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HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 3, 2005

Marisa Baena

GLADSTONE, NEW JERSEY

PAUL ROVNAK: Congratulations. You were the 60th seed, and you beat Hall of Famers, major championship winners, and then today, I think there was a score change for over 13 holes, just talk about the match.

MARISA BAENA: It was amazing. I don't know how many holes we birdied. We must have birdied 13 out of 18. The putting was great and I think that's why we were in the finals is we were making the putts. So of course every time we hit it close, we made it and we keep moving.

It's been amazing. It's been a great week. I was very excited to come. I love match play and I've been waiting for this moment since I turned pro. I wanted to win a tournament so bad and I think I was putting so much pressure. And, well, now it's match play, you just have to take one hole at a time, one match at a time, and you just don't have to worry about the rest of the people.

Q. Considering what you've been through the last couple of years, and trying to put your game back together, can you put into words what this feels like?

MARISA BAENA: I mean, last year, I had to make a very difficult decision in June when everything was going to wrong to change coaches. And I pretty much had to sacrifice and say, you know what I'm just going back to Q School because I've got to make swing changes.

I started working with Robert Baker; he's from South Africa. We worked very hard during the winter, a little bit in off season and then in the winter we worked really hard. We made great changes, grip, setup, pretty much everything. I worked really hard. I normally take the off season off and I didn't take any time off, I worked every single day, two or three hours a day. It's been amazing. I did see the changes in the winter, so I was excited to finally start hitting the ball well. And the beginning of the season was low slow for me because I had to do the Monday qualifies, but I had some 66 and 65s in my Monday qualifies, so I knew I was playing well.

It just been amazing to be able to turn around my game and find someone like Robert who was able to help me out and make me understand my golf swing. And this week proved that, because I don't know how many of you have seen me play but it was like suddenly I had a few holes there, it was like what happened there, that was a horrible swing but the next hole, I made a beautiful shot.

I think that was the wonderful thing, knowing what is your swing, how it works, why do you miss it right, why do you miss it left, and I think that's how I feel this year, I really understand what's going on. So it's easier for me to just forget about the shot and just concentrate on the next one.

Q. You were 3 up with I think four holes to play, and then all of a sudden she starts making every putt she tries. What is going through your head at that point?

MARISA BAENA: To 15 it's very hard, I worked very hard to not get into the future. I kept reminding myself, you've got to be in the present, the present is here, not there, not on 18, not 3 up. You've got to play these holes. I kept reminding myself about it.

I mean, she was playing good, and I knew she hit it close and she will make it. I knew in 15, she was going to make birdie and I knew on 17 she was going to make it, too. I have no doubt in my mind she's going to make those 3 putts, because, you know, she was putting very well all day, I could tell that she was striking it.

In match play you always have to expect your opponent to make birdie, to do the best, to chip it in. So when that happens, you're not, "Oh, my God, I can't believe she did that." It's kind of the other way; if she misses or something, you need to be thankful for it, and that is the way I have always played match play. I always have expected the best of whatever the player is doing. I never think, oh, I hope she misses or something like that.

So I was really expecting her to come back and make some birdies coming through the stretch, but I knew if I was able to par some of the holes coming in, I should be able to be okay because those holes are very tough and I knew she was not going to birdie four in a row.

Q. I'm sure this tournament means so many things to you more than the money, but I want to ask you about the money. Is that a life changing sum of money for you?

MARISA BAENA: No. It is not life changing. Money doesn't mean anything to me. To tell you the truth, I don't spend very much money. I have a very nice house, I have a car, I have a great family, husband. You know what, extra money is to be comfortable, and hopefully I think the difference will be now that I am married and or I have kids and I don't have to work. Right now it doesn't mean anything to me, but later on in ten years I'll be very glad I was able to make money.

Q. No special things to buy?

MARISA BAENA: No, nothing. I have everything I want in life right now.

Q. What about the three year exemption?

MARISA BAENA: That means a lot. I think I will be able to relax, enjoy, which I was actually doing this year. I was planning on having fun after a very tough three years, but I definitely feel that the extension means a lot. You just get to relax and just play a lot of tournaments and just not worry so much. You know, I've already been twice to Q School and do all of this. I went through everything pretty much, so it is very important.

Q. How will a tournament like this improve your stroke play? What impact will it have?

MARISA BAENA: Well, we'll see. I can't say right now what impact it's going to have on my game. But I'm absolutely sure that it's going to be great. I know, I can see it; I have changed as a player this week. I have finally got my confidence back. It has taken my a long time. I believe in my swing now, I believe in myself. Being able to hit the ball so well on the last few holes coming in the stretch, that meant a lot to me because I wasn't doing that very good.

So, you know, I stroked the ball so well from 13 on, just right on the money, where I was aiming, and my misses were very good. I think that's what I said to my caddie on 16. I said, "You know what, it's a game of great misses, and that's what I'm doing, and I just need to keep thinking about that."

Q. When you arrived here this week, did you think you can win this tournament, or at what stage at last four days did you suddenly say to yourself, "I'm going to win this?"

MARISA BAENA: My husband, Juan, who at the beginning of the year he kept telling me: "Match play is going to be your tournament, match play is going to be your tournament."

And I'm like, okay, yeah. My dad is here, and he's a very intense person, and he really just kept saying, oh, you're going to make this match, you're going to win, you're going to do this, you're going to did that. So I had my dad all week telling me that I was going to win more than me thinking I was going to win. He was just right there every single day, and I'm like, "Dad, I don't want to think about it."

So I wasn't really thinking about it. I have worked like I said very hard to not go in the few you are, so I really tried to stay one match at a time, one hole at a time. If I can do that, then I can win the tournament. That's the way I was looking at it. I wasn't thinking, oh, I've made that mistake so many times my career, and this year I promised myself that I was not going to think about winning the tournament. Just go out and enjoy and see what happens.

Q. You had something like seven birdies, when is the last time you played a round this good?

MARISA BAENA: Well, believe it or not, with Grace Park, I had six birdies. I bogeyed 1 and I had six birdies, so I was playing very well.

Like I said, I had in Vegas, I shot 65 on my Monday qualifying, which I had six birdies. I shot 66 in my Monday qualifying in Williamsburg, which I had I think seven birdies, so I've been making a lot of birdies. When I get hot, I can really make birdies, and I have always done that, and I think that's why I'm such a good match play player, when I get going, it's okay and if I have a bad hole, I don't care. I'm ready to tee it up on next one and make birdie again.

Q. You've been playing this game for a long time and you used to travel by yourself, your father has not seen you play in three years, what's it like having him here to witness this?

MARISA BAENA: I mean, that's what I'm saying that this win is so special to me. Last time my dad saw me play, it was horrible. I talk to him on the phone, "Are you hooking the ball?"

"Dad, I don't hook the ball anymore."

"When I saw you, you were hooking it." So for three years I have to put up with that. Last week at the Open he saw me play and he looked at me and he said, "I can't believe it, you're a new player. I have never seen anything like it in my life." He was been watching me for 20 years, and he said, "I don't know what Robert did to you, but you're a new player to me." So that gave me a lots of confidence.

You know, my husband has come a lot to watch me play, maybe I haven't seen him in three weeks. So he comes here and there, but having them here just meant the world. I mean, I really wanted to play good for him last week at the U.S. Open, and I put a lot of pressure and missed the cut, so I was very disappointed. Again this week I'm like, you know what, I'm not going to put that pressure. My dad loves me so matter what and same with Juan. They are just happy to be with me, and if I don't make it, I'll just go shopping with them. (Laughter).

Q. When and where did you get married?

MARISA BAENA: I got married February 5. And I got married in Colombia. We've been dating for six years, and we lived together for three. And my mom this year keeps telling me that marriage is a great thing. She keeps saying that that's why I'm playing so good.

Q. From Natalie on, you played some of the biggest names on the Tour. Do you think it gave you an advantage coming today having beaten such seasoned, tough players?

MARISA BAENA: Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think beating Jennifer and beating Candie this morning, those two matches probably are the toughest matches for me, and the reason why is because of hitting the ball horrible. I just could not hit the ball, I had a lot of up and downs, and I kept telling myself, "Okay, you've got to be patient, you're going to start hitting it good, come on, you can do this."

You know, I was 2 down with five to go, and I think those matches remind me that, you know, you can do whatever your mind wants. And I played really well against Karrie Webb. I just did not give her a chance. I made I think three birdies, no bogeys or something like that. This afternoon, you know, I hit some balls on the range and I felt a little bit more comfortable, and like I said, I just tried to play one shot at a time.

But you're right, I think winning so many matches but she won a lot of matches, too, and she beat a lot of good players. I think the two of us were very confident and I think that's why you saw such good play. She had a lot of birdies, too.

Q. How difficult was it to stay focused, to stay sharp over the course of six matches this week?

MARISA BAENA: Very hard. I'm not in a great shape because I don't work out, so it was hard. You know, some of those hills, I'm like, breathe, breathe, give me some water. Yesterday, my back was extremely sore after my second match. Playing against Karrie I was very, very sore and I was very tired.

But, you know what, I said you know what, everybody is probably tired, too. We're not used to doing this, and I did do something that I noticed a lot of players didn't, and that's I ate a lot on the golf course. I mean, I was eating bars, eating fruit, drinking water, and I think that helped me on the last holes be able to concentrate better and keep that concentration, because, you know, I was at least I had energy. My body wasn't, you know, dehydrated or anything like that. I think that was very important.

Q. On 18, as that putt got closer and closer to the hole and things started to sink in, what was going through your mind?

MARISA BAENA: Yeah, this week I have had a lot of long putts I have to say. I'm a very good lag putter, I have always been, so I was very happy to see the ball getting closer and closer. I left it short on some of on 16, I left it short on 17, and so I was kind of going through my mind, "Okay, you've got to hit this one but you cannot pass it." But finally I was able to concentrate and I saw it. I'm thinking, "Oh my gosh, I'm going to win, I'm going to win."

I think tomorrow when finally I realize what I did, I think everything is going to sink in. Right now I'm just kind of shocked to tell you the truth.

Q. The first Women's World Match Play on American soil for 50 years, I think you're rather in favor of the match play format but a few words about this tournament and where it can go and about the fact that HSBC have bought in, in the interest of equality, one for the girls as well to match the one that's been going at Wentworth for 43 years.

MARISA BAENA: I think it's unbelievable that HSBC came through with this tournament. I think match play is a different part of golf that people haven't been able to see with women's golf. Like I said, I love match play, and I think we needed one. I think we really do, because you get to see different parts of the players that normally medal players are not going to see because it's a completely different format. I'm happy that they did it. I love the format.

Q. If Ernie Els wins again at Wentworth, how about a man on woman?

MARISA BAENA: That would be a tough one, I have to say. If I am, I'll play.

Q. Just one last thing, as far as I know how important this is to you, but obviously something like this can help you get back some sponsorship. How important is that to you to have somebody on board with you?

MARISA BAENA: Getting a sponsorship on our tour is very difficult. As all of you have noticed how many blank bags, hats, a lot of the girls actually just wear hats or bags just because they get them for free. Of course, I don't do that, I'm against it.

But it's great, like I said, it would be great to have a sponsorship because you feel that someone supports you, believes in you. But you know, I've love to have one. I was lucky enough to have through my career very good sponsorships and because of last year, I lost them because it was a tough year. I understand that.

So I think eventually I'll get one, I'm hoping, but again, I think more than anything it's just great to see that they support us and they believe in women's golf. I think it's more important to me than just they gave me some money. You know, money doesn't mean very much to me, so it's just more that they believe in me, they support me, they support the LPGA, they support, and I think the more sponsors we get, the more people see it, and they believe that they can get their money's worth out of us.

Q. After you won the NCAA Championship, you lost in the final of the U.S. Amateur, did you think it was going to take this long for your first victory?

MARISA BAENA: No. Actually, I turned pro my junior year and I was not on top of my game when I turned pro. I just came from a shoulder injury, so I was not on top of my game, but did I not think it was going to take me this long. Actually, you know, the funny thing about it, I always believed I could do it, but finally this week, I'm saying, you know what, I don't care if I win or not. And that's the funny part about it, this winter I realized winning wasn't as important to me as I thought. Winning, it was just, you know, winning. There's nothing you know, I have good health, I have a great family, I love the people around me, I'm healthy. I'm thinking, you know what, why am I so obsessed about winning? I think once I took that load off this winter, there I am, winning. So that's how it works, once you realize that it's not that important, it comes to you.

Q. And do you look at this as validation that you made the right moving to go the new coach and go with the new swing?

MARISA BAENA: Absolutely. I think without him I would not be here right now. He just understood me, understood my golf swing and I think very few of us are lucky enough to find someone that can guide you the way he did.

Q. You are the first Colombian winner in LPGA history and how is golf in your country?

MARISA BAENA: Golf in Colombia is a private sport. And the history for women to be professional golfers, one tried The European Tour and she made some money. The other one tried Q School and never made it. The other, my sister, Christina, she's playing the FUTURES Tour and she won on Sunday. My dad is very excited and now I won this week, so my dad, he's in heaven right now.

In Colombia, it's something that is very special. Our country has a lot of problems, a lot of violence and they are always looking for more role models. I'm sure in Colombia, people are going crazy right now. It's open at my country club and they had a big screen going hole by hole and everybody was sitting there drinking beer and yelling every time, you know, I won a hole, my mom is there and everybody is telling her how I'm doing. I can't imagine right now the party that's going on in my country club, all of my friends are there. So, I mean, it's very special.

Q. What's the name of the club?

MARISA BAENA: It called Pereira Country Club. Pereira is where I'm from.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you and congratulations again.

End of FastScripts.

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