Q. Talk about how much of a household name you are in Mexico, for example, are LPGA tournaments televised in Mexico and that sort of thing?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, actually, the national TV in Mexico, Televissa, bought the rights for the LPGA, so we have it down there. Every day they transmit the tournament. And it's been great. People want to play and they are getting very excited about golf. It's been great for me to have the opportunity to share with my country what I'm doing and finally they can see what I'm doing and how everything is here.
Q. Did that television deal happen after you joined the LPGA or while you were still in college?
LORENA OCHOA: Just before the LPGA started I believe.
Q. They have given you the National Sports Award, you are a heroine in Mexico, aren't you?
LORENA OCHOA: It's been great now that I go back home. I left a little bit. I went to college two years. I can see the changes when I went back home. I got away a little bit in my country. They didn't know what I was doing in college and all of a sudden I started playing on the big leagues and I am doing great and it's fun. When I go home it feels incredible, the people, my relatives, friends, people at my golf course. It's nice. It's nice that people support you and recognize you whatever you are doing.
Q. Are you able to live a quote/unquote a normal life when you are home or if you are sitting in a restaurant are you inundated with autograph requests and things like that?
LORENA OCHOA: It did happen, yes. It's tough when I go out. It's tough. But that's why I go back home. I love to be there. I love to be with my friends and my family. I try to live a normal life. I spend a lot of time on my golf course. It's like my second home. And I do the same thing that I used to do since I was 6 years old. I go on the weekends probably to the beach. We have a townhouse. A lot of times on the weekend, just try to do things that keep me the way I am.
Q. For those of us aren't as familiar with your background why golf as opposed to tennis or soccer?
LORENA OCHOA: I pretty much practiced basketball, volleyball, tennis and golf when I was little. I played high school team basketball and volleyball. And when I started playing golf, I went to the state international tournament. And when I turned 10 my dad told me, you got to pick golf or tennis, because you have to be good at one.
And I won when I was with the Junior World in San Diego. The first 3 years I won that tournament, I was very excited to compete for Mexico, for my country. It was very special to represent my country and I picked golf. Some then I kind of dropped all of the sports and really concentrated on golf.
Q. What about the mountain climbing?
LORENA OCHOA: That's entertainment that's to relax. Nothing like playing very serious. I love to do all of that. When I go to the mountains I'm horseback riding, hiking a little bit. When I go to the beach I water ski, fishing. I try to be entertained.
Q. You don't like the extreme sports?
LORENA OCHOA: I like extreme sports. What do you call extreme sports?
Q. Tri-Athalon tough stuff?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I like it. I think that helped me very, very much to be where I am right now. As far as getting to know how far I can go, to be stronger, you know. Every time be stronger and stronger and even though you are really tired just to keep going. In golf you got to manage your head and that helped me very much.
Q. So you are saying that all of that other stuff, climbing the two mountains in Mexico while you were 12, or somewhere along there, is climbing the mountain to winning a PGA event tougher to do or easier to do?
LORENA OCHOA: I think it's really tough. I have the best feeling in my life when I finished the Tri-Athalon. We already run like for like 3 hours and bike for maybe another 2 hours and we had to swim 4 kilometers into the wind, water freezing, and when I go there I was crying, I was balling and I think it was the best feeling in my life, probably better than winning a tournament. Just because of that, you know, just to keep going and keep going and keep going and keep your head up and do it. It's been amazing.
You know, hopefully I can get the feeling of winning a LPGA tournament. We will see.
Q. As much as you won in college, it was almost expected that you would win, I think you expected yourself to win and you did it on the Futures Tour, too, how soon do you expect it to happen out here?
LORENA OCHOA: As soon as possible. No, no. I know that this is really, really hard. This is really tough competition level. There are really, really good players out there. In college, the difference is maybe 3 players. If you don't win you are second or third. Here it's very, very tough. So I know I am just very, very happy where I am right now and it's great to be in the lead.
I'm just going to try to enjoy being in the lead and have fun. The most fun I can and if this is my weekend, and if not, I keep going and be patient and hopefully it's going to come soon. I'm in no hurry. I have many years to play on the LPGA, many tournaments. It is going to come in time.
Q. Before the tournament began there was some players who thought that the winning score wouldn't be anymore than maybe two or three or 4 under par, are you a little surprised that there are 7's and 8's and some of yesterday leaders haven't teed off and we are only halfway through?
LORENA OCHOA: You know, yesterday, I thought it was a tough golf course and yesterday I look at this course, 5-under, I'm playing 3-under, it's key to hit a good driver, very, very key. I think if you put the ball in the fairway in good positions it's going to be a difficult golf course. If not it's going to be really tough. You can see who is striking the ball good and who is playing good. There is a huge difference. Today I didn't miss any drives. I missed one fairway and it was in the short grass, not in the rough and it just makes a huge difference on the game.
Q. Your second shot on 15 was uncharacteristic, were you laying up?
LORENA OCHOA: It was too far for me. I couldn't reach the green in 2. It is bad on the left side. You have the downhill and the bunker and the rough. I was just trying to lay up. I left it hundred yards short, trying to have a good lay up and put it close with 3. I played very very bad the par-5s. I made par on 3 of them. I made a good par on them. It was tough.
Q. What do you consider the strong points of your game, is it being aggressive or what is it?
LORENA OCHOA: I'm normally a very aggressive player, but since I have been on the LPGA you need to be aggressive when it's time to be aggressive. Right now I'm actually a little bit trying to not be very aggressive, to not think very much and to make sure that I make a good decision on each shot. And I think the most important is being patient. My caddy always reminds me, patient, patient, patient. I like to be aggressive and I like to make every single shot and putt and I get very excited, so I'm just trying to be patient.
Q. How long were your par putts on 9 and 15?
LORENA OCHOA: On 9, maybe seven feet, four feet. Like from here to the chair.
PAUL ROVNAK: Six feet.
LORENA OCHOA: Six feet. Which other? I think shorter, maybe four or five, a little bit shorter.
PAUL ROVNAK: Any more questions?
Q. If you want to have a great shot for winning this weekend, do you have to start getting birdies on the par-5s if you want to win?
LORENA OCHOA: I think tomorrow is going to be -- it's something I will have on my mind, be patient on the par-5s, take advantage of the short distances and make birdies on them. The rest of the holes just play smart. I think the other holes out there I need to think very much what I want to do and be patient.
Q. When the PGA TOUR was here for those 20 something years, the golf course measured about 6,800 yards, it's about 6,200 this week, would 6,800 be beyond the capabilities of the lady pros?
LORENA OCHOA: I don't think I can answer that question. It's the same for everybody. I think we will have a very challenging tournament. I think we can do it.
Q. It wouldn't bother you if they played the course that the men played from the tees and all of that sort of thing?
PAUL ROVNAK: Do you think the ladies would be able to play this course the same distance the men played last year, 6,800 yards, or do you think that's too long.
LORENA OCHOA: I think hitting short second shots. Today I hit a lot of wedges and probably 8-irons. A 5-iron we can do it. The score would be higher.
PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you.
End of FastScripts....
