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MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 9, 2004

Lorena Ochoa

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

PAUL ROVNAK: Thanks for coming in and talking with us. You're in the same position as last year. You gave it your all out there. Just tell us about your day and we'll take some questions.

LORENA OCHOA: Well, thank you. I started very good my day. Played really solid the front nine even though the bogey I make right away birdie on the 2nd hole, I feel very comfortable and very confident with my game. On the back nine it just happened so fast I was (Inaudible) I 3-putted. Never really had a chance to make another birdie. I hit really bad my driver very inconsistent and I just didn't feel right, out of tempo, out of rhythm and I think I was trying too hard in a couple of holes to make birdie and just hit it really hard. That's it.

Q. Are there's good second places and bad second places and if so, where does this figure in?

LORENA OCHOA: I think so. Sometimes you really have a really good last round and finish really happy with the second place. Today obviously it's not my case. I had a tournament for the front nine and I was like two shot lead and I don't know, I just -- I am sure I did my best out there. I tried really hard even though I was against bad lies and having a hard time on the greens, I tried very hard, but just I couldn't do it. I am very happy for Se Ri, congratulations for her round. She was just great, played great under pressure being ahead and being very confident playing really good. What happened to me is we were timed most of the back nine probably eight holes of the back nine, it was very weird. Cristie and I got two shots penalty, we were on the clock the whole time and it was -- I got out of rhythm. I didn't take the time I should have taken couple of the shots and made a couple of bad shots.

Q. Did you think you guys were playing too slow on the front nine?

LORENA OCHOA: Very, very slow.

Q. How hard is it to get into a rhythm when you are going that slow?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, they start playing very bad. They start -- was kind of hard so I guess that put some extra time and I start really good so I was a little bit ahead of them. I was going faster, better rhythm. Then we just really behind for the back nine. It distract me a little bit, yeah. I have been just out there a couple of times meantime trying to win a tournament and be in time the back nine, it was hard.

Q. Did you feel you were rushed?

LORENA OCHOA: In a couple of shots, yes. I should have taken more time a couple of shots that I missed, I am sure.

Q. Should they have told you earlier to speed up?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes. We were on the 8th, they came told us the group ahead of us were timed, hurry up, but at that time we have like the whole 8th hole empty, how do you say? No one was there. They were on the clock from there from the 9th to the 17th.

Q. How big was 15 when ahead of you Se makes her putt and goes to 10 and then you coming in, if not eagle, need at least a birdie, is that something you are aware of at the time that she had gone to 10 or --

LORENA OCHOA: Well, I need -- I was two shots behind and she was playing already the par 5. I was in my mind trying to give myself a chance to make eagle on the par 5. I missed my driver so was out of position and at that time I just tried to keep up, put my head up and just try to make a birdie see what happened. But I didn't make the birdie either. I thought that was the point. If I would have made that birdie get more excited and probably would have finished good last three holes.

Q. You seemed very emotional at the 18th. You still seem I have to ask, is this normal for you? Is it frustration, the tears?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, I tried very hard and it didn't happen. I don't like the feeling of losing, couldn't win.

Q. Does finishing second this year feel the same as it did last year or I mean, do you feel like you have progressed further on in your ability so today was a day that you feel like maybe you should have won?

LORENA OCHOA: Today not that I should have won because Se Ri played really good but I think it was easiest -- the easiest chance I have to win. I have nine holes left and two shots off the lead playing very, very good on the front nine making three birdies, so I was in a really good rhythm and very confident with my game, but then just turnaround in the 9 and 10, bogey, bogey.

PAUL ROVNAK: Can you go over your score card.

LORENA OCHOA: Bogey No. 10. Hit it in the rough, laid up. Just two putts.

I make birdie on the 2nd hole. I hit my 7-iron like 1 foot. Make it.

Make birdie on No. 4, I hit my driver and I hit my pitching wedge for 110 yards. I was maybe ten feet. I make it.

Make birdie on No. 7. Green in two with my 4-iron, make two putts for birdie.

Bogey on No. 9 I missed the fairway on the left, went into the right bunker, I hit it from the bunker and I had maybe ten feet for par. I missed it.

No. 10, I hit my driver and I hit my 8-iron, really close, maybe twelve feet, I 3-putted.

I make bogey on the 14th, I hit my driver way right, I almost went to out-of-bounds. Then I hit my 6-iron to the fringe on the rough on the front of the green. Then I miss maybe five feet putt. I make birdie on No. 17. 5-iron,. Another twelve feet. I make, maybe even closer, maybe 10.

Q. They are closing this course next week to rebuild the greens, rebuild the bunkers. If there's a weakness to this design would you say that maybe the inconsistency of the greens?

LORENA OCHOA: I think it's a really, really good golf course. I think going to be pretty hard to make it better. I understand the poa annua is for seasons and you have -- it gets bumpy, but I am -- I don't know if they are going to change the grass on the greens.

Q. They are from poa annua to bent.

LORENA OCHOA: Okay.

Q. A4 bent.

LORENA OCHOA: Wow, that would be the best. I hope it's ready for next year.

Q. It will be.

LORENA OCHOA: Great.

Q. You play well here. You don't them to change it too much?

LORENA OCHOA: (Laughs). We have poa annua greens at home, so I feel comfortable with poa annua. I like it.

Q. After coming so close here to winning twice, do you feel that you will win eventually here or do you feel that you just have to win because I mean, is this like the top priority for you to finally breakthrough and win here after coming close twice and not make it?

LORENA OCHOA: Hopefully I win before I come here again.

Q. I am talking about if you win this thing eventually here in Virginia.

LORENA OCHOA: I would love to. I like this place. It's a beautiful place, and great hospitality. I had a great time this week and hopefully I can win here.

Q. Is it any consolation as disappointed as you are at not winning but to fall short to someone who qualifies for the Hall of Fame. You lost today to a Hall-of-Famer.

LORENA OCHOA: (Laughs) well, I am just happy to see that I am really close. That even though making the mistakes I made I am a couple of shots behind so I know I can do it. One of my goals is to be in the Hall of Fame so hopefully I can follow Se Ri's steps.

Q. Juli Inkster was in here earlier and she said she thought it was considerably easier to come from behind to win as opposed to be in the lead all day on Sunday and trying to held onto win. What do you think about that?

LORENA OCHOA: I agree. They were playing ahead of us. The conditions of the day were very easy, not much wind and they were mostly from the easy side. I thought -- I knew I needed 3, 4-under par today to win. I never thought of thinking about my group or the group, ahead of me how they were doing. I thought just forget about them and try to go 3- or 4-under today and you will win. Because of that, because of the conditions of the course. So out of 15 players I was really close, one of them is going to go low that's exactly what happened.

Q. When you saw who was behind you and Se Ri was I think, four back at the start of play, is that something you take note of because she has won so many times coming from behind? Is she the one player that you were concerned about?

LORENA OCHOA: No. I didn't have one name in my mind. I always try to look at the scoreboard because that give me, you know, motivation, I know what I need to do. I saw her, I knew she was playing in front probably without pressure, I knew that my group was struggling, so I knew that she was going to finish strong. So I just make a couple of birdies on the back nine give yourself a chance to win. I tried to forget about her and tried to do my game, but couldn't do it.

End of FastScripts.

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