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SYBASE CLASSIC PRESENTED BY SHOPRITE

May 17, 2008

Lorena Ochoa

CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Let's start with your scorecard while we get everything going.
LORENA OCHOA: All right. I birdied No. 11, I hit it on in two with a 5-wood. I had about 30 feet and I two-putted for birdie.
I bogeyed No. 12, I hit a 5-iron 165 yards. I was on the fringe, and I didn't get up-and-down.
And then I birdied 16, I hit a wedge about 115 yards about 12 feet short and I made it for birdie.
And then on 17, I hit a 5-iron 200 yards. That was a long putt, 20 feet, and I made that for birdie.
On 18 I hit it on in two with a 3-wood, 225 yards to the front of the green, like 280 to the pin, and I just hit it in the middle of the green, and I had maybe 40 feet for an eagle, and I just two-putted for birdie.
Birdied the 3rd hole, the par-3. I hit it with a 4-iron, 180 -- 176 yards, and about six feet, and I made it for birdie.
And then on the 5th hole, I hit it on in two with a 5-wood, 195 yards, just a little bit long, maybe 20 feet, and I two-putted for birdie.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thanks for coming in and joining us today. Great round out there. You've got a two-stroke lead going into tomorrow. You're looking to backing back-to-back-to-back Sybase Classic champion. Can you talk about how that feels and your round today?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, I played really good today. I'm really happy. It was tough. It wasn't easy with the wind in all different directions, and it was pretty wet.
But I'm just happy I was able -- I think the key today was hitting really good my tee shots and just giving myself a lot of birdie chances.
I'm just glad that I'm at the top right now, and I'm going to get here tomorrow and just do the same. I would love to repeat and get that trophy tomorrow.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Is that something you think about, about this being your first chance to have a three-peat at a tournament?
LORENA OCHOA: No, I don't try to think about that. I don't think it's good. I'm going to play like any other round, any other day. I'm just going to get here and do my same routine, and then whatever happens, if it's special -- I'll let you know how it feels when I finish tomorrow.

Q. Tiger often says that he comes to a tournament to win, and if he doesn't win it's incredibly disappointed. Can you just talk about your mentality now? You win so often, does it come to a point where you expect to win, and if you don't, it's a really tough disappointment for you?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, the good thing is I play every tournament to win, and I know I can win every tournament; that's why I'm here.
The other thing is that at the same time you need to understand that it's golf and it's life and it's not going to happen every week. So whenever I don't have a chance to win, I always try to keep my head up and just finish in the Top 10 or make it a good finish, so I make sure at the end of the year with all those results I can achieve my goals and stay at the top, which is where I want to be in November, get ting in that clubhouse and be in the No. 1 position. You have to work hard on being consistent all year long.

Q. How confident are you now when you do have a lead? I think you've won six in a row when you've taken the lead into the final round. And did you have to learn how to close at any point in your career?
LORENA OCHOA: For sure. I think I learned how to close in the last few years. I learned the tough way. I lost a few tournaments just in the last few holes, and it doesn't feel good. That's why I always try to improve and get better.
You know, right now I do feel more comfortable playing in the last group, being on the lead. But I think it comes with experience in the last six years. It's not something that happened, not only this year. But you always need to be just -- it's not good to feel comfortable, so I'm not going to do it. I'm going to play tomorrow like I'm two, three shots behind, I'm going to be aggressive, I'm going to try to make a lot of birdies and win that way.

Q. The other thing is I think you were 3-under on the par-5s today. I don't know what you were Thursday. But do you look at a golf course and feel that you need to dominate par-5s, and if you can do that you have a better chance of winning?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I mean, that's a good way to say it. I think I have an advantage, hitting the ball a little bit farther. We pay attention to which ones can we reach in two and give ourselves an eagle chance and make birdies. Yeah, why not, taking advantage of the par-5s. That's why I work hard and I have a little extra distance to help me.

Q. Can you just go through the circumstances of what happened on the 8th hole when your shot bounced and landed on the woman's coat? Have you ever seen anything like that or anything like that ever happen to you?
LORENA OCHOA: Yeah, many times. I don't know why, but I've been in a chair, I was in a jacket before, I was in a plastic bag before. Sometimes it's nice to go and say hi to the fans. What can you do? I thought I hit a really good shot, and all of a sudden I was long, pretty long. I don't know if it was adrenaline or misclubbing because of the wind.

Q. Did you know what the ruling was going to be there? I saw you had to call an official.
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I knew, but it's always -- you just feel more comfortable coming from an official.

Q. All this week people have talked about Annika retiring and trying to close out her career as the No. 1. Did that juice you up any more? Did that get you more excited, especially when she takes the lead on Thursday and you're a shot behind, and again, everybody is talking about, here comes Annika again?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, I don't need any more motivation. I'm pretty motivated to win.
And about Annika having all this time or attention from the media, she deserves that. So it's okay both ways. She knows that I like to win and that I want to finish at the top this year. I think she has the message, and like I said, I'm just going to try to enjoy this year.

Q. I know you say you don't want to get confident, but does it help a little bit being in the same position as you were last year going into Sunday on the same course with the lead in hand?
LORENA OCHOA: If it helps being on the lead tomorrow?

Q. Yeah.
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, but like I said before, I'm going to play like I'm losing, like I'm two, three shots behind. I'm not going to get comfortable, that's not good. You have to really have respect for other players. Hopefully I can just get here tomorrow and shoot a 62 and win the tournament. I'm just going to take it easy, play one hole at a time, stay very patient, and that way hopefully I can win tomorrow afternoon.

Q. What's the difference between last week where after two rounds she wins and you weren't sort of there; this week it's kind of different. Is there something different about your game this week compared to last week?
LORENA OCHOA: It's just golf. Sometimes it's not even good to try to get an explanation. It's just the way it is. I didn't feel good on the weekend. I wasn't there 100 percent. I was out of rhythm. I wasn't very focused. You know, it just happened.
But I'm ready this week. What you need to do is to make sure that whatever happens the week before on Monday when you get to a new tournament you're 100 percent ready to play, and that's what I said. So I'm feeling good.

Q. (Inaudible.)
LORENA OCHOA: No, not really. I mean, you get in a bad situation and you're frustrated and then you don't make it, and the next one is harder. But I feel good.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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