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LONGS DRUGS CHALLENGE

October 8, 2008

Lorena Ochoa

DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA

JASON TAYLOR: Lorena, thanks for coming in. You have won seven times this year. Finished tied for third last week at Samsung World Championship. How do you feel this week being here at Longs Drugs?
LORENA OCHOA: Hello. I feel good. You know, this is a course that I played good for the last couple years. I was close to win last year in a playoff. I had a great week overall, and hopefully if it didn't happen last year hopefully I can do it this year.
I already practiced yesterday and I'm going to go ahead and play the Pro-Am today, but I think I should be ready for tomorrow.
JASON TAYLOR: Okay. Questions.

Q. You faced some challenges in this tournament, Pettersen and Creamer. Do they kind of fire you up to compete against the best?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, for sure. I mean, not only the two of them, but there are so many good players out here. I always try to concentrate only on my goals and try to do my best.
You never know who is going to be on the top on the weekend. I want to myself a chance to win the tournament on the Sunday, and that will be my goal.

Q. The back nine are tough when the wind is blowing. Talk a little bit about that and a little bit about the conditions of the course now.
LORENA OCHOA: I think the course is in good condition. Some of the greens are a little bit bumpy, but it's the same for everybody. It's a good challenge. It could get hard, especially if it's windy.
I think, you know, the way I am playing the last couple years I am prepared. I'm going to for sure try to just be very patient out there, and whenever I make a mistake just try to recover from that and play, you know, smart.

Q. Would you say there's more competition on the women's tour than on the women's tour in terms of just -- you know, Tiger kind of wins a lot and nobody seriously challenges you.
LORENA OCHOA: I think it's -- I don't think you can say that. I think it's the same. It's just very different tours, and pretty much everybody can win.
I guess it's more the statistics than anything else. You know, of course what I would liked to do is dominate and make sure that I win as much as I can. I'm trying to work for that.

Q. I know you can't generalize about any one group of people, but when you look at just the Korean women as a group, is there one thing that stands out about them or that you find the most striking about them as a whole?
LORENA OCHOA: I think one of the things that makes me upset is they don't go to college. They just turn professional when they are 18 and they come out. I think missing college is an opportunity's. It's something very important that I would recommend to everybody.
That is what I did, and I think that's the best way to go. Hopefully they don't rush as much, and first go to college and then become professionals after that.

Q. There's not one of them has been at a U.S. college. Do you have any sense of why that is? Have you ever asked any of them about that?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, I imagine because they see the previous players that did the same and it worked for them.
You know, they trying to earn some money, you know, when they're at 18 and 19. I think, you know, overall it's not the best thing to do. So hopefully they rethink that and hopefully see how important it is to go to college and then become professional.

Q. You've had cultural barriers and you've overcome them and seem to be friendly with everyone. Is there something that seems to keep them from embracing everybody? There's a sense I get from talking to people that they do tend to keep to themselves.
LORENA OCHOA: The question is?

Q. They talk about their cultural differences being the reason why they keep to themselves, and you've had cultural barriers to overcome and you manage to do it and you mingle with everybody. You don't just keep to yourself. You talk and socialize, it looks like, with all the golfers. Is there a reason that you can think of for why the South Koreans in general keep to themselves?
LORENA OCHOA: I don't like that they target them so much. They are very friendly to all of us. You, now, they jsut spend time together in the afternoon.
When I have time off, I always spend time with the Hispanic players or the Latin players. It's jsut something natural. That's just the way we are.
I think they're doing a good job. They're starting to speak more English and starting to say hi to each other, and when we play together we have a good time. I think there's nothing wrong with that. Just the way life is.

Q. You've got your event coming up in Guadalajara. Are you excited for that? How much preparation? Are you a little nervous for it? What's your state of mind in anticipation for that event?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I am very excited. I think we've been working a lot for the event, and for sure a dream come true. Probably is going to be the most important week in my golf career. I'm trying to prepare myself.
You know, either way I think it's going to be a great week. You know, I'm going to try to think of it as just a -- I don't know the world in English. Just either way it's going to be a great week, you know, how we achieve that, having the LPGA in Guadalajara, home course, having the best players, and just going to try to enjoy every moment.
I'm trying to help as much as I can, and I think once the week comes I'm just going to concentrate on my goals, because the most important thing is trying to win the tournament.
JASON TAYLOR: Anything else? All right. Thanks Lorena.
LORENA OCHOA: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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