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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 23, 2007

Paula Creamer

CORNING, NEW YORK

PAM WARNER: Thanks for coming in and joining us. You've had a great career so far, and you just went over the $3 million in career earnings in just three seasons on Tour. You had a win earlier this season at the SBS Open, but this is your first time playing in Corning. Just talk about being here in Corning this week.
PAULA CREAMER: Like I said earlier, I'm just really excited to be here. I love the small-town feel. Coming here everybody supports women's golf and the LPGA so much, and it's very nice to be able to come out and perform.
I have a lot of family that lives in Ithaca, so they'll be come down and supporting me as well, so I'm excited.

Q. What do you think of the course?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, this is the type of golf course that I grew up on: Tree-lined, old traditional style golf course. This is what I like. This is the type of thing that I think -- it kind of levels everybody out because length isn't really a big issue. But at the same time, it just really shows who is the best with their wedges and their putter.

Q. You won twice your rookie season, but didn't win in 2006. Do you think you had too many expectations on yourself?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, I put the so much pressure on myself. After the year that I had my rookie year it was only -- you could on go one more spot on that Money List. The only expectations that I had were just to the limit. It was just unbelievable.
I think the real problem with my last year was I never really had a rest after the rookie year. I went to Singapore and South Africa and all these places, and I never really had a chance to sit at home and have two weeks off.
I did that, and then I came out and I won this year. So I think that was a learning experience for not only me but my whole team around me. I think that was the biggest thing for me.

Q. Was it frustrating last season not getting a win after winning twice on Tour your rookie season?
PAULA CREAMER: Oh, yes, very much so. I mean, I knew I was playing good golf. I knew I worked really hard. It's one of those things where it really wasn't my year last year.
But I've learned. I'm getting older out here and realizing what it takes. You can only have so many different tournament and so many different winners.
Women's golf is just getting better and better and you have to be so much more precise on the golf course. That's something that time tells and you have to take that into your practice.

Q. You said you have family in Ithaca. Who lives in Ithaca?
PAULA CREAMER: Yes. My grandpa my aunt and my uncle and my cousins, so there will be a pretty big following out there.

Q. So this is your first time playing in the tournament, but you have visited up here quite a bit?
PAULA CREAMER: Yes, very much so. My aunt is the superintendent of the schools in Ithaca. I come up here, my grandpa is up here, so it's nice.

Q. Can you talk about your game right now and its strenghs
PAULA CREAMER: Well, last week I had kind of a rough off week. I was really sick, so I didn't get to practice much. I've been trying too get the cob webs out this week, hitting some balls. I've been doing some swing changes.
But luckily it's not the longest courts golf course so it's really down to your short irons and taking advantage of the Par 5s. When you have the longer Par 3s out there you have to make your pars.
I feel very confident with my putting. I hit the ball really well today, and it's just putting in the ball in the right place and missing it below the hole. If you're above the hole out here you're going to have some pretty slick putts coming back.

Q. Do you have a different mentality when you go into a tournament that you haven't played in yet?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, it's kind of like my rookie year all over again. Every week there I never saw the golf courses then either. There was a couple that I played as a sponsor's exemption.
But, you know, you can look at it two ways: The less you see it it's fine, too. You don't know where all the trouble is. The more you see it, yes, more you learn more breaks on the greens and things, but you just have to take it for what you have.
Going into this week I knew that it was a tight, narrow golf course and I knew that you have to be straight off the tee and you have to be accurate and with my irons. Those are pretty much my strengths, so I wasn't really worried about coming out here, but I did play a lot of practice rounds.

Q. It's your third season on Tour, have you found a comfort level on Tour?
PAULA CREAMER: I think so. Yes, I feel, you know definitely like I know what going to happen every week. It's not a surprise. You know, my first year out here was a great year: I won twice here and I won twice in Japan.
So lots of excitement. My second year was kind of like a wake-up call. This year it's settling down and going out and believing in myself and winning. When it comes down to being in contention every week, that's all you can ask for.

Q. How have you matured the last three years?
PAULA CREAMER: Oh, I think I have immensely. I know what's going to happen every week. I know y'all's questions you are going ask me more and more now, so that's becoming easier.
But it's just part of life, really. This is what I do. This is what happens. It wasn't like it was a big transition. I went to junior golf and then amateur and then I was here.
So the change, you had to adapt to it quickly, and I think I've done a pretty good job so far.

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