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KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIPApril 6, 2008Lorena OchoaRANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA DANA GROSS-RHODE: Thank you all for joining us. It's an incredible whirlwind, your 20th win, your second major and only one point away from the Hall of Fame, you qualified for the ADT Championship and Samsung World Championship again, what does this day mean. LORENA OCHOA: Thank you. Hello, everybody. (Giggling) Ola. I don't know, you know, it was a great day. I woke up this morning and I was feeling great and I had a good feeling and just trying to not get too uptight and be calm and do my routine. For some reason I couldn't stop thinking of that jump in the lake. It was something that I've been waiting for for a long time and I talked to Dave in the morning and he was feeling great, too. We had a great attitude and we were very calm and trying to talk and joke and I think the great thing is that starting with a couple of birdies, so we were able to get a good momentum, and the rest was just amazing. I played like the British Open, you know, it was something that I enjoyed a lot and it was very easy at the same time and you know, I can't be more happy. It was great. Q. This turning point seemed to be 7, 8 and 9 when you made the good par, and then if you could talk about that and then secondly, when you walked to the 10th tee, was it difficult for you to keep your head down and not look over at the little lake there on 18? LORENA OCHOA: Yes, you're right, that was a very important part of the round. I think especially the birdie on No. 8, that really just put me ahead, a couple shots ahead. I made that birdie on No. 9, and after the getting to 12-under, Dave came to me and said we have nine holes to go and just try and concentrate 100% more than ever, keep your head down, a lot of people are going to say things to you and saying Spanish or being funny or shouting your name, so just try to he focus on what we're doing. That's what we did. It was just something that it was -- making that turn, I didn't even look at the lake on No. 18. I was more like, okay, keep your head down, and the rest, just it was good. Q. Can you please tell us for the record who were the people in the lake, your mom, brother, how many people were there? LORENA OCHOA: All of them. All are them were my friends and my relatives. All of them were people that I know for many, many years and they live back in Guadalajara and we are almost like a family. They have been coming here eight years. They come every year. So we promised each other that, you know, we jump in the lake, it was going to be all of us. I can't wait to see the pictures and get that on video to see it many times. (Giggling). Q. How much does it mean for to you win here? You got your first major win overseas where a lot of people were not able to go and watch you. How much more special did it feel and was it like the first time all over again having all of these people here to watch? LORENA OCHOA: Well, just the feeling on 18 early, it was the best, knowing that I have so many people behind, and you know, so many friends and relatives and like I said before, two years ago, I had been playing this tournament eight years as an amateur, and all of that behind, I had that in my head. You know what, I mean, I don't want to say that it's best than St. Andrews, but the ratio, you can put it that way. Q. You told us earlier you enjoy waterskiing -- now will you add maybe diving and swimming? LORENA OCHOA: Well, I exercise and I like to swim. I thought for a moment, maybe I should try to do something funny, like a slip or something -- no, no, no, too dangerous. (Laughter) so I just did the regular jump. You always worry about the jump but once you win, I don't care about the jump. (Laughing). Q. (Inaudible.). LORENA OCHOA: For sure, I know the type of player she is and how strong she is, but still 1-over par, after yesterday, very impressive. I saw her name when I made the turn that she was already 6-under. You know, that just means that when you -- it was a great decision on her part and really the way she played Todd, a great tournament, great finish. Q. You've won three times in runaway fashion and you seep saying you can get better but how much better can you get than you're playing right now? LORENA OCHOA: Well, I'm going to change my mind. I think there are things that you can improve every week. Yesterday I missed a few putts. The day before I 3-putted a couple times. There's always room to improve. I am going to change -- I'm going to try to just keep getting better and hopefully win a lot of tournaments. That's the goal. Q. Do you think you can win the Grand Slam? LORENA OCHOA: Yes. (Laughter). Q. Playing Bighorn a couple of years ago -- what was the hardest thing about that last day? LORENA OCHOA: I think the way my life changed, especially outside the golf course. I don't have the time I used to have when I'm at home, my family, my friends to do fun things. It's been tough with all of the traveling. It's a really big sacrifice. We choose to do this. I choose to be in the No. 1 position, so it's part of the things that we have to do as professionals. I think I feel that I'm prepared and it's not something that happened in one morning. It took me five years to get to the top and really feel comfortable with the position. But it's definitely tough, probably tougher than I thought, but it's worth it. I'm going to enjoy my time at the top as much as I can, because it's really been a blessing. Q. (No microphone). LORENA OCHOA: No. I think because the early part, when you feel 100% yourself, happy, is when you are in the golf course, and the more time you are in the golf course practicing and playing and doing that, you get better. It's like in a way it seems crazy but when you try to get away from people, you go to practice with your caddie and chat and chip-and-putt, and I think that's a good way to put it. So you spend I guess more time on the course, and then when it's outside of the course is when it gets hard. It's not the same, for sure, especially when I go to México, but it's okay. I'm happy. Right now I can't wait to talk to my brother and sister. They couldn't make it this week. They are in México. I promise to call them soon, and as soon as I'm finished now, I'll call them. (Laughing). Q. What did you take from the British Open win and your success there? LORENA OCHOA: I've learned that I can go low and win a tournament by a few shots and I'm going to try to continue that. I played today like any other day in the tournament. I didn't have in my mind like oh, my God, it's a major. I just played like any other day, like Thursday in Phoenix and that's what I did and I think that's why I played so easy and enjoyed the round so much. I just think that way. I think what I've been doing the last three, four weeks is going to make me a better player and I do know I can go low and win tournaments by a few shots so I'm going to try to continue that. I really played today like any other day, any other tournament. Q. What will you do to celebrate? LORENA OCHOA: I'm staying in a house with friends, I'm going to go over there. I don't think I have a celebration, so maybe it's time to celebrate, and celebrate with all of the Mexicans and they will drink a lot of tequila, and not me, I need to be ready for next week. But then just I'm a regular person, when I have time off, I like to wake up late and have a nice breakfast with my family, just like any other girl my age. Q. How determined were you not to lose? LORENA OCHOA: Well, everything was looking good for the making. My first putt, I don't know why, I hit it so hard, the adrenaline, I had nothing to work for that second putt. At 12-under, I was a little short but to not make any bogeys, I'm putting much better. In my first round, just do it the way you want to it -- maybe one or two putts, I hit it so hard. Q. (No microphone). LORENA OCHOA: It was a great line. It was only 125 yards and a 9-iron, and yeah, like I said before, I mean, great feeling when you start with a birdie and you start it the right way, it was good. Q. You said you played today like any other tournament. Looking back, how significant was it the final day -- LORENA OCHOA: You can say, for sure, I'm a better player right now and I have more control I think over things. I feel more comfortable in certain situations. You want to feel like a champion and you don't want to make bogeys at the end of the stretch. I wanted to finish with birdies and I was able to do that. Making that par on 16 was good, and just a good par on 17. I think on 18, I mean, it wasn't easy but I managed to make that last putt, so I like the way I feel right now when I'm playing the last round and the last nine holes. I have really changed and improved that way. I've been there many more times. In golf and my experience -- it's all about experience, and that's why I think I have more rounds and more time in the last group and experience. Q. Had you arranged the band? LORENA OCHOA: Well, the grounds crew, all the staff -- maybe when I was an amateur, they came up to me and said, oh, he we wanted to bring the mariachis and they wouldn't let us do it. Then when I went and talked to them on Monday, I told them, you know, bring your family and I will wait for you on Sunday and hopefully your band can come and watch me play and one of them said, okay, we'll bring the mariachis this year. I said, okay, I'm going to wait. But it was a good surprise, and they kept their promise, it was good. Q. (No microphone). LORENA OCHOA: I'd like to believe nothing and nobody. I know this is just the beginning of the year. I know I put some high goals this year, but I want to try to keep going and to let the momentum go and flow, and right now I'm going to celebrate tonight but I'll be ready 100% Monday to win in Morelia and just do one good week at a time and really believe I can win any tournament I play. Q. (No microphone.) LORENA OCHOA: Well, usually after half an hour, I go over at eight, finish with the work and to have breakfast. I go there and they have something for me with the staff at Mission Hills, and it's very nice. Q. How do you say in English? LORENA OCHOA: Banner. Just like say, thank you for your hard work and nice to see all of you and good to see all of you and waking up early and the sacrifices. They are good people that work really hard. And then I always joke a little bit about soccer because they don't like my team. So then we always get a good laugh. Actually they asked me, if you have any questions, about Guadalajara -- (indiscernible) --I helped make scrambled eggs. Q. (No microphone). LORENA OCHOA: About four times a year. Q. (No microphone). LORENA OCHOA: Well, they were making scrambled eggs and they wanted to help with it. Q. (No microphone). LORENA OCHOA: It's something that I think we are prepared. I always try to play my game and don't wore's about all of the players, so even Hee-Won Han, she was making birdies but I knew that I was playing with the best players in the world and I was just trying to pay attention on my game. DANA GROSS-RHODE: Can we go over your card? On No. 1 you were in the rough. LORENA OCHOA: I was about ten feet and No. 2, I hit the green in two, 5-wood, 212 yards, and I went a little long, maybe 25 feet for birdie. No. 8, I hit a 6-iron, 170 yards, pin-high to the left side, maybe 12 feet, and I made that. No. 9, I hit my third shot 85 yards with a sand wedge, pin-high, maybe 12, 15 feet and I made it. And then No. 10, that was a long putt. I hit a 60-degree wedge 105 yards, and pin-high and it just went so far behind, maybe 40 feet, 45, and I made it. That because the turning point of the tournament. DANA GRASSRHODE: Thank you very much and congratulations on your win and good luck next week. End of FastScripts |
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