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MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 7, 2009

Lorena Ochoa

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

JASON TAYLOR: Lorena, welcome back to the media center. Great round to start off the Michelob Open, 7-under par, one-shot lead right now. If you would, just talk a little bit about your day.
LORENA OCHOA: Hello, everybody. It was a good day. It was a good start. In the morning it was raining, and I thought it was going to be a long day, and I was planning for it to be a delay, and it ended up being fine.
We did have some wind, but I was still able to manage that. And I'm really happy. I hit the ball really good. I gave myself a lot of chances, and I couldn't ask for a better way to start. I'm pretty happy with that.
JASON TAYLOR: Go through your score card. Nice start with a birdie on your first hole.
LORENA OCHOA: I birdied the first one. I hit an 8-iron, 137 yards, about 20 feet, and I made that.
The next one I was 130 yards from the green in the par-5, and landed about six feet. And then on the fifth hole the par-3, I hit 8-iron again, 135 yards, just a little long on the first putt, and I made a long putt there, maybe 25 feet. And then on 7 I was short of the green about six yards and I get up to 12, 15 feet, and I made it. And then No. 12, I hit a wedge 115 yards, about four feet.
And No. 13, I hit a 7-iron maybe 15, 17 feet. And I made that. Bogeyed 16. I missed my driver to the right and I ended up in a bad lie, and I hit it to the left of the green and didn't make up.
On 17, I hit an 8-iron. It was 163 yards, about seven, eight feet, and I made it.
And on 18, I hit a 54-degree wedge, about 10, 12 feet and I made it.
JASON TAYLOR: All right. Questions for Lorena.

Q. Can you talk about that drive on the 18th? I personally have never seen anyone stand where you're standing to hit the second shot. I know you had the hill, but you got all of it to start with?
LORENA OCHOA: Yeah. It was a good drive. We had a little wind, and I'm sure in that open side of the course on the holes, 16, 17 and 18 had 15 to 20-mile-per-hour winds. So it was easy to get the ball in the wind. It was a good drive.

Q. What did you have there?
LORENA OCHOA: 100 yards.

Q. Did you know when you hit that that it was going to turn out pretty well?
LORENA OCHOA: I thought it was good. I was surprised to see it in the wind. I was really happy to see that. It makes a big difference.

Q. The thing about the wind on that is 17 and 18 can play somewhat easy, but 15 and 16 play very hard when that wind is howling.
LORENA OCHOA: Uh-huh.

Q. Did you get to that point in the course where you say, whoa, we got a lot going on here?
LORENA OCHOA: I prefer having the wind direction. I think a couple of the par-5s downwind. 15 you always find a way to play that, the short hole. But it's easier having 17 and 18 downwind. You take a lot of pressure off yourself.

Q. Your putting was real strong today and I know earlier in the year you were working on trying to keep your head a little more still. Is that something you're disregarding now or are you still working on it?
LORENA OCHOA: No, no. They have that information. I'm not working on my head. I'm working on my limit, how I swing and caught the ball. So I'm aiming hopefully where it should be, have a more straight stroke.
That was a big change for me because I didn't feel comfortable aiming to the hole, myself. It didn't feel right in the beginning, but now I'm seeing a lot of good results and I think I've been very patient and it's nice to see that change, and I'm going to continue in that direction. Hopefully it will just improve more and more.
And I'm getting to the point that I feel comfortable, so it's now a good combination.

Q. Did you have any good saves out there today? I think I noticed on the stat sheet that you hit nine fairways.
LORENA OCHOA: I made a good par on 14. I hit the rough on the right, and then I went over the green on the left side, was in the high rough, and I hit about six, seven feet and saved that for par. That was a good save, par-3.

Q. How long did the rain hang around?
LORENA OCHOA: I think it was on and off just the first three holes, and then we had more of the wind.
I was very pleased today to not get cold. Like it was nice and warm. I don't like being cold. I don't mind the rain, but I don't like being cold, so when I stepped out of my room this morning, and I saw that it was warm, I thought, it's okay. I can do it.

Q. Probably not many places you go you've been to six times and haven't won yet. When you come here are you especially motivated because you haven't won here?
LORENA OCHOA: No. I think there are many places that I've been that I haven't won. I don't want to put pressure on myself. It's just one more week, one more great tournament, and I have a pretty good record, and I'm happy with my results before.
Of course, I am working really hard for the win. I don't need to put pressure on myself. I'm going to do my best. This is only the start. We have three more days. I'm going to do them one at a time, and my goal is to give myself a chance on Sunday.
JASON TAYLOR: All right. Thank you so much.
LORENA OCHOA: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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