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ADT CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 2007

Lorena Ochoa

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

PAM WARNER: Lorena, thank you for coming in and joining us, and congratulations on winning the million dollar prize here at the ADT Championship. Also your eighth win of the season, 17th of your career. You became the first player in LPGA history to cross $4 million in season earnings, which is great. You've also won over $10 million in career earnings, so some great accomplishments. Just start by telling us how you're feeling right now.
LORENA OCHOA: Hello, everybody, hola.
Now that you bring up those numbers, it was very important for me to finish with a win this week. It's all about breaking records. It was not only about the Money List but winning also eight tournaments this season. It's been amazing from the start to the end.
I think the only thing I can do is just go home and celebrate and have some time to spend with my family and rest.

Q. I wonder if you could just go over 17 and 18, what you were going through in your head and everything else.
LORENA OCHOA: Well, after I got the great par on 16 I was feeling very comfortable. We had a plan on 17 just to hit a full shot and try to put the ball on the left side of the green. And I hit a really good, solid 8-iron, just maybe a little bit long, and went through to the rough.
I practiced from there on the practice round on Monday and Tuesday, and I decided to hit it with a putter because I practiced that shot before. I hit it a little bit on the top and it didn't have good momentum, so just ended up short on the right side. You know, I don't really know what happened with the first shot, put myself in trouble. You know, when I look back, of course I'm on 17 and it was fun for the fans and for all of you, but it didn't feel very good (laughter).
But at the same time as soon as I looked back on 17, my caddie was like, okay, we have one more hole, just finish. And I just won the tournament.
I was mad on the 18th tee box, and I hit a little bit to the right but I hit it really hard. It wasn't fading, just hard, straight shot. I was comfortable, I was making the bunker, just went over the bunker.
I had a horrible lie, and for sure because of the conditions and because I was only one shot leading the tournament, I think it was my best shot so far in my career. It was just a horrible lie. I had 130 yards to the front of the green, and the ball, you could only see half of the ball. I grabbed a 6-iron, just tried to hit it really steep and high, and it came out perfect. That birdie felt really good.

Q. You switched from, what, a 7?
LORENA OCHOA: From 5 to 6.

Q. What was the yardage there on that shot?
LORENA OCHOA: I think it was 130 from -- maybe like 150.

Q. You were just trying to get on the front edge?
LORENA OCHOA: I was trying to get it five or ten feet on.

Q. Did you think about what could have happened with that shot? Was the lie such that it could have done any number of things? Were you pretty confident?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I was feeling good, very calm. We were playing for sure on the left side. I aimed on the left side of the green just over that edge of the bunker. It was coming for sure a little bit left to right because I was coming sort of steep and I had the face really open, so I wanted to make sure I left enough room on the left side, and it came out perfect.

Q. Just wondering, after eight wins this year and your first major and the Money List and Player of the Year, how do you think you played, and do you think you can still improve? What's next? What's left?
LORENA OCHOA: No, there is always room to improve. I want to get much better in my short game, especially 100 yards, 110, 100, 90, 80. I hit them just okay, maybe ten feet. But at the same time with a 9-iron, 8-iron, 7-iron, I need to improve on my short distances.
My putting, when I putt good I win tournaments. I want to make sure I putt good more often. Sometimes on Sundays when I'm under pressure, my speed is a little bit off, so I want to work on that a lot, long putts, and just make sure I get better on that, as well as my swing. I think I improved a lot from last year to this year, but I still go over my head a little bit, my hands come a little from behind, so I want to make sure I shorten maybe a little bit my swing, come from in front of the ball and have more room because that really helps me. I'm more consistent doing that.

Q. You've obviously won a lot of tournaments the last couple years but there have been a couple get away from you. How important was it today to finish, being put in the situation that you were?
LORENA OCHOA: It really just was very important. It's hard to tell you, but just the way I feel right now and having probably three months of no tournaments, no golf, it feels good finishing good, making birdie on the last hole and just time to go home (laughter).

Q. On the front nine when you looked at the leaderboard, I know you like to leaderboard watch, were you surprised you were the only one under par for quite a while?
LORENA OCHOA: Surprised but happy (laughter). Yes, I mean, they didn't really start really good. That was the plan. For me, that was the plan, just get a good start, make a couple birdies at the beginning, not to -- coming from behind is really tough, especially on this back nine. So I wanted to be on the lead, make sure I'm 2-, 3-under taking the turn, and I was 5-, so even better. That helped a lot on the back, really just felt more relaxed and played easy golf, smart golf. I mean, that's why I won.
Just joking, I said, okay, we need to have a three- or four-shot lead on 17 in case something happens, and that's exactly what happened. So I'm happy I did that. We'll see what I do next year, you know? I think I'm going to make sure I get there on the 17 with that same advantage.

Q. How long was the putt on 18? We've heard two different numbers. Two and a half?
LORENA OCHOA: No, a little more, maybe four feet.

Q. On 18?
LORENA OCHOA: Uh-huh.
I feel like I can't speak English anymore. I feel like I really need a vacation.

Q. A lot of players had trouble on No. 7 today. How were you able to handle it and what's the tricky part about handling No. 7?
LORENA OCHOA: 7. Well, to me it's just a perfect distance for me. I think it was 187 today into the wind, close to 195, 200 yards. That's my normal for the 7-wood. So it helps having the right distance.
I didn't feel that I needed to force anything, just make a nice, smooth swing into the wind, and I did good.
PAM WARNER: Can we go over your scorecard?
LORENA OCHOA: I made birdie on the 2nd hole. I hit a 50-degree wedge 75 yards -- sorry, 85 yards, maybe 15 feet, 12 feet, and I made it.
Then on No. 3, I tried to hit the green in two with a 3-wood. I hit it on the right side. I didn't have the best lie, but I was able to hit it out to about ten feet, and I made that.
Then on No. 5, the par-3, I hit a 7-wood, probably the same number as No. 7. It was like 185 yards into the wind, pin high about six, seven feet, and I made that.
No. 6, I hit a 50-degree wedge 95 yards, just a little bit short, maybe, again, 12 feet, and made it.
And then on No. 9, I tried to hit the green in two. I hit a great second shot, just kind of went through to the rough on the right side and chipped with my wedge, about four feet, again, and made it.
And then on 17, I hit an 8-iron. It was like 155 but the wind was helping -- sorry, an 8-iron on the left side on the fringe, tried to putt it from there. And then my other putt on the green was maybe 15 feet, hit it too hard, went by maybe seven, eight feet, and I missed that.

Q. Before your career shot on 18, how would you rank the shot out of the bunker on 16?
LORENA OCHOA: Sí, very good (laughter). You know, I was winning by four, and I was very calm. I was confident, I was in the lead, and it was on 16. You cannot compare it to being on the 18 with the gallery and the rough and the bad lie.

Q. Was that a good shot?
LORENA OCHOA: 16, I love the bunker, and I had a great lie. It was just perfect. I was very clean behind the ball, I didn't have sand. I just hit like a punch 7-iron. I had a good feeling about it.

Q. I know you said you were going to donate some of your money to the disaster victims. Do you have a number in your mind at all of how much money you've thought all along that you were going to give?
LORENA OCHOA: $100,000.

Q. And then your foundation?
LORENA OCHOA: I don't have a number, but whatever we need. Sí, just we'll see. I want to make sure -- we have plans to buy land and to start construction at the high school, so I want to find good things to do with the money.
PAM WARNER: Can you just describe, for some of the media that weren't out there, the disaster relief.
LORENA OCHOA: I think in Mexico recently, Tabasco, the rivers flooded and the whole state is under water, and just many, many -- well, I guess so many problems. It's a big issue, but I think me with this opportunity and as an athlete, I'm always -- I always want to give back, and I think it's a great -- you know, just place to give it.
You send them food and we pray and we're always asking how they're doing, but I think right now just could be a good help. And also the president has been very supportive, and I want to help.

Q. When you said that you were kind of joking but you said you needed to have a three- or four-shot lead at 17, was that to your caddie or yourself, and where did you kind of say that?
LORENA OCHOA: Since Thursday (laughter), every day to my caddie and to my family and to everybody. Just in a good way, like let's just get a good lead so we're on 17, and that's what happened.

Q. Was that after you played 17 on Thursday?
LORENA OCHOA: Of course, yes (laughter).

Q. A friend of mine asked me this, and I promised I would ask you. Do you have a boyfriend?
LORENA OCHOA: No.

Q. This is kind of quirky, but what is the tape?
LORENA OCHOA: I have a scar from my wake board boot, and I just want to make sure I don't get sun.

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