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WEETABIX WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP


August 1, 2003


Lorena Ochoa


LYTHAM ST. ANNES, ENGLAND

NEAL REID: Great playing out there. Tournament-low 65, and you had a real had good group playing with Se Ri. Can you talk about what was working for you out there and how the course played?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, everything was working today. I see the ball very good compared to yesterday. Yesterday I think I just hit four fairways and today I just missed one. So that made a huge difference.

I did play very smart today. I was just playing to be patient, hit everything on the right side of the green and play with the wind and be just pretty much on the middle of the green. Then I started making some good putts and that gave me good momentum to keep going.

NEAL REID: What was the difference between yesterday and today?

LORENA OCHOA: I think my tee shots. Yeah, 100% of my tee shots. And I did make really good putts for birdie today. They were not short, they were maybe 12 to 15 feet, and that gave me a lot of confidence in my game.

Q. How popular is golf in Mexico now that you're doing so well on Tour?

LORENA OCHOA: It was not very popular but it is growing a lot now. When I used play, there were just two girls and boys maybe ten to 15, right now it is unbelievable. Right now, in my country, maybe more than 100. It is growing a lot and I'm very happy to see that and glad to be part of it.

NEAL REID: Can you talk about how much links golf you've played over the past, have you played much?

LORENA OCHOA: I did play once before at the World Amateur in 2000, I think in, Berlin, and that's it. This is my second time. Of course, this course is a little harder than the other one, but I like them a lot. I enjoy it a lot.

Q. What are the shots that you have to play here that you don't normally have to play in the States?

LORENA OCHOA: More than anything, the wind, and also ground is very hard. So you are going to play most of the time the front yardage and also the ball doesn't go far because the ground is very hard. So I get used the distances, I had a lot of trouble with that yesterday and today I hit a lot of shots pin-high. So just getting used to it, much better.

NEAL REID: You played well last week and you are playing well this week so far. After today, can you just talk about how you feel about your golf game right now and what you look forward to on the weekend?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, I'm right now very happy that I'm in a good position for the weekend. I was under par yesterday and today I feel very good with my golf swing, with very good rhythm and I'm very comfortable out there.

So I guess probably just do the same thing tomorrow. Just get here and try to enjoy the weekend and get in position on a major, being my first year on the Tour and hopefully things are good for me. I guess just be very patient out there and take advantage of the opportunities and don't try to be very aggressive when you don't have to.

Q. Did you have breakfast before you played?

LORENA OCHOA: I did. I had a little bit of cereal before I went out and I had a banana on the first hole and that was very good.

Q. Was the cereal Weetabix?

LORENA OCHOA: No. (Laughter.)

Q. What did you expect when you turned professional, did you expect results very quickly or how did you think your professional career might go?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, I knew that my goal was to be in first place and to win when I have a good weekend, and I've been doing good so far. I'm very happy with my results so far. I can't wait to win, but there are really good players out there, and many of them. So I'm just trying to be patient and I can't wait to have my first win hopefully come soon.

Q. How many tournaments did you win before you turned professional?

LORENA OCHOA: I think 12 of 20.

Q. In all the years you were in college ?

NEAL REID: She won 12. She played two years in college, won 12 out of the 20 tournaments she played in.

Q. What is the biggest adjustment now that you are on the professional tour?

LORENA OCHOA: Well, I guess I was pretty much used to traveling because I played the Futures Tour before I came here. I guess the strength of the players, it's like one shot could take you 10, 15 spots behind. When I played in college or Mexico, one shot is second place. So that's a huge difference. You really need to start playing good the first hole, the first day and you really get to know how important is every stroke.

NEAL REID: Let's go over your scorecard real quick.

LORENA OCHOA: I made a birdie on No. 3. I hit my 4-iron to the green and I make a putt, maybe 20 feet.

I make a birdie on No. 5, the par 3. I hit my 6-iron and I was maybe three feet.

I make a birdie on No. 8. I hit my 9-iron and I was maybe ten feet.

Then I make birdie on No. 9. I hit the same, my 9-iron, probably ten feet.

And then I make a birdie on No. 11, the par 5. I hit my 3-wood just right of the green, and then chipped and I made my birdie from seven, eight feet.

I make birdie on No. 15, the other par 5. I was short on the right side of the green. I think I was on the long grass and I hit my chip to the green, maybe 15 feet and I made it.

Then I make birdie on No. 18, I hit a 7-iron maybe nine, ten feet and I made it.

NEAL REID: What did you hit off the tee on 11 and 15?

LORENA OCHOA: On 11, I hit my driver. And 15, 3-wood. 3 was driver, 4-iron.

Q. Could you have reached 15 in two?

LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I just hit it a little bit high and the wind took it back. I think it was 208 to the front into the wind.

End of FastScripts....

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