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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 21, 2008

Paula Creamer

CORNING, NEW YORK

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Paula, thanks for coming in and joining us here at the Corning Classic. You took last week off. You've had a great season so far that's already been capped off with two wins. Can you just talk about your year so far and maybe what you did last week to prepare for this week?
PAULA CREAMER: All right. Well, yeah, so far the year has gone off well. I've played, you know, pretty consistent. I've been in contention a couple times. And, you know, the biggest stretch where I was in the playoff and then I won something that I keep looking back on just confidence wise of how I'm playing.
But I feel ready for this week. I love this golf course. I love coming here. I think it's wonderful. I get to see a lot of my family. They have great fans. This is my second time here, and already there's just so many people that have come up and said, I'm glad you are coming back. And I wouldn't miss it.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: This is a special year for the Corning Classic. They're celebrating their 30th anniversary.
PAULA CREAMER: Right.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: You did just say this is just your second year here, but can you kind of talk about what this tournament does mean to you.
PAULA CREAMER: Like I said, I have a lot of family up here so it's great to come. I love the golf course. Most importantly I think the history behind it is something special. There is not many LPGA events that can say they've been around 30 years. I think that is pretty neat to be able to come out and play.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Questions for Paula?

Q. Paula, do you look at coming back here-- seeing what happen last year, you seemed very disappointed that you weren't able to win it. Do you look at this of taking care of some unfinished business by getting back here this year and kind of righting what you thought should have happened in the final round last year?
PAULA CREAMER: Definitely. Coming in second last year -- you always want to win. But, you know, the way that things happened, unfortunately, didn't go my way in the last five or six holes. But, like I said, you kind of have to move on. It is what it is. It's made me who I am right now.
And I think I can go out and I can play good golf. Depending on the weather, you never know what it's going to be out there. You never know if it's going to be a birdie-fest or if it's going to play longer and more difficult. But I am really looking forward to being in contention on Sunday.

Q. How are the conditions so far?
PAULA CREAMER: Greens are great. I mean, the greens are just rolling so pure. They really are. The fairways are little wet, not too bad though. Hopefully it doesn't rain too much where you make it, you know, the greens are super soft. That's not something you want out here because the greens are what makes this golf course difficult. You know, just with all the breaks and the ungulations and the up-hills and down-hills. So the softer they are, the shorter putts you have.

Q. What, if anything, did you learn from last year's second place? What do you take from last year to this year?
PAULAA CREAMER: This golf course I think gets you prepared for other events also; being able to hit targets. These are small greens. You have to hit the right section of the greens. You have to hit a lot of fairways or else you don't give yourself as good of attempt for birdie when you are in the middle of the fairway as opposed to the rough.
But just coming out and playing in front of a lot of people is something that you know every time you do it you get more and more comfortable. It's one of my favorite things to do, play in front of a crowd. The more people that come out, I think the better I play.

Q. Being one of the more successful young players on the Tour, Corning likes to attract some larger players to support the Tour. To no fault of your own, attrition and so forth, you emerged perhaps as one of the marquee players from this year's tournament. Do you see that as added pressure for your game or do you just go out and play day-to-day?
PAULA CREAMER: I just go out and play a game that I love to play.
I think I've worked hard enough to come out and know that I can win a golf tournament. I've done it. Once you have done something once, you always want to keep doing it more and more.
I feel very prepared. I think that's the biggest thing that can make me win a golf tournament; When you feel that you have prepared for that event.

Q. Does your having played here previously helps?
PAULA CREAMER: Without a doubt. The more times you see a golf course, especially in competition, the easier it gets. You could turn it over other ways and say the more of the golf course you see over time.
But, you know, like I said, I try and take the positives out of last year. I played really well for the first time on the golf course, and with that, you know, I will go into it this year thinking just the same. I can give myself a chance to win on Sunday.

Q. Can you rate your game and where you are at this point?
PAULA CREAMER: I feel good. I'm hitting really good irons. I'm putting will. It's just a matter of time when they all start falling together and win after win.

Q. Hopefully this week?
PAULA CREAMER: Yes, I would like that.

Q. Paula, there are obviously a ton of great players on the Tour. But between yourself and Lorena and Annika you have won -- between the three of you-- have won all but one event. Do you look at a tournament like this where they're not in the field, and do you look at that like this is a good opportunity for yourself?
PAULA CREAMER: Well every tournament I play in I'm come out and I'm playing the golf course. The last nine holes is, you know, of the tournament on Sunday, that's when you are really trying to look at the leader board and see what's happening.
But it is. I mean having Lorena and Annika at a tournament is, you know, makes it nice, having the best players in the world. But, at the same time, you have to win a golf tournament no matter what. You are in control of yourself and you are not in control of anybody else.

Q. Sherri Turner was in here yesterday and she was talking about a lot of the older veteran players, how they love this tournament, they love this course. Yet you maybe don't see as many of the younger players who kind of maybe feel that way. Is there a difference in perception that you see of this tournament from the younger players as yourself as one of the veterans?
PAULA CREAMER: I wouldn't know why you wouldn't come up and play this golf course. People who don't choose to come here, I'm not quite sure why. It's great golf course. The fans are -- it's everything that you want in an LPGA event. Just, you know, it's tough, but, at the same time, you know, you can make a lot of birdies. And I think the biggest part is the legacy that it has.

Q. Talk about you won a couple times this year, just the difference in mentality going into that final round when you have the lead as oppose to being the chaser. Is there a certain place you like to be?
PAULA CREAMER: Leading, of course. (Laughing).

Q. But does your game change at all when you are in the lead as far as how you approach, how aggressive you?
PAULA CREAMER: Um, well I mean if I have a ten-shot lead I might play a little different out there. But, no , I try to take it day by day. That's what I've always been taught. And, you know, hole by hole; kind of that old saying. But in reality you have to go out and there's a reason why you are leading that event, and that's the way that you played the last three days, not to change things, just go at it with your same game plan.
You know, tomorrow is the first day of a four-day event. It could be raining a lot, you never know. You can't really ever base what you are going to do until it's that morning.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Are there any more questions for Paula? All right. Thank you for your time. Good luck this week, Paula.

End of FastScripts

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