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LPGA STATE FARM CLASSIC

June 2, 2009

Yani Tseng

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

JASON TAYLOR: Welcome to Springfield.
YANI TSENG: Thank you.
JASON TAYLOR: You had a pretty good week last year here, finishing runner-up. This year you have already won the LPGA Corning Classic a couple weeks ago. You're a two-time winner now. You have a couple top 10s this year. You're having a pretty good year so far. If you would, talk a little bit about the year you've had.
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I had a great year this year. Very exciting to come back here. It was wonderful. I practice nine holes today and yesterday. The course was in great shape. Play a little bit tougher this year.
I got lots of good memory here. I know it's tough, got runner-up last year. But I still got some good memories.
It's a good win from last week. That way I got more confidence and I feel very comfortable here. Just really happy to come back to see all the fans and volunteers, everybody.
JASON TAYLOR: Questions for Yani.

Q. You're coming off of a win, which is big in itself. You made the comment you had a victory speech ready a long time ago and finally got to use it. Do you feel like finally breaking through with a win, how important was that? You had a lot of second-place finishes.
YANI TSENG: Yeah, that win's really important. It's means a lot for me because I've been waiting for a year. I wrote out my speech in January. I talked a lot with my coach, about my mental game and skill. Finally my hard work just pay off.
I just really happy with that. Just know now I'm not like before. Before I got lots of runner-ups. I got a little bit afraid of everything. Didn't trust everything, worry too much. Now I really just looking forward. I'm with more confidence. I know I can do better and better.

Q. What stands out to you most about winning here last year, how that all unfolded?
YANI TSENG: Can you say again?

Q. What stands out from last year when you won here and how the whole thing unfolded?
JASON TAYLOR: She finished runner-up last year. She won two weeks ago.

Q. How similar is the course to last year and what can you take from that and what can you take from having won a couple weeks ago?
YANI TSENG: Actually, this year was a little tougher than last year. The yardage, I think it gets like a couple hundred longer. Some of par 5s not reachable.
I did very good. I'm a pretty long hitter. It's pretty nice for me. The rough was really sticky. But it's nice. I love the course. Everything is in great shape. The green is very fast.
So I just feel very confident. I really looking forward starting tournament and see how I go. If I can play like last year, 66 three days in a row... Maybe this year I can be like four days, just keep going (laughter).

Q. You mentioned the course is a little longer this year with the yardage. Some players have talked about No. 15, the par 4, where it's farther back. For you, does that change that hole a little bit as far as off the tee, what you're hitting in on 15?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, like before, I hitting a driver 100 yard. This year I hit a driver, it's like 150. You have to hit a good driver and good angle, because only one angle can go in.
This year I think the fairway is a little bit more narrow than last year, so it's really tough. That's a real good hole. Last four hole, last five hole, good finish. I think the back nine is a good finish for all of them. It's really tough.

Q. The field here, the players here this week, it's a very good field. A lot of top names are here.
YANI TSENG: Yeah.

Q. With the LPGA Championship next week, is this a really good preparation for a major next week when you have so many good players here this week?
YANI TSENG: I think they set out course like major. Because the rough is longer, the fairway is narrower. They play the course longer. Feel like a major. The field is just really strong this year. I'm really happy everybody come out and support this tournament because I know this tournament been here for a while. I just really happy they come to support.
It's really good. Got a strong field, yeah.

Q. Winning Rookie-of-the-Year last year, then going through this season so far, talk about what the last year and a half has been like for you.
YANI TSENG: Yeah, actually I do learn a lot from the last year. I learning from the mistake. You know, I recognize that the harder you try, the worse that you get (laughter). This year I just think I'm just relaxed, don't worry about too much. I feel every tournament I learning little bit, learning little bit. So now I feel like I improve a lot.
Even from this year, I have one second in Mexico. I had a 3-putt on the last hole. But I still feel I hang in there and be really tough. Because last year my mental keep going down end of the year. I don't know what I'm doing. But this year I just tell myself, even how bad I playing, I want my mental just keep going up. I couldn't let my mental down, so I always be on top.

Q. Is there anybody on tour that's helped you with that?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, my coach, Dave and Ron (indiscernible). Ronnie is here this week.

Q. When you played your practice round, what was it like coming up 18 knowing that was the last hole you played here last year and you walked away with second instead of a championship?
YANI TSENG: I always practice 18. I tell my coach, That's where I hit last year, go to the gallery, I miss the putt for bogey. He tell me, But you beat 143 player here. You come out second. So you still got -- you still playing really good the last year.
I don't know. Sometimes come out bad memory. I say, Oh, I don't want think of that. But I do practice every mistake from last year. This practice round, I just practice where I went to. It's pretty good. It's a good practice round for me because I know where I gonna miss and where I should play good for the good players in this tournament.

Q. You said you were happy, great memories of Springfield. Is there a little extra motivation to win this weekend because of last year?
YANI TSENG: No. I think last week is really special, good win for me. So I don't think last year. I just really looking forward for this.

Q. A lot of the good players are here this week. You're up there as far as the ranking, world rankings, the Money List. Is getting to be No. 1, do you look at that a lot? Is that something you strive for or do you not worry about that?
YANI TSENG: Yeah, I'm on the way to there, so... I just keep working hard, keep doing what I'm doing now, see how it is in the future. Be world No. 1 is always been my goal when I was young, when I starting play golf. So it didn't change.
But now I just don't think too much. Still work on my job. Because is a lot of good player here, everybody have a chance to win a tournament. Everybody have a chance to be world No. 1. You never know. You just can do only your job, keep doing the good things, keep going on that position to win the tournaments.
JASON TAYLOR: Thank you.
YANI TSENG: Thank you. Good to see you.

End of FastScripts

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