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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

June 7, 2006

Lorena Ochoa

HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND

PAUL ROVNAK: Lorena, thanks for coming in and joining us. You're having a terrific year this year with two wins and I think five runner up finishes. You're leading the Money List, the only player that's won more than a million dollars so far and then we come in the second Major of the year. You had the playoff with Karrie Webb at Kraft Nabisco, and you had an opportunity to win your first Major this week. Just talk about that opportunity.

LORENA OCHOA: Yes. Well, I am it's been a fun year for me because I had a good start and have a chance, being so close to win the first Major of the year.

It really teach me, learned a lot from that experience. Just the way the whole week went, going really low in the first round and then struggling a little bit on the weekend, but having a chance to go to a playoff, trying to win the tournament.

And this is my fourth year on Tour, I guess, and I'm ready to win a Major. And I had a chance before and sometimes good, sometimes bad, but it takes a lot of experience and I just know that from the mistakes that I made, I learned so much.

I don't want it to happen again, hopefully. And I'm just going to try to take it one day at a time. And I'm not going to think that this is a Major and I'm leading the money. I'm just going to concentrate on what I'm doing, taking it one day at a time and we'll try to get to the weekend and we'll go from there.

PAUL ROVNAK: We'll take questions.

Q. Lorena, you talk about winning a Major. When did you start putting pressure on yourself like, okay, now the Major, you know, that's next for my career?

LORENA OCHOA: No, no. I have no pressure thinking about Majors. I don't understand, I think it's good to just it's not good to put more pressure than there already is. I don't think that this is Major, I think we're playing the same game, same players, same conditions for everybody and just one more tournament, so.

Q. But you're ready to win one.

LORENA OCHOA: I am. Yeah. It's always the dream of a golfer, a professional, to win Majors. And I can only say that I'm ready for it and I'm really excited that I feel comfortable in my game and I have been getting close to win tournaments and I'm going to just try to do the same.

I think that's all it takes. Just giving yourself a chance and just taking advantage of the good momentum out there and then do it.

Q. Is there one part of your game that's really improved drastically this year to produce the kind of results you've had, to really take the next step, being one of the truly elite players out here?

LORENA OCHOA: I don't want to say only one part of my game. I think just everything. We worked really hard in the off season to make a couple changes in my swing, my back swing. I have more control of my swing, I'm more patient in the positions, and so I don't cross the line at the top of the back swing.

I work out a lot, getting stronger. And I got a really good driver that I really like. I hit the ball more consistent. I miss a lot more fairways last year, so it's playing a little bit easier if you hit the fairway.

And the experience comes too. This is my fourth year, so you learn all the time, and it's just been a fun year. It's been fun.

Q. You said you learned a lot from the first Major. What specifically or what sticks in your mind the most?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, I can say that now I want to win a lot more. And but at the same time I just, I saw so many good things about my game and the way I finished and how do I feel under pressure, how to control myself.

I can tell in my swing, that it's working just so much better under pressure. Before I used to get too quick with my hands and now I have more control over the ball. I hit some great shots finishing and making that birdie on 16 and that eagle on 18, that showed me a lot.

And I'm just glad to know that I'm working on the right path and I want to keep doing the same thing.

Q. How did you put what did you do to put behind last year's U.S. Open? Coming to 18 and being in contention. What did you do to kind of put that behind you?

LORENA OCHOA: I just woke up the next day and I was ready to go for the next tournament. Some players are really hard on themself and some, it's just easier for them to forget. I'm the type of player that I just learn when I can and just kind of leave that behind. You cannot blame yourself.

I talked to many good players and they have been nice advice from them, Beth Daniel, Meg Mallon, Nancy Lopez. And we have all been there, and we all made a bad shot at the last hole. And, you know, I really had a nice chance to win the tournament. And I was really happy and I just tried to take everything the best way I can and that just taught me.

Q. When you look back on that 3 wood on 18, can you just laugh it off or you just kind of how did you deal with that?

LORENA OCHOA: We were laughing because of course later on, because in the morning I told my mom, we had a chance to make history today, to win the U.S. Open, being a Mexican and then my finish I talked to my parents at the end of the round and they are like, you made history, nobody is going to forget that. You know, just trying to take it the best way.

And I know what happened. It was just making a bad decision to hit that 3 wood, trying to swing easy. And when you're under pressure you have to hit a different club just to make sure that you make a full and aggressive swing. And I can tell you, that's not going to happen again.

Q. Even though you were disappointed losing the playoff at the Kraft Nabisco, do you have some appreciation for what Karrie did coming back from seven shots down and then winning?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes. Karrie's a great player. She's been out there many times so she knows what she's doing and it's almost that we were on the lead, you know, she was behind, it's easier to play behind and when you got a good round, you just keep the momentum going and make that third shot on 18. Sometimes that's just the proof that it's meant to be. You know, it was her time.

And now I'm just waiting for mine.

Q. When you first started playing full time in the United States, how difficult was it for you to adjust to the greens?

LORENA OCHOA: To the greens? It was actually I grew up playing on poa annua golf courses and the ball goes along and they are not so fast. So coming to the States and seeing more the bent greens and more just kind of like flat, and good speed and greens where you hit it and the ball goes there. It was easier. So in a good way.

I had a good practice back home, so when you get here and on some of the courses we play, they're in such great shape. Like this week, the greens are so good that it's easier. You stand over the ball much more confident and you, because you know what's going to happen. So I like that.

Q. You're known for making a trek down to the maintenance shed to talk to those guys routinely, pre week. Have you done that this week?

LORENA OCHOA: No. Usually it's something that we both do when I get there, they come and, hey, Lorena, we have been waiting for you, how are you doing, how are you feeling, the golf course is in good shape. And we usually kind of look, see each other at the beginning of the week and then I get a time to go say hi to them and get them all together.

I haven't had any that close, you know, communication with any Mexican so far. I know there are some out there. So hopefully they will come and say hi and I'll be happy to spend time with them and talking to them.

Q. What do you talk about when you're with them?

LORENA OCHOA: To them? Well, the chances I had, I just kind of like say, you know, hi and thank you for all the hard work. They work extremely hard to they wait for us pretty much all year. They're coming, they're coming, get ready, get ready. And they work so hard.

So on behalf of the LPGA and all the players, that we just appreciate their hard work and then we just joke around and talk about soccer. They don't like my soccer team. So they give me a hard time about my soccer team. And we talk about just how proud it is to be a Mexican and represent them and be proud of the Mexican flag and they put that flag out there on the course and it's so nice to see them.

There is a lot of good people that work really hard to live out here and to maintain their family. So we appreciate that. And I really am very proud just to be a Mexican and see them working so hard.

Q. I don't know if you think about these things, but when you look at that run, you had six events in a row, do you ever think about having the best year of anyone in golf?

LORENA OCHOA: No. No. No. I don't even like to look that much to the statistics or the Top 10 or Top 5 or Top 3 or records or second places or wins. I'm more like a simple player. I just go out there and try to have fun and try to take one tournament at a time. So my goal is to be No. 1.

So I'm just glad that I'm doing good so far. I know that this is, you know, nothing, it's just the beginning of the season. You can put it that way. The big tournaments are coming and what is important is who is in that position at the end of the year. So I'm going to keep working hard.

Q. But if your goal is to be No. 1, then you would love to, you know, seat Annika at the end of the year, break her string of Money Lists and that sort of thing?

LORENA OCHOA: It is. Yes. U.S. Open.

PAUL ROVNAK: Any more questions for Lorena?

LORENA OCHOA: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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