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SEMGROUP CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY JOHN Q. HAMMONSMay 3, 2008Paula CreamerBROKEN ARROW, OKLAHOMA MIKE SCANLAN: Once again tough way to end your round, but you're still in the lead and tomorrow's a new day. So can you just talk a little bit about your day. PAULA CREAMER: Well I played decent out there. You know, I putted really well, made some good long putts, which are kind of bonuses. I hit a lot of greens. But at the same time I missed a lot of fairways today, more than I have in the past couple of days. You know, going into that tomorrow I'm going to go hit some drivers on the range. It was just never really solid tee shots all day long. But, you know, the biggest thing for tomorrow is it's probably not going to be as windy so just have to go out and hit a lot of good irons at the beginning and kind of settle down into the round. MIKE SCANLAN: Questions? Q. In the five wins you've had in your career, has there been kind of a common denominator other than finishing first? PAULA CREAMER: How? Q. Is there one thing you've done well in all of your previous five wins? PAULA CREAMER: Putted well. Q. Putting? PAULA CREAMER: Yeah. I've given myself a lot of opportunities. You know, normally I hit a lot of greens every day. I'm always constantly giving myself chances. This week that's what I've been doing, and I've made a lot of good putts. Q. You and your father have this thing about finishing the last three holes? PAULA CREAMER: Yeah. Q. When you won earlier this year you destroyed the last three holes. I think you were six-under on the last three holes? PAULA CREAMER: Uh-huh. Q. You'd kind of be running away with this thing if the same thing was happening here? PAULA CREAMER: Yes. Every time I stand on that tee box that's always been something my dad has taught me, the last three holes. Unfortunately, in the past two days I'm four over in the last six holes. So that's not the very good. But tomorrow's another day. You know, I could be three back or I could be five up. I'm still going to go out there with the same mindset I always have. I have to go out and finish the round. That's most important. It doesn't matter what you do early, at that point it's what's happening at that moment. And I need to really start staying in the present when I get to that point. Q. Juli was playfully asked is there anything she can do to get inside your head or would you show her respect as an elder and let her win tomorrow. She said, If there's anybody that needs to show me respect it's Paula. Could you just talk about your friendship with her despite the generation gap? PAULA CREAMER: Juli and I are very close. She's always been a role model of mine. I've always looked up to her ever since I was a little girl getting involved in golf. She was my Solheim Cup partner the past two times that I played. She is a true competitor. But, at the same time, I want to go out there and beat her just as badly as she wants to beat me. Q. Lorena is tied for sixth, eight shots back right now. How much pressure do you feel from her? PAULA CREAMER: I mean, anything can happen, you know. We'll see what happens. If she starts off well then you never know. But, at the same time, I feel really confident where I'm at, and I'm playing good golf. I've given myself plenty of opportunities to make birdies, and I've saved a lot of good pars out there as well. But, at the same time, there's not going to be as much wind so there's going to be a lot more birdies to be made. But it is Sunday. Pin placements will be difficult. There's a lot of factors that you have to think about. And most importantly just have to go out and, you know, play your own game and, you know, see what happens. Q. You could kind of be the one to end her streak. And also can you comment on the impact of that streak on the LPGA Tour in the last month or so, and what it will be like if you do, if you are the one who breaks up the no-hitter? PAULA CREAMER: I'm here to win a golf tournament and that's what I plan to do. You know, there's 18 holes tomorrow. That's a lot of golf. But, like I said, I'm ready to win. Last week definitely lit a fire inside of me, and I want to feel what it feels like to hold that trophy again. Q. You started playing golf at about 12ish? PAULA CREAMER: Well 10. When I was 12 I quit all -- Q. Kind of really got into it? Where was Juli then? Was she having the renaissance of her career? PAULA CREAMER: I think it was when she won the Open. I think that was in Kansas. Q. Also in Missouri. She tries to take more popular states. PAULA CREAMER: That's when I really -- I've always followed her. I mean when I started golf. But in her prime she was just so fun to watch. I mean she still is. But, you know, I think that's always what's intrigued me is just her emotions out on the golf course. You know, you feel like you are living every shot with her. And that's what I think fans like as well. At the same time, as you know, it's good golf. Q. This thing with your dad, when did this three-hole thing -- when this start; and why three and not two? PAULA CREAMER: I don't know. It's just a number that he has always told me. Like I said in Hawaii, some people it's the last five holes, some people it's the last two holes, but for me three holes has always been the most important. I think it's probably one of my first coaches that I first got involved with probably said something along that lines as well. I mean the last three holes just got to finish it. When you are playing nine holes when you are 12 years old, there's only so many, you know, chances that you get out there. And I think that's where it came from. Q. (No microphone.) PAULA CREAMER: This is way before that. Because I moved when I was 14. When I was about 10 or 11, that's when he focused in on the three holes. Q. Do you change your approach tomorrow going into with the lead, or do you stay aggressive? Do you have a different game plan for tomorrow? PAULA CREAMER: I just go into it like I have every other day. You know, patience has been the main word of the day. You know, it's always been something that Collin says to me -- my caddy -- on the tee, We're going to have patience out there and not get too the far ahead of myself. But I am-- if there's an opportunity, I'm going take it. But, at the same time, I'm not going to go out and be the most aggressive player. I only have, I think, it's two-shot lead. So that's not a lot, but it's enough. I'd rather be there than two behind. Q. Do you watch the leader board much? PAULA CREAMER: I try not to. Q. So you didn't know where you were at all today? PAULA CREAMER: Well I knew with my group and -- I look at it on the back nine. Front nine there's too much golf. Q. Just curious if there was part of you -- I mean, you were shooting the lowest score for the lead, it's always a good thing. PAULA CREAMER: Right. Q. You are four ahead and going forward part of you is wanting to build this. And if there's any part of you that's disappointed that you let some back into over the last few holes? PAULA CREAMER: Yeah. When I was on 15 green I told myself my goal was to have a five-shot lead and I ended up having two shots. But I'm not going to complain. I'm sitting in a good position with the field that's out here and the course plays hard. But having a lead in any tournament is something that you want going into Sunday. Q. What's a more important number I guess for people, if you could, for people to pay attention to, a two-shot lead or the fact that you eliminated so many people today? Only five people within five shots. PAULA CREAMER: Right. I think both of them are very relevant. At the same time, I'm leading the golf tournament but there's not too many people that are close to me that can go -- I mean somebody is going to have to shoot 8-under par out there to get it. And that's kind of unlikely, you know, to happen out here with this golf course. But, once again, you never know what's going to happen, you know. Maybe it will be me. You never know. I think it's most important to go out and start with those first five holes and, you know, get seasoned. Because I think those are the hardest holes on the golf course. Q. Tiger always wears red on Sunday because it's a power color. Is pink a power color? PAULA CREAMER: Of course. Q. For you or everyone? PAULA CREAMER: For everyone who wants to wear pink. Q. Forgive me, I don't see you every week, but I know you wear pink something all the time whether it's bow or hat. Do you always wear pink on Sundays? PAULA CREAMER: Always, my outfit is pink. This is my warmest outfit of the day. So hopefully tomorrow it's not cold because we don't really have any other clothes for Sunday. Q. These are crowns? PAULA CREAMER: Yes. Q. Significance? PAULA CREAMER: No. I like little crowns I guess. (Laughing). Q. What did you have on 11? PAULA CREAMER: I hit a 6-iron. It was like -- I mean I had a good shot. I had a slight opening and just to the right of my ball was the tree. But this one kind of came under. If the I hit it solid I probably could have gotten it, you know, to the pin. I didn't hit it quite as solid as I wanted. But it was a good shot from where I was. Q. Chances of hitting the tree were 30%, 20%? PAULA CREAMER: I mean there was chances. But luckily I had somewhat of a gap, a little room for error. Q. If it's just you and Juli tomorrow on the back nine, do you fear match play? Are you always thinking stroke play under those circumstances? PAULA CREAMER: It depends on where I'm at and what's happening with, you know, the scores and whatnot. But I can't worry too much about what everybody's doing until the back nine. I think that people tend to focus too much on, you know, other people and what they're doing too early. What's most important is that back nine when you take that turn you only have nine holes left you got to go out and play as hard as you can. Q. With the weather, you know, settling down now finally, do you think it's possible someone could go out and shoot a 65 tomorrow? PAULA CREAMER: Yes. I mean, today I was, you know, 4-under at one point. I could have -- I had a lot of birdies out there that I missed. I made a lot of long ones. And that was blowing at the time. But it is; I definitely think you can go out and shoot 7-under par, 8-under par. Q. Not to make you sound overly old, keeping in mind you've been out here though, I think you would agree you pretty much gave that tournament away last week over the last couple holes. Is there part of you maybe two or three years ago that would have had a hard time getting back on the horse this week so quickly? PAULA CREAMER: Maturity wise, yes, definitely. It was -- I mean even, you know, this time it was very hard. I felt that I should have won that golf tournament. Annika played better than me in the playoffs. And, you know, overall I thought about it a lot, and, you know, I only used it to motivate me going into this week. But I did, it was a difficult loss. But I really want to win again. You know, being so close to winning a golf tournament just makes you want to work that much harder to get it again. Q. How did you get over it? PAULA CREAMER: I had to get over it before I teed off and before I got here. MIKE SCANLAN: Thanks, Paula. PAULA CREAMER: Thank you. End of FastScripts |
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