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MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 6, 2009

Lorena Ochoa

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

JASON TAYLOR: Lorena, welcome to Kingsmill. Thanks for coming into the media center. You've enjoyed a pretty nice year so far. You've had four Top-10s in six events, including two wins at the Honda LPGA Thailand and then at the Corona Championship in Morelia, MÃ©xico a couple of weeks ago. If you would just talk a little about the year and being here in Kingsmill.
LORENA OCHOA: Hello, everybody. Well, I'm very happy to be back because this is always a great tournament for us in a beautiful place.
It's been a good year so far for me. I got a good start, and then winning last week in MÃ©xico was very special being in front of my crowd.
And I can't wait to tee off tomorrow. We all know it's going to be wet and it's going to be long, but most important is that we are here and with a chance to have a good week, and my goal is to win the tournament.

Q. Are you surprised that you have not won here yet? You've come so close. Do you think this is your year?
LORENA OCHOA: I always play to win, every tournament; it doesn't matter where I am. Here, it's been close a couple of years. I'm just hoping this is my time. I don't have a reason to change anything, just play my same golf, and hopefully this is -- for me, I think that there are so many good players, and the competition is very tough. So what is important is just to go one day at a time, to get off to a good start tomorrow and just to go from there.

Q. Your length sets you up well on this course; what else are the keys?
LORENA OCHOA: I think it's important to take care of the par 5s, give yourself a couple of eagle chances. It's not going to be as easy this year, but we have maybe one or two chances out there. So take advantage of the par 5s and make a few birdies there and try to go from there, because it's going to be important to go at least 2- or 3-under on the par 5s every day.

Q. Do you think you're at a point now where your name on the top of the leaderboard on the weekends strikes Tiger Woods-like fear in people or intimidates people?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, I cannot answer that. You have to ask other players.
I'm just really happy and proud to be the No. 1 player right now, and I'm trying to do my best.

Q. So many of other players have talked about how much they like this tournament, and the contract is up here after the season; what are your thoughts on the uncertainty and how would you feel if the Tour didn't come back?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, I think so far, we are here and let's try to enjoy the week as much as we can and stay positive.
I believe there's going to be a way to get us back here, and hopefully the decision will come, and Anheuser-Busch and the Tour will work together to have us here. It would be really sad to lose this great tournament. I'm just going to say I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and stay very positive this week and hopefully we'll be back.

Q. Is it one of your favorites, personally?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes.

Q. Why is that?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, the golf course is great, it's in great shape. And we have a lot of rain this time, but everybody seems to be in good spirits. The accommodations are really good. It's easy for us being here close to the course. It's hard to get better and that's why we are always here, and in my case, I always enjoy the tournament very much.

Q. Of your three second places this year, was there one that you really thought was your tournament?
LORENA OCHOA: Every week is different. Sometimes you lose and sometimes somebody beats you. Every week is different.
I just know that this is a course that suits my game and it's a course that I like, and I'm going to try to remember that, and like I said, be positive out there and do my best. It would be great to be there on Sunday.

Q. How did it feel out there today for you?
LORENA OCHOA: Good. I had a good time with my team. They were great, the four guys were happy. We didn't make many birdies because it was playing long, like I said, but I had a good chat and I enjoyed it and they enjoyed it, so I was pleased with that. Hopefully I'm saving all of those birdies for the tournament.

Q. Is this course more difficult when it's wet or when it's dry?
LORENA OCHOA: I've never played it very dry, so I could not tell you. But it is the way it is, and what's important is it's the same conditions for everybody.
So you need to adjust and be smart out there and if it's playing long, make sure you have an extra iron in your hands for that second shot and be more careful making decisions.

Q. You've accomplished so much, when you look at the rest of the calendar in the next couple of years, what's left for you to do?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, there are many things. Of course I want to win many more tournaments and majors. That's the focus on me, to win majors.
But I also always play just one week at a time. I don't like to think too far ahead. Kingsmill, this is a great tournament, and then we have next week and then we have another major. So I try to just go one step at a time, and really be there 100% in every tournament. My most important goal is to stay at the No. 1 position, and do whatever it takes to stay there.
JASON TAYLOR: All right. Thank you, Lorena.

End of FastScripts

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