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LONGS DRUGS CHALLENGE

October 7, 2007

Lorena Ochoa

DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for coming in and joining us. Great round out there. You took it to two holes in a play-off. You just want to talk about the way you played and being in that play-off atmosphere again.
LORENA OCHOA: Hello, everybody. Yeah, it was -- I was just glad to be able to be in a play-off, to have the chance to win the tournament. I struggled a lot. Made that bogey on 11 and double bogey on the 12. I am proud of myself the way I came back and made a couple birdies. And even on the 18 in the final round, I was close to making that birdie. It just happened.
Suzann played really good, especially with those two around on Friday and Saturday. Fortunately, it wasn't my tournament. I am okay. I am glad I had a chance. And, of course, I am disappointed. I am just going to let it go and be ready for next week.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: We talked earlier in the week when you were in here, you said at the time, money didn't matter to you. Still this week, you did cross the $3 million in single season earnings and that's a new record in LPGA record books. Congratulations on that.
LORENA OCHOA: Thank you.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: And we'll begin -- can we go over your scorecard really quick.
LORENA OCHOA: Birdied on the first hole, sand wedge, 95 yards, about 10 feet and I made that.
Birdied No. 7. Hit a 7-iron 155 yards. Short maybe 15 feet and I made it.
Made bogey No. 11. I was in the bunker short of the green. Just couldn't get it out. It was in the lie.
No. 12, bunker shot maybe 15 feet from birdie and 3-putted there.
And then double bogeyed No. 12. I think I played No. 12 4-over for the tournament. So, of course, that was the hole that cost me the tournament. And I think overall, it was good drivers. Gave myself a lot of birdie chances. That was the hole that cost me the tournament.
I 4-putted today.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: How far?
LORENA OCHOA: I was short on the first part of the green maybe 35 feet. And I hit it long and then almost made it but just went by maybe 3 feet. And I made that for a bogey -- a double bogey.
Birdied No. 13, 75 yards with a sand wedge about 12 feet.
And then 17, 55 yards with a sand wedge. Maybe 10, 12 feet and I made that for birdie.

Q. The 4-putt on No. 12, Lorena, when was the last time you ever 4-putted a hole?
LORENA OCHOA: I can't remember. It was probably my first time on four. I really can't remember. I don't know.

Q. What's your mentality when you go into a play-off? Obviously, you have had some in your career. But, today, did you change your approach as you had in the regular 18 -- the No. 18 and the previous rounds?
LORENA OCHOA: For sure. In the play-offs, you try to be more aggressive. You don't have too many holes. You have to just try to make a birdie. I played the hole very deep than Suzann. I have a longer second shot. That was good so I could hit first and put some pressure on her.
But I had 7-iron two times and Suzann probably only had a wedge or -- I don't know, 110 yards. She put the ball a lot closer than me. She won the play-off the way it should be, being aggressive and making a birdie.

Q. You said you hit the 7-iron two time in the play-off. How far out were you both times?
LORENA OCHOA: 163 the first time and 159 the second time.

Q. You hit the driver off the tee?
LORENA OCHOA: 3-wood.

Q. She hit driver?
LORENA OCHOA: No, 3-wood.

Q. You both did, okay. On the first play-off hole, you hit a nice shot and you were 15 feet probably, something like that. And then she hits it so close. What is sort of going through your mind as you are walking to the green and you obviously sink a very clutch putt to keep it going?
LORENA OCHOA: For some reason I was very secure. I was 100% sure I was going to make it. I never had a doubt. And to be honest with you, the second time I played the 18, I thought I would make it to where something would happen. I was very -- feeling good and very positive.
It just didn't happen, but I do feel okay. It would have been a different story if I didn't double bogey, finished the tournament without all the bogeys. Being fifth place and 5-shot over lead, I fought back. I think the birdie on 17 means a lot and I give myself a chance.
For some reason I have bad luck in the play-off. We have little tournaments in the year to change that.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
LORENA OCHOA: The first one was 15 feet, the second one was 20.

Q. Lorena, as Ashley said, you become the first LPGA golfer in the history of this great Tour to surpass $3 million. But you're second place in this tournament. Do you have mixed emotions about the whole week, even though you are over $3 million?
LORENA OCHOA: I do not think on the money. It is not in my head. I don't like to lose. That hurts me.
But you know what? My goal at the end of the year was to be consistent, to make sure I give myself a chance to win the tournament and be at the top, and that is what I am doing. If I give myself a chance every week, you can win them all. I am okay with that. I understand it is life. It is golf. Hopefully, I get it next week.

Q. On the second play-off hole, did you consider changing your strategy off the tee? I know you played back the first time, get it in close. She hit farther up. Did you consider, "I will try to hit it farther down there" or do you stick with the game plan?
LORENA OCHOA: The two times I was trying to put the ball way down there like Suzann, but the difference is she hit the long draw and it has a lot of momentum and just a lot of roll.
And then the two times I hit the high fade 3-wood. That was the difference. I think that was the right club. I thought because of the adrenalin and wind coming right to left, I would hit it a better shaped shot and it didn't happen.

Q. You won three times the first half of the year. But the last two months or you're obviously in contention almost every week. You finished top five the last seven or eight times. What shift into gear as well as you played the first half? You sort of obviously moved up a little bit with the level lately. Why do you think?
LORENA OCHOA: It is just a process. The better you play the more confident you feel and the players look at you different.
Like I said, I think this has been very good. And going home after Portland, just making me realize I have six tournaments to go. This could be a really special year for me, just make a lot of history or some records.
I came back strong. Really wanted to win. Came close a couple times. Last week I also lost a tournament on Sunday, but I am going to keep trying.

Q. An unrelated question, what do you think about Suzann's game? She sort of broke through this year and really climbed into another realm. How much of a threat is she? It seems like she has the power and the touch to challenge you at No. 1.
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I admire her a lot. I think I said this yesterday. She is a very aggressive player. She is not afraid. I like her personality a lot. She is very strong, and she likes to go low. She has the characteristic of a champion, and I think it is always good to see that.
In my case for sure, I'm going to try to stay ahead. She is pushing me and just as well as other players, and I like that. I like to challenge myself and keep getting better and better and I think, you know, we're both -- want to try to just keep going farther and farther.

Q. Fans, for the most part, go from 11 to 14 from the shuttle. I am sure when you came to 12, there weren't that many people there. Did you notice? Was it different going from 12 to 13 after having huge crowds?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes. It was funny. I mean, for me, it is the same. I just played myself. But for them, it was disappointing to see the scoreboard and I lost three shots in a couple holes.
I did them but I think for them they were shocked to see the scoreboard.

Q. (No microphone.)
LORENA OCHOA: I think this is a tough course for the players, and we appreciate a lot of people came, especially the Hispanics and Mexicans are all here. And I want to say thank you to all of them. It feels good to feel the support.

Q. After you hit the 15-footer for birdie on 18, did you feel if you had gone, say, against a less experienced player at that point in the play-off that the momentum would have shifted in your favor? And going after Suzann, you know pretty well that she is obviously a very strong player mentally as well.
LORENA OCHOA: The question is?

Q. As far as having -- did you think that making the 15-footer for birdie on 18 swung the momentum in your favor?
LORENA OCHOA: In the final round?

Q. In the play-off.
LORENA OCHOA: In the play-off.

Q. First.
LORENA OCHOA: Yeah. You know, I was feeling great. Even I lost today, I learned a lot. But, also, I demonstrate myself that I am getting better in terms of finishing strong and hitting the ball good under pressure and making that birdie putt, even though I was really close. That was very important with all the pressure and just wanting to win the tournament.
So also a lot of good things happened, yep.

Q. You mentioned that 12 gave you trouble all week. Why do you think that was? You played so well otherwise. What was it about that hole?
LORENA OCHOA: Since last year, I don't like that hole. (Laughter).
I want to make sure I come next year and putt there a couple hours early. I just don't feel comfortable from the tee. This is, you know, one of those holes for me. Every day the wind is different and different club, and I don't know. I feel funny in the tee box. I am going to make sure next year it doesn't happen. Maybe have a different strategy, maybe a sand wedge from the tee and hit a bogey.

Q. (No microphone.)
LORENA OCHOA: Today was a 7-iron. Yesterday it was a 5-iron.

Q. Players are always talking about if you can't tell if you are doing well or doing bad. You are so even keel.
LORENA OCHOA: Me?

Q. Yeah, you. After the 12th hole, I am sure you had to be pretty hot. What was the self-thought going on inside your brain after the 4-putt? How did you get over that?
LORENA OCHOA: We were fine. I said, If you want, we can talk over in the next two, three days, it is okay (giggling). She just laughed. She said, Okay, fine. We looked back and said, We have a lot of holes to go and let's go and win.
It was so bad it was easy to get over. (Laughter)

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