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BMO FINANCIAL GROUP CANADIAN WOMEN'S OPEN

July 9, 2004

Lorena Ochoa

NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO

PAUL ROVNAK: Lorena, thanks for coming in and joining us. 69 67, two straight rounds in the 60s, that's always a good thing. 8 under total for the tournament, 1 shot back of the lead. Give us your impressions of the day.

LORENA OCHOA: Thank you. I've been having really good days, very consistent. The greens aren't huge, but I've been hitting on the right side of the green and that helps a lot. I guess I was very stressed the last couple of weeks and now I finally find myself very relaxed out there and enjoying the tournament.

Q. You've won a lot of golf tournaments in the your life, but can you comment how tough it will be to catch Meg Mallon and win this tournament given how well she is playing?

LORENA OCHOA: She is a great player and she has a lot of confidence. The next two days I'm going to try to do my own thing, try to make a lot of birdies. We'll see what happens. I'm going try to do the same thing.

Q. You said you were feeling relaxed this week. Do what do you attribute that? What's the difference this week? You said you've been stressed out the previous weeks and you're feeling a little more relaxed this week.

LORENA OCHOA: I didn't play very good the last two weeks. I was having a hard time with my swinging. I was putting too much pressure on myself to have a good week and a good tournament and finally I told myself just go out there and have fun and relax and play golf and play tournaments. That's what I'm doing right now, is working and I'll try do the same thing the next two days.

Q. Do you want your 17th hole back? Because if you don't bogey that, you're even in better position.

LORENA OCHOA: It's good to be one stroke behind. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. Being in the lead is hard. It's nice to come from behind. I'm happy to be in the position I am today.

Q. Did you have to work out any swing troubles or work on anything in particular with your swing, or was it just relaxing more in the past week?

LORENA OCHOA: I think it's more relaxing. Actually, I practice after my rounds. I didn't have the speed on the greens the last couple of weeks and so I've been working on the greens, getting the speed on long putts so I don't have hard second putts, just put it close. I'll try to do the same this afternoon so I'm more comfortable going into the weekend.

Q. How do you solve that lag putting? What do you work on to make your lag putting better?

LORENA OCHOA: A lot of long putts, and I work a lot on not even to hit the ball, just try to hit the edges of the green, put it as close as I can. That helps a lot, to have in your mind exactly where you want to go in distance.

Q. Meg Mallon struggled today but she still battled to get her 2 under to keep the lead. Do you talk among the other players in the locker room, or what do you wonder when a player like Meg, or anybody, gets on a roll that she is on? It's not to say she's unstoppable, but it's impressive, and do you wonder she's got to come back or falter at some point?

LORENA OCHOA: She's an impressive player. Actually, my caddie and I were talking about that today, that when she is on, she's on. I'll just have to keep playing good, I guess. I'm just enjoying myself. If I have a chance to play with her, just enjoy myself and learn what I can from her and hopefully it will be great to have a good tournament and be in contention with her and we'll see at the end how it goes.

Q. How much confidence do you have in your game knowing that you've won already this season, so you've got that under your belt?

LORENA OCHOA: I'm feeling good. I know I can win any tournament I play. Meg knows how to win tournaments. It's not between her or me. There are a lot of really good golfers out there and there's a lot of golf out there. I know that I can do it, I'm just trying to be very positive and trying to get some chances out there to make birdies and be patient, and this weekend take advantage of opportunities.

PAUL ROVNAK: Let's go over your score card.

LORENA OCHOA: I made I don't remember.

PAUL ROVNAK: You birdied 1.

LORENA OCHOA: I was in the right bunker. I hit my 8 iron from about 115 yards maybe to 12 feet, and I made it.

And then I make bogey on the second hole. I was about 170 at this yards and I hit my 5 iron to the bunker short of the green. Hit a really good sand shot to about 2 feet and I made it.

I made a birdie on No. 4. I was about 120 yards. I hit my 9 iron really close, maybe 4 feet, and I made it.

Then I made a birdie on No. 6, par 5. I hit the green in two with my 5 wood, about 210 yards, and I make two putts.

PAUL ROVNAK: From how far?

LORENA OCHOA: Maybe 30 feet.

And then I birdied 7. I hit my 9 iron from about 120 yards. I hit it a little bit long, maybe 12 feet and I made it.

Q. Birdied 11, the par 5?

LORENA OCHOA: I was 215 yards to the hole and I hit my 5 wood, put it on the green, long putt, maybe 35 feet and I made two putts.

PAUL ROVNAK: Birdied 12.

LORENA OCHOA: I hit my 6 iron on No. 12 from 165 yards really close, maybe 4 feet and made it.

PAUL ROVNAK: Bogey on 17.

LORENA OCHOA: Hit the green with my 7 iron, 147 yards and I had a chance to make birdie, actually it was like maybe 15 feet, and I hit it really hard and it went past the hole maybe 4 feet and I made it coming back.

On 18, my third shot was a 95 yards and I hit it with my 60 degree wedge to about 10 feet, maybe 8 feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: Any more questions?

Q. I just want to ask you, do you see yourself as a young person on Tour? You were a rookie last year. Do you still feel like a young golfer or do you feel like one of the gang now?

LORENA OCHOA: I feel very young, especially out there on the golf course. I made some mistakes. I'm trying to learn and play new golf courses. There are many things I need to learn to be more consistent and better.

Q. You played very well. Are there any mistakes that you think maybe five years from now you won't make?

LORENA OCHOA: I think the bogey on 17 was a good example. I had a birdie chance and I hit it too hard. You never should do that. My second putt was hard coming back. Those things, when you are young, you don't think much, just get there and try to make it.

Q. You were just too aggressive with your putt?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes. I need to learn when I have a chance to make it and leave it close.

Q. And that cost you strokes?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes.

Q. I read that you are into mountain climbing and things like that; is that true?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes.

Q. Have you done anything like that lately or has it just been golf mostly?

LORENA OCHOA: Just golf mostly. Every time I go home, I try to go hiking with my brother and my family. I try to go to the mountains, but I don't want to hurt myself.

End of FastScripts.

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