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LONGS DRUGS CHALLENGE

October 5, 2007

Lorena Ochoa

DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Lorena, thanks for coming in and joining you had today. Another great round out there. You've shot a 69 and a 70, 139, 5-under, one stroke out of the lead. How does it feel to put together two rounds like that?
LORENA OCHOA: Hello, everybody. It was a tough day today. I think it was playing a little harder in the afternoon. I'm actually not really happy with a couple under today and being really close to the lead and trying to stay in contention for the weekend.
I think I left some shots out there, especially on the greens, missing a couple of short putts. But it's okay. It's a different day on Friday, and hopefully I'm waiting for a good weekend.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: You played your way into the lead group tomorrow probably. They go off in threesomes. It's been numerous tournaments in a row you've played in the lead group. How important is it finishing strong on a Sunday for you?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, I think for sure one step at a time. I'm probably in the last group or second to last, but it's always good to be around there. And tomorrow is a big day, moving day, and I'm going to try to be a little more aggressive, especially with my putting, just giving myself more chances.
I would love to be in the last group on Sunday and have a chance to win the tournament. I like the course. I think it's playing tough with the conditions, but I think it should be fine.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Let's go over your scorecard and then we'll start with questions. What happened on the bogey on hole 4?
LORENA OCHOA: I missed the green on the right side and I had a chip, about 15 yards, really good, just a couple of feet, and I missed that for par.
And then I birdied No. 9. I hit the green in two with a 4-iron, 195 yards, about 15 feet for eagle and just two-putted.
I eagled No. 11. I hit the green in two with a 4-iron again, 200 yards to about six feet, and I made that for eagle.
Bogeyed No. 12. I missed the green on the left side with a 7-iron and I chipped and it just went a little bit long, maybe ten feet, and I missed that for par.
Birdied 17. I hit in on the green in two with a sand wedge, just 65 yards. It came up actually short about 15 feet, and I made that for birdie.

Q. You look at the leaderboard, yourself, Karrie, Pettersen, Inkster, a lot of the top players are right there. Does that say something about the course? It's obviously a pretty difficult course the first two days, and it seems like the best players have all congregated there.
LORENA OCHOA: I think the course is tough. It obviously depends on the wind a lot, how it's going to be on the weekend. But I guess, yeah, you are right. It means that the best players are at the top. You've got to be smart and you have to be patient. It's more like a mental game -- today was more like a mental game because I had nothing going in.
Just had to be patient, just wait and wait and wait. It happened at the end. I made that birdie on 17 to really change things. It's not going to be easy on the weekend because we are all close and a lot of good players, so I think it should be good for the spectators and for us.

Q. How does that affect the strategy when you have so many players bunched like that?
LORENA OCHOA: I never pay attention to other players. I always like to do my own game. That's what I'm going to do tomorrow, just concentrate on my own game, and like I said, try to be aggressive to be at the lead or just playing in the last group on Sunday. That would be really important.

Q. How pleased were you with that sand save on 16, and did you hear the cows taunting you during your swing?
LORENA OCHOA: Normally on the greens, the cows -- everybody was laughing a lot. I think the galleries are a lot of fun, not only on that hole, but they seem like they get really excited.
But they've been pulling really hard for Natalie, of course. I think we have good crowds for a Friday with the conditions. That save on 16 and that birdie on 17 really changed my day. I'm really happy and ready for tomorrow.

Q. (No microphone.)
LORENA OCHOA: Maybe five, six feet.

Q. I'm doing a more general story about the impact of women's golf in the area. First off, what do you think of the course out here at Blackhawk, and what do you think of Danville?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, I think the course is fun because you have so many different levels and beautiful golf holes. It's kind of hard for the spectators, hard to walk, but for us, too.
But it's a good challenge. I think it's a good course to improve your golf, and the area is just beautiful. Just everything. The fans and beautiful homes and a lot of places to go and eat. I think it's for sure a good place to be.

Q. Why do you think there is such growing interest in the area of the women's role in golf over the last few years? It's just really exploded it seems like.
LORENA OCHOA: I think a lot is because of Annika, the way she played and the way she just raised the level of golf, girls trying to be like her. It's just a new era. It's changing a lot.
There are a lot of young players trying to become professionals, and it's fun to be a part of that.

Q. It's different. In the old days you'd think of a male-dominated sport, older people, but now it's a lot of young, new faces.
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, it's fun to see that. A lot of talented girls, and it's changing a lot. The level of golf is so much better now for women, and I think we have a lot to show for the TV, media and spectators, and we get them interested in the game.

Q. Have you seen the difference from when you first started versus now in crowd response, the size of the crowds?
LORENA OCHOA: Very much, yes.

Q. Are you noticing in the galleries Mexican flags draped over people's shoulders, Viva Mexico and all this?
LORENA OCHOA: For sure, Mexicans are all over in California and in this area. They're ready to be here on the weekend and bring their families and support me. It's great. It feels really good and gives me extra motivation.

Q. A lot of players have come off the course today and said I left a few shots out there. With the weather supposed to improve a little bit tomorrow, do you think that's going to increase the opportunity to make a lot of birdies?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes. I think, like I said, it was more like a mental game. The course is tough, greens are bumpy and they are pretty hard to make putts, so you just have to be patient and just wait for the right time.
If you miss a short putt it's fine because everybody is going to miss putts. I think we need to try to see the tournament that way instead of just being mad at yourself.

Q. What do you think is the toughest hole out there?
LORENA OCHOA: There are a few of them. That's a good question. 14. I think that's probably the toughest.

End of FastScripts

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