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SYBASE CLASSIC PRESENTED BY SHOPRITEMay 16, 2007Lorena OchoaCLIFTON, NEW JERSEY PAM WARNER: Lorena, thank you for joining us today. You're back here at the Sybase Classic but on a new course, had a great season last year and you come in as the No. 1 player in the Rolex rankings. Just talk about coming back and defending here. LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I'm very happy to be back. It's not the same place, but just being in the area and feeling comfortable and happy being the defending champion. It's a position that I like, and I would love to repeat. I've been really feeling good the last few weeks and I feel good with my game. I didn't make many putts last week, but I had a good week to get it. I started practicing hard, and I can't wait to get to the tournament tomorrow. Q. Talk about last night at the college, you were at Montclair State University. Just talk about what you did with the students and what that was like for you yesterday. LORENA OCHOA: It was very special. We had a great time. I went and visited the communications building. Actually a teacher named Larry did a project with his class in this last semester working in me and particularly my brother's office, which is called OSM. He represents some of the players and my teacher, and we had different activities and also in my foundation. So they were doing a project on how can we reach out to companies in the United States or Hispanic people stationed in the United States that we can either help each other in representing them or we can get them support. I think it was something very neat. I was able to say hi to the class and congratulate them because they already finish and graduate last week and wish them the best for the future and to say thank you, that I appreciate their help and their work. Q. Is that foundation here in the States, as well, the foundation here and you have one in Mexico, or did you do a branch out here in New York? LORENA OCHOA: No, no, the foundation is supported in Mexico. We have no limit. So we want to do it worldwide, especially just to try to do different activities in the United States or other countries to just help as many kids as we can. Really our main focus is education. We have a school in Mexico and now we want to build a second school and just keep helping more kids every year. We're looking forward to starting something in the United States where we can really help with the name of the foundation and start raising money for those kids back home. Q. We noticed you have a little bit of a fan club following you around, girl golfers from one of the local high schools? LORENA OCHOA: Yes. Q. Everyone talks about being a role model. Tiger Woods is a role model, now you're a role model. When you see these girls come out and follow you from hole to hole and you sign their shirts and stuff, what does that do for you as an athlete and as a role model? How do you see that? LORENA OCHOA: Yes. It feels very nice. We love when someone comes to you, recognizes your hard work, and I think being a role model is something that we need to be very careful and make sure that we do things the right way so they can follow what we do. It gives you extra motivation to do things good and to play for them so they can enjoy, and hopefully they dream of being out here on the LPGA in the next few years. Q. People often say that it's easier to get to the top than it is to stay at the top. Have you noticed already more of a demand on your time and more of a demand for you since you became No. 1? LORENA OCHOA: I think that's for sure, that it is harder to maintain your position at the top. I'm prepared -- I feel prepared. It's not something that happened in a week or two. I've been making progress just year by year, and I know it's going to get even harder. There are so many good players that want to get to the top. I'm just trying to enjoy this as much as I can. I want to be at the No. 1 position hopefully for many years, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure I maintain myself. But there are a lot of different things I have to do outside the golf course with the media and the sponsors, and different activities -- we are professionals and we have to make sure we do it. I think if you do have your priorities in your life, the first thing is making sure I practice, and the other time that I have is to spend time with all other activities. Q. Since it was one of your goals for so long to be No. 1, how did it finally feel when you finally got it? Did it feel as good as you thought it would? LORENA OCHOA: Yes, for sure. I think I was blessed receiving the news in Mexico, where everything started, with my home course, with my coach and being able to share with my family the big news. It was very nice. And then play my first tournament as No. 1 in my country, too. So it was a special day, and I will always remember it. Q. Can you talk about what's the difference between this course and Wykagyl? LORENA OCHOA: I like Wykagyl a lot. Now that we have the time, we're playing here. The tournament where I get to play the Match Play, I think it's much better because this is more -- both courses have pretty much the same conditions, just the tight fairways and tight rough and the greens are the poa annua. So I think it's a little more fair in a way with relief. You have to be able to hit the ball good. You can really tell who are the best players. I think it's going to be fun. I mean, I think it was a good change, and I'm really excited to be here. I hear many comments from players that they really like the golf course very much and they are doing a great job, and I think it should be a good week. Q. Would you talk about the relationship you have with your fans from Mexico, specifically how important that is to you, and when you first started noticing different fans and groups of fans come to watch you? LORENA OCHOA: Yes, like I said before, I think whenever I see a Mexican flag or -- Mexican or Hispanic, when they come and watch you play and cheer for me, they give me an extra motivation, an extra reason to play good. I enjoy sharing what I do with others, and when they enjoy it as much as I am enjoying it. They are always important to me. There are a lot of good people here that are working hard every day, and I always make sure I spend time with them and say thank you for coming. Q. You hold the position now as the top player, but traditionally it's been dominated by Annika Sorenstam in recent years. She's injured now and she's getting up there a little bit in age. Do you view this as sort of an opportunity to sort of seize the light as the next great player on the LPGA Tour? LORENA OCHOA: Well, I think every time I look at the books and the records and I see Annika and Annika and Annika, I admire Annika so much and I respect her so much, and I wish her the best, and hopefully she's back soon. I love to play with her because I always think when it's time for a change, I would love it to be a Mexican. I'm right there now, and I'd like to maintain my position. I know Annika doesn't like to lose and she doesn't like to be behind, and I'm sure she's coming in strong and ready to go back. I'm going to battle really hard to maintain my position. Q. Is there a sentiment on Tour amongst some of the other players that you somehow feel that door may have opened now? Do you feel there's a sentiment that the door has opened now for someone else to take the reins? Because she's getting a little bit older, is there sort of a door opened for someone like yourself, some of the other younger players on Tour, to come through? LORENA OCHOA: Well, Annika is older but she's a great player, very strong, and she's a tough player. I can only tell you that when it's time for a change, you know, I think I would love to be there and dominate the LPGA Tour. But I'm not saying that she doesn't have the talent or the strength to keep playing good. We'll see what happens. I think she's really fun for the fans. Q. I asked you about being at the college last night. Can you talk about what your own college experience meant to you coming from Mexico, coming to the United States? Just talk about what college meant for you when you moved here to the United States. LORENA OCHOA: My experiences in college were very special. I learned so much inside the college and outside, and it really helped me to just be a better person and a better player, and to really take the opportunity. You get there and you have teammates and a coach and a psychologist and a trainer. We don't see that in Mexico. I think we learned to appreciate the opportunities a little bit more because we don't have those opportunities in Mexico. I did just take advantage of all the things, the gifts that we have, and take advantage of all of them. I made a big sacrifice just leaving my family and being away and being in a different country and a different culture. I am very blessed just to be able to be here today, and Arizona was a big part of that. Q. Do you have a big phone bill calling home to Mexico when you were just getting started? LORENA OCHOA: Yes. Sometimes I would have $10, and I would think, should I go to the movies or should I buy a calling card. Obviously I kept in touch with the people I know, with my parents and my friends, and that was good. Q. How important was last year's win at Sybase in terms of your confidence that you could close the deal, finish? In terms of being able to close the deal, play well down the stretch on Sunday, particularly with Annika there in contention. LORENA OCHOA: I believe in myself and I have faith in myself, and I think it's all about that. If you know that you can do it, you will be fine. Just let things happen and trust in yourself. Now my name means something when it's up there on the board, and that's always good. It's good to have respect, and you do it by playing good and winning tournaments, so I'm happy I'm in that position, and I'm going to keep doing that. You know, I'm going to make sure to keep winning. Q. I guess when you become No. 1 everybody expects you to win every week. Since becoming No. 1 you haven't won. Are you frustrated? Do you understand what's going amiss with your game or what? LORENA OCHOA: I'm fine. I'm really happy with my results in the last few weeks. I understand. There's no pressure on myself, it's just about being consistent every week. I give myself as many chances as I can to win a tournament, and I think it will happen. I never lose my concentration, it's just been very consistent. The important thing is in November at the end of the year to be at the top. One week doesn't mean anything. Q. Do you have any plans to do anything with the Mexican communities around here this week, or have you done anything with the communities? There's a substantial population here. LORENA OCHOA: Well, tonight I'm going to meet the grounds crew. I think there's a lot of Hispanics, and I'm going to say hi to them, and that will be it, make sure I -- I invite all of them to come and watch me play, and I think it should be neat for them to watch me play and then to meet with the grounds crew. Q. (Inaudible.) LORENA OCHOA: Just pretty much saying thank you for their hard work, that we appreciate very much what they do here. They're very just loyal people, very good people. And not only that, but to go out and play soccer and kind of tease each other and for sure we invite them to bring their families on the weekend to support me because that means a lot, their support. Q. What was it like being at Augusta in April? I know you were there to receive your award as Player of the Year, but what was it like just going to the Masters tournament and being there that week? LORENA OCHOA: Yes, amazing. I love everything, the golf course and the dinner was very special. I was able to talk with Tiger and make a speech with him, and we chatted a little bit about golf tournaments. He's very impressive. I learned a lot from his speech, from just being there, how far can we go and how much can you help others. We're playing golf and doing well for a reason, and I think it's because we're able to help others. It was very inspiring, his speech, and can gives me motivation to keep playing and keep practicing hard. PAM WARNER: Thank you, Lorena. End of FastScripts |
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