Yes. It's like a tube with a handle at the end.

PAM WARNER: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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