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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

June 7, 2006

Paula Creamer

HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND

PAUL ROVNAK: All right. Let's get started. Paula, thanks for coming to the media center today. Always appreciate your time. Second Major of the year. You're looking to win your first Major of your career so just talk about coming in and playing this week.

PAULA CREAMER: I'm really excited. I like the golf course a lot. I played well here last year. So I have that going for me.

I'm feeling really positive with my game. Last week I hit the ball really well. I made one stupid mistake on one hole and other than that, I have been putting with a lot of confidence and when you go into a Major you have to hit fairways and you have to be confident with your putting and chipping.

PAUL ROVNAK: We'll take questions.

Q. Just curious, your right hand, bandaged, injury or just what?

PAULA CREAMER: I went and got an MRI and an X ray this morning. Couldn't play yesterday. It's nothing. My tendons and my ligaments aren't torn so that's good, it's just I have a sprained ligament. Overuse probably, they think. It's just getting really swollen and then that causes pain.

I asked the doctor today, I said, if it bothers me, is it going to ruin my career if I play this week or whatnot and they said no, it's just, can you fight through the pain, so...

Q. Any particular shot hurt more than any other?

PAULA CREAMER: It's just pretty much at impact, putting power on the ball, and a descending blow through the ground. Obviously the rough is going to, you know, be a factor with that.

There's several other athletes that have played hurt, so I think that I can manage this and it's just another whole thing that I have to fight through.

Q. When did you first notice the discomfort?

PAULA CREAMER: Last Monday.

Q. Were you swinging a golf club?

PAULA CREAMER: Um hum. Just when I go to wet grass to firm grass, it just really agitates my wrist. And that's when I because it was pretty wet compared to what I was practicing on in Florida last week and that just destroyed it. I have really weak wrists to begin with, and the muscles aren't very strong, so I have to go through a strengthening program with them now.

Q. How do you know you have weak wrists? Did they tell you that this morning or have you known it all along?

PAULA CREAMER: This is the third time I've had it. It's the third time that it's occurred to me, or that the injury, but the injury hasn't come back. So that just kind of shows that I have weak wrists.

Q. When were the other two?

PAULA CREAMER: Last year, Wegmans, and then, three, when I was 16 or 17 at Thunderbird, AJGA event, I couldn't even tee the ball in the ground at that time.

Q. Thank you.

PAULA CREAMER: You're welcome.

Q. So much was made about the young players on the Tour. As far as your own preparedness for winning a Major, how ready are you to break through and win this week, regardless of whether your wrist is okay?

PAULA CREAMER: Oh, like I said, I feel really confident, I'm very comfortable with the golf course. I've only played it once this week. I'm going to try and go play nine holes today. But I think in a Major it doesn't matter how well you know a golf course or whatnot, it's just if you're feeling comfortable and confident. And I do and I'm hitting the ball really well. It's just a matter of time of when I'm going to win and hopefully it's this week.

Q. I wanted to ask a question kind of off the track. The state of New Jersey today ruled that all kids who play high school sports will have to undergo steroid testing. Being that you're only a year out of high school, does that seem kind of extreme to you?

PAULA CREAMER: I have no problem taking a steroid test, because I have nothing to hide. For me that is okay.

I think it's a I didn't know that, but that's interesting, so I wouldn't I don't, I really don't have a comment on that. I don't think it's necessary.

Q. Even golfers have to take it. That's the point I'm trying to make. Is it like necessary for golfers to take?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, I guess that's why they're doing it, so I guess they have some sort of reason why they think that it should be happening. But like I said, I have nothing to hide. I would take one.

Q. Have you ever wondered with all the talk about steroids in other sports whether it would, whether it could work out here, whether someone would have an advantage to use it in golf?

PAULA CREAMER: It's crossed my mind. I don't, you know, know much about it, about what it, about what really happens to you when you use it. But I've never I've never thought of that. I've been at the IMG Sports Academies and we had we're always surrounded by nutrition and what's healthy for you, and that is not on the list of what's healthy for you, so that's, I've always been very, very avoiding of that.

Q. Ice cream on that list?

PAULA CREAMER: Ice cream? A little bit. Just one scoop.

Q. As one of the young players that are out here, do you feel any pressure at all as far as the marketing end of the LPGA and do you ever worry about that maybe getting in the way of the golf?

PAULA CREAMER: I don't feel that any of my marketing things have gotten in the way of my golf. If anything, I think it helps me take my mind off golf. I've always been surrounded by, being around a golf course, focusing on the next event and when I did certain things like helping doing things or going to I work a lot with the First Tee, doing things like that, that that just humbles me and makes me want to practice more, because I'm away from it. So I think it helps my game.

Q. Yesterday, Karrie said that she was getting the, when are you going to win a Major thing when she was 24, and that that was a little young. If you were in her shoes, at what point do you think it would be fair to ask a question, gee, fill in the blank, you know, when are you going to win a Major?

PAULA CREAMER: Well, isn't it happening right now?

Q. I didn't say that.

PAULA CREAMER: To me? I mean, you know, so this is my second year and I'm only 19. That's the only difference than Karrie.

Q. Have you gotten that question, was I not listening? Did I miss something?

PAULA CREAMER: Yes, I have, many times. I mean it's one of my goals and I have said, I've always said that. And I think that when you play golf, you want to play well in the Majors. It all comes down to that. And I have been asked that question several times.

Q. Were you offended by it?

PAULA CREAMER: Not at all. No, not at all. That means that people believe that I'm in contention and that I can win, win on the biggest scene in golf, the Majors. And I feel that's quite a compliment.

Q. Do you sense that expectations are being not necessarily too high but they're being thrust upon players as soon as they get on Tour, that there's no longer like, no one expects there to be a learning curve? Do you follow that? Did I ask that right?

PAULA CREAMER: I feel that you, if you play well then you get put in a way that you should play well in the Majors. And when you haven't, when you do not play well in the Majors, I think that it kind of puts you back a little bit.

For me, like I said, I have won other tournaments, but to win a Major would be a highlight. That's one of the reasons why I play golf. I wanted to compete, but I wanted to win against the strongest fields.

PAUL ROVNAK: Any more questions for Paula? Okay. Thank you, Paula.

PAULA CREAMER: All right. Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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