Longs Drugs Challenge
Blackhawk Country Club
Danville, Calif.
Sept. 24, 2006

Final-round interviews: Karrie Webb | Annika Sorenstam | Paula Creamer

Webb takes home fourth victory of season at Longs Drugs Challenge
Sorenstam posts final-round 65, one-stroke shy of win

Heading into the final round with a five-stroke lead, it appeared Karrie Webb had her fourth win of the season wrapped up. However, when Annika Sorenstam's name is on the leaderboard—even with a six-stroke deficit—nothing is guaranteed. As Sorenstam (70-70-69-65=274, -14) waited near the scoring tent, Webb (67-70-66-70=273, -15)—just a group behind—sank a two-foot par putt on the 72nd hole of the Longs Drugs Challenge for a one-stroke victory and the $165,000 winner's check.

Webb's five-stroke lead after 54 holes matches the lead she had going into the final round of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill, and ended up winning by seven strokes, the largest margin this season. But Sorenstam's field-low 65 (-7) gave Webb a run for her money. The tournament was the 15th event this season that has been decided by one stroke or a playoff.

“Today was a great day. I loved it. It's just a lot of fun,” said Sorenstam, who leads the Tour with 14 top-10 finishes in 17 starts. “You really have to do something when the opportunity is right there. I could have gone out and shot 1 under or 2 under, it wouldn't have meant as much. There are birdie opportunities, but if you don't hit it in the right place, this course can get you. I'm sure I had her heart pumping a little bit, which is my goal and to walk away with a good finish, I'm happy.”

Webb lit up the 6,212-yard course early with birdies on holes two and three, which Sorenstam matched on three and four. But as Sorenstam went on to birdie the 155-yard par-3 seventh, Webb followed with a double bogey and the chase began.

“The first six holes, I was cruising along,” said Webb who has not won four tournaments in a season since she won seven in 2000. “I really probably should have been 4 under through the first six today. I let everybody back in when I doubled seven. So from there, it was game on.”

Sorenstam would bogey number eight, but sank a 38-foot eagle putt on nine to make the turn 4-under-par 33 and within two strokes of Webb. That was the largest margin Webb would enjoy, as her birdies on 11 and 13 were the last on the back nine to go to 15-under, where she would remain for the tournament. Sorenstam also birdied 11 when she took her 7-wood out of the bunker to within nine feet as well as posting a birdie on the par-5 15th—one of five on a course that tested golfers with its steep elevation changes and strong winds earlier in the week. Sorenstam drew within one stroke of Webb on 17 after a key 15-foot birdie putt.

“I just really appreciate that double bogey was my only blemish out there, that I really got a hold of myself and didn't make any mistakes and just made a couple of birdies and that was good enough,” said Webb, who remained in second place on the ADT Official Money List with $1,873,753.

Webb's impressive sub-par performance all four days keeps her in the lead on Tour for rounds under par with a 75.8 percent record (47 of 62 rounds). She also closed the gap in the Rolex Player of the Year race as she bumped Sorenstam out of second place to go from 184 to 214 points, just nine behind Lorena Ochoa with 223. Sorenstam is in third with 206 points.

When it comes to leading the Tour by statistics, Ochoa is handling the task. She posted a 6-under-par 66 in the final round (68-72-72-66=278, -10) to finish tied for fourth. She continues to lead the ADT Official Money List with $1,974,122; eagles (11); greens in regulation (75.3 percent); and is one of three on Tour with a sub-70 scoring average (69.4384). Sorenstam (69.8448) and Cristie Kerr (69.9091), who also tied for fourth (69-70-71-68=278, -10), join her in the race for the Vare Trophy.

As a native of nearby Pleasanton, Paula Creamer posted her low-round of the tournament on Sunday with a 4-under-par 68. She ended the tournament with a 5-under-par 69-74-72-68=283 and tied for 16th. Although not in contention to secure her first victory of the season, she drew galleries that rivaled the final groups.

“Even today, I had so many people out there supporting me,” said Creamer, who remained 12th on the ADT Official Money List $814,032 in season earnings. “I was trying to make as many birdies as I could, do as well as I could. It's nice to stand on the tee box and see tons of pink and hear ‘Go Paula.' It's really nice to be able to come home and play in front of everybody.”

First-round leader Jeong Jang set a course record with her 8-under-par 64, but played the weekend 4-over par for a tournament total of 64-73-74-74=285 (-3) and tied for 21st. During the second round, Pat Hurst, who has played on the LPGA Tour since 1995, carded the first hole-in-one of her LPGA career. Hurst, who recently crossed the $5 million mark in career earnings, aced the par-3, 170-yard number 10 using a 7-iron. It is the 18th hole-in-one on Tour this season.

Final-round notes

Webb earns fourth win. It was a battle of wills—Karrie Webb entered the final round of the Longs Drugs Challenge at 13-under-par 203 with a five-stroke lead over Morgan Pressel and Maria Hjorth at 208 (-8). Annika Sorenstam was six strokes back at 7-under-par (209), but fired a field-low 65 (-7) to finish with a 70-70-69-65=274 (-14) to force Webb to make her two-foot putt for par on the 72nd hole to win by one (67-70-66-70=273 (-15). It is Webb's fourth victory of the season and the first time she has won four events in one year since she won seven in 2000. Webb also claimed the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill and Evian Masters and the LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame member now has 34 career victories, which is tied for 13th in Tour history with 2007 U.S. Solheim Cup Team captain Betsy King.

Webb earns fourth stay at Canyon Ranch. In addition to winning the Longs Drugs Challenge and a $165,000 paycheck, Karrie Webb also earned her fourth all-inclusive stay for two at a Canyon Ranch resort. In a combined effort to promote health and overall well-being among Tour players, Canyon Ranch will provide every winner of an LPGA event with an all-inclusive stay at one of Canyon Ranch's two destination resorts.

Time running out for end of the year honors, Ochoa still in the lead. Lorena Ochoa carded a 6-under-par 66 during the final round of the Longs Drugs Challenge to jump from a 54-hole tie for 14th to end with a $42,798 paycheck and tie for fourth (68-72-72-66=278, -10). With the strong finish, she continues her dominance on Tour by leading the ADT Official Money List with $1,974,122--$100,369 ahead of Longs Drugs Challenge winner and LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Famer Karrie Webb ($1,873,753). Ochoa is also just nine points ahead of Webb in the Rolex Player of the Year Race 223 to 214, while Annika Sorenstam is eight points behind Webb in third with 206 points. Ochoa is also nearly half a stroke ahead of Sorenstam in the Vare Trophy race with a 69.4384 season scoring average to Sorenstam's 69.8448. Sorenstam won the ADT Official Money List title, Rolex Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy last year. The 69-time LPGA Tour winner also accomplished the feat in 1995, 1998, 2001 and 2002. Webb also captured Rolex Player of the Year honors in 1999 and 2000 along with the Vare Trophy, which she also won in 1997.

Sarah Lee crosses $1 million in career earnings. Sarah Lee tied for 10th at the Longs Drugs Challenge this week to earn $20,868 and cross the $1 million mark in career earnings with $1,012,332. Her finish is her best this season since she finished runner-up to Juli Inkster at the Safeway International presented by Coca-Cola earlier this season. Lee has earned $203,803 this season.

Pressel records career-best finish. Morgan Pressel had her best finish of the season with a 12-under-par 276 to finish in third place (71-68-69-68). Her previous best was a tie for fifth at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay and the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Pressel was bogey-free during the final round of the Longs Drugs Challenge. She entered the round tied for the second at 8-under-par, five strokes behind 54-hole leader Karrie Webb. Pressel remained at eight under through 10 and let loose a string of four birdies on holes 11, 12, 14 and 17 for her third-place finish, which sent her to $421,183 in season earnings—22nd on the ADT Official Money List and surrounded by fellow rookies Julieta Granada in 19th ($500,966); Jee Young Lee in 20th ($487,946); Ai Miyazato in 21st ($482,203); and Brittany Lang in 23rd ($407,234).

Hurst records ace in second round. Pat Hurst, the 1995 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year, recorded the first hole-in-one of her Tour career during the second round of the Longs Drugs Challenge. Hurst, who recently crossed the $5 million mark in career earnings, aced the par-3, 170-yard number 10 using a 7-iron. It is the 10th hole-in-one in the 11-year tournament history and 18th on Tour this season. Hurst has five career wins—most recently at the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi—and is a four-time member of the U.S. Solheim Cup Team as one of only two players to play all five matches.

Lee is 2006 rookie of the year. By making her 24th-consecutive cut on Tour, Seon Hwa Lee locked in the 2006 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race. Although one more full-field event remains in which rookies can earn points—Corona Morelia Championship—Lee has earned enough points to mathematically put the title out of reach for anyone else: 1,009 points to Ai Miyazato's 760. The 2005 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Paula Creamer made her professional debut near her hometown this week with a 69-74-72-68=283 (-5) tie for 16th; Lee (74-73-71-72=290, +2) finished tied for 39th. Lee won the 2006 ShopRite LPGA Classic—the only rookie to win a tournament this year—and posted an addition five top-10 finishes in 24 consecutive cuts made to claim the title.

Sorenstam cards round-low 65. Rolex Women's World Rankings number one Annika Sorenstam continued her bid for Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy honors by carding under par all four rounds at the Longs Drugs Challenge, including the field-low 65 (-7) on Sunday to finish one-stroke behind champion Karrie Webb (67-70-66-70=273, -15). Sorenstam (70-70-69-65=274, -14) earned $101,192 for her second-place finish. It is her 14th top-10 finish of the season in 17 starts, which leads the Tour.

Final-round interviews: Karrie Webb | Annika Sorenstam | Paula Creamer

Karrie Webb, 67-70-66-70=273 (-15)
Scorecard: Hole 2, 346-yard par 4: birdie – wedge to 15 feet
Hole 3, 552-yard par 5: birdie – 8-iron to five feet
Hole 7, 155-yard par 3: double bogey – 8-iron into water, 8-iron to 40 feet, two putt
Hole 11, 475-yard par 5: birdie – 3-wood to 25 feet, two putt
Hole 13, 315-yard par 4: birdie – 53-degree wedge to five feet

DANA GROSS RHODE: Four birdies on the day, one double bogey, it was an exciting day out there. What were you thinking when you were looking at the scoreboard and watching Annika ahead of you?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, like I said, the first six holes, I was cruising along. I really probably should have been 4 under through the first six today. I had two fairly good opportunities on four and six and I didn't make those. So, I just, obviously, I let everybody back in when I doubled seven. So from there, it was game on.

I knew that that probably would feed Annika's aggression and she was definitely going to try to apply more pressure because she was in the group in front of me and make some birdies while I was standing back in the fairway watching.

It was a very tough afternoon. I played really solidly, I think the only green I missed on the back nine was on the last, and it just went through the back of the green there. I really wasn't in any danger of making any bogeys, but I just wasn't making the putts for birdies. But one by one, so I'm happy.

Q. Karrie, when you are on the tee at 18, the tee shot on that hole if you get caught right, I think you did one day this week get caught right, after that the second shot in it's a donkey shot over water, what were your thoughts on that as well?
KARRIE WEBB: Off the tee, my thoughts were, just start it up the right half of the fairway and let the wind blow it back to the middle of the fairway. I actually put such a good swing on it, I didn't want to hit it too far. I really crunched that one. Then I just had a fantastic wedge number for my second shot. I was sitting in a little bit of, it looked like an old divot, I think, so I didn't get any spin on the ball. I landed it probably where I wanted to, it just didn't have any spin, it ran through the back, and it made the three putt a little bit more challenging than I would have liked.

Q. Karrie, today was supposed to be maybe a little bit of an easier task for you to go out there and play a nice solid, somewhat under par round of golf, and go and get the trophy. By the turn it turned into a challenge, can you talk about any adjustments you made either mentally or strategically off the tee to sort of compensate what was happening on the leaderboard?
KARRIE WEBB: Not really. I don't think I was playing safe at all. But I definitely couldn't do that anymore. By the turn, I think I was only two shots ahead. I was going to keep playing the golf course the way I played it all week. I feel like I did that on the back nine, I just didn't make the putts. I had a very good opportunity on 15, the par 5, that probably would have given me a little bit of breathing room there. I missed that one, and then I hit some good putts. It just didn't go in. Either not enough speed or misread a little bit.

But I hit all of eight greens through 17, just hit that one through the green on 18.

So I played very solidly for the pressure that Annika was putting on in front of me. I'm just really happy I didn't succumb to that. With Annika doing what she was doing, you know she is probably not going to make mistakes, she is probably only going to make birdies. I just stuck to my guns and hit some really good shots and hung in there.

Q. Is Annika the last person you want to see behind in a situation like that, or does it matter?
KARRIE WEBB: Well, she is probably the last person you want to see having a good day because you know she is going to have a good day. If she gets hot, probably eight times out of 10 she is going to continue on her way and shoot a good score.

Once I saw her get a bit of momentum—and I know I would feel the same way if she birdied seven right in front of me, and I made a double, and if the roles were reversed—that would have set her confidence for sure. I wanted to try and get a couple more birdies as quickly as I could just to let her know that it was just a mishap, not the way I was feeling on the golf course.

Q. As much as you left with a double on seven, you are still 3 up, Annika turned out to bogey the next hole, you are 4 up, when you are walking up the ninth tee you here the roar from the green, how much did you
KARRIE WEBB: Was that for an eagle? I didn't realize she bogeyed eight. So I thought she must have chipped in for about birdie.

Q. What was going through your head, the roar was pretty loud?
KARRIE WEBB: I thought it was for eagle, and then when I saw the scoreboard she only got another birdie. I figured that she must have chipped in for birdie. Or putted in or whatever she did. But yes, I actually thought that she must have struggled on that hole a little bit and had a chip in for birdie. I didn't think it was for an eagle.

Q. Did that get the juices flowing?
KARRIE WEBB: I knew. I knew as soon as she saw the leaderboard and saw I doubled seven, that would be enough for her to get her going.

Q. Karrie, this is the first year at Blackhawk, does it mean anything more, with this being your fourth win of the year to win at a new venue?
KARRIE WEBB: Not necessarily. Just to win means a lot. Obviously, at the start of the week, I wasn't necessarily in love with the golf course. Like I told you yesterday, I had taken three weeks off and had some family over and hadn't worked extremely hard, so I didn't really know what to expect of my game this week. To come out on top feels great. Just that I know that my swing is in a place where I don't even have to have a good driving range to go out there and trust, trust that my swung is there, and it's going to be there under pressure. That feels really good.

Q. Can you talk about your feelings right now at this point in the year, being in the Player of the Year, the Money List race, as compared to the last couple of years and what a tremendous better sense it must be at this point?
KARRIE WEBB: Yes, I just mainly made me appreciate the good golf. Before I started to play not my best, I wouldn't say it's the worse I could have played. Before I started playing, not my best, I can't say that I took it for granted, but I just didn't appreciate what it took. It was probably a great learning experience for me to see the other side, the fine line of not playing that badly, but not getting results that you want. It feels great. I'm glad for that learning experience just to learn to appreciate winning and not taking the good golf for granted and just soaking it all in and hearing the crowds.

Q. Following along those lines, because you had so much success early, then a gap, can you appreciate more of what isn't golf, what surrounds it? I'm thinking what Lee Trevino used to say he would like to be the last one in a dirty locker room because it meant something to him, is there anything else that you take from that now in terms of appreciation?
KARRIE WEBB: I guess I really haven't necessarily focused in on that dirty locker room atmosphere: (Laughter.) But when you go head to head with the best player in the world, and I'm playing in an era where I am competing against Annika—we probably said that with Kathy Whitworth, Mickey Wright. You would see special talent, but to compete against her, she is on a roll, you have to dig deep and get the very best out of you.

I just really appreciate that double bogey was my only blemish out there, that I really got a hold of myself and didn't make any mistakes and just made a couple of birdies and that was good enough. I just really appreciate that. It could have gone either way. I'm sure Annika probably had more chances to make some putts as well. I just felt pleased that once in a lot of tournaments that I snuck in ahead of her.

Q. The (Rolex) Player of the Year race is so closely bunched, if it weren't a points thing, it was just a subjective vote, which MVP is in a lot of sports, how would you vote today?
KARRIE WEBB: I don't know, it would be very close. You know, at one stage I would say first, second, third, fourth, I think it is a very tight race. Lorena, I don't know what she did today, she must have had a good round to get to 10 under. That just shows what player of the year means to her. She is not just going to go out there and walk around on Sunday and let me or Annika or Cristie get points on her, so I really couldn't say.

I'm glad it's a point race and not a popularity contest towards the end of the year because I think it is pretty close for four players to really have a vote on it. Points will determine who it is, and I think that's probably going to be the best way to do it this year.

Annika Sorenstam, 70-70-69-65=274 (-14)
Scorecard: Hole 3, 552-yard par 5: birdie – sand wedge out of bunker to nine feet
Hole 4, 184-yard par 3: birdie – 6-iron to four feet
Hole 7, 155-yard par 3: birdie – 8-iron to 12 feet
Hole 8, 360-yard par 4: bogey – punch out from under tree to 10 feet, two putt
Hole 9, 505-yard par 5: eagle – 4-wood to 38 feet
Hole 11, 475-yard par 5: birdie – 7-wood out of bunker to nine feet
Hole 15, 501-yard par 5: birdie – sand wedge to seven feet
Hole 17, 333-yard par 4: birdie – sand wedge to 15 feet

DANA GROSS RHODE: Annika, unbelievable round of 7 under par, you really gave Karrie a run for her money. How were things going out there? Very well obviously.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, obviously, I'm very, very happy with my round. I knew I had to do something special today to even have a chance. I got off to a good start. The putt on nine kind of kick started it. I played very, very well. I had a lot of chances out there. I mean, 12, 13, 14, very close, almost lipped out.

It was a great round of golf. I'm very pleased with the way I played. To come from so far behind and put pressure on the leader, this is one of the reasons why I love what I do. This is so much fun. I'm out there and just loving the situation.

Q. You had said yesterday if you are within three at the turn on Sunday, you got a chance, and you eagled that and you were two back at the turn, so what's sort of going through your mind as you had to the back nine, I imagine that's where you wanted to be, given where you started?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, exactly. Like I said, if you are within three shots, I think anything is possible. I played solid and I made birdie on 11. When I looked at the leaderboard, Karrie was 15 again, so she made a few birdies early there to. It was fun. It's a lot of fun. I played aggressive today. I tried to make as many birdies as possible. When you are chasing somebody you kind of know what you have to do. I look at the leaderboard all the time. I just told my caddy, we have to play aggressive. I'm sure there were times today if it was Thursday or Friday maybe hit another club for safety. But today I had nothing to lose. I had everything to gain and it paid off.

Q. Annika, is it easier or harder when you are in the lead, and you are trying to protect the lead, or when you are behind and you try to catch a leader; what's the mindset that goes through a player's mind like that?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, there are two different mindsets. Obviously, someone like Karrie had a five or six-shot lead today. I would think that she would play a lot more conservative. When I looked back, it looked like she was laying up a lot more than she had the previous days. When you have the lead you are trying to protect it. You want the other players to make the charge, make them kind of take the risk. When you are chasing like I did today, I had nothing to lose. I had to try and reach par 5s in two. I had to go for pins maybe where I shouldn't, because if I don't, then there is no pressure and she could pretty much play relaxed. Pretty much early on I just decided I'm just going to try to do what I can. When you're striking the ball well, and you're putting well, it's okay. But those days when you're not—your 65 may be something else.

Q. Annika, when you are making a run like that do you get into in a different kind of zone more than normal, do you feel even better, more invincible?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well when you play well, I think you feel—I wouldn't say invincible, but you feel like you are in charge of your own game, you just kind of worry about the things that you can control. Everything seems so much easier when it's going your way. The hole is a lot bigger and you feel like you get good balance. It's a lot easier when things go your way.

When you are chasing somebody, you just have to go for it and today, I was just in that position where I had to do it. Starting with six shots behind, that's a lot of the shots on a golf course like this. I mean, you can get a low score but then on the other hand, Karrie is playing so well, too. I didn't really expect her to lose too many shots. Like I said earlier, today was a lot of fun for me. To get off with some birdies and an eagle, there is so much adrenaline pumping. The atmosphere, the excitement. It's just a lot of fun. I love it.

Q. You've won everywhere Annika, but in Northern California you have a history of doing very, very well, you've won in Vallejo, at Danville, Sacramento, is there anything that you owe that kind of success to? Obviously Incline (Village) is not too far from here, what is it about Northern California?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, I love it here. I'm paying my taxes not too far away from here. Maybe that has something to do with it. It's a nice neighborhood. The weather has been good here. The people I stay with are really nice here. It's a good feeling. When you come to places you like, you know you feel good about things, I've always felt good up here. You know, this course is a little tougher than other courses because it's very tricky, very undulated with different elevation changes. It's a tough golf course to score here. You need some good breaks.

Today I had some good breaks. It's a little tough though, but today was pretty much my day. It's too bad I had too much ground to make up. Overall I'm happy, 14 under on this golf course I think I would have taken that starting Thursday.

Q. How exhilarating was it to be on the 18th tee, only one back given where you started today. And B, the approach shot, were you trying to get below the hole and can you describe what happened on the approach shot and the chip?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, the tee shot I hit 4 wood, the wind is blowing right to left. It's just all about putting it in the right place. You have a good shot to the green. I got 159 yards to the pin. I'm hitting 8 iron, I feel the wind a little bit behind me. I think it rolled out about 15, which is the most all day, otherwise I think I would have be pretty close, putting for birdie. Instead I'm over the green in the first cut. It didn't feel like the easiest chip. You look at the leaderboard, and you have to give it a run. You have to, you know, see if you can make it. But again you don't want to be too aggressive and walk away with a bogey and giving her a two shot lead coming down 18. So there is a little bit of balance there; how aggressive I'm going to play and how conservative. I tried to get it on the green and it trickled down to the hole. It was pretty close. It didn't hit the lip, but it was pretty close. That was about a two footer and tapped that in.

Q. Annika, is it kind of fun to run somebody down from behind like that knowing that you are putting the pressure on her when you are coming down the stretch like that?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, like I said earlier, today was a great day. I loved it. It's just a lot of fun. You really have to do something when the opportunity is right there. I could have gone out and shot 1 under or 2 under, it wouldn't have meant as much. All of a sudden, I'm putting the pressure on Karrie, who probably felt pretty good most of the day, and I'm sure she starts to look at the leaderboard. There are some tough holes here at the end. There are birdie opportunities, but if you don't hit it in the right place, this course can get you. I'm sure I had her heart pumping a little bit which is my goal and to walk away with a good finish, I'm happy.

Q. The (Rolex) Player of the Year race, forgetting about the point formula, what do you think after last year the four of you, you seem so tightly bunched?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, it tough to say. My vote would probably go for Lorena at the moment. Obviously, she has been so consistent throughout the year. I think Player of the Year is really the kind of the thing that matters to me the most right now. (ADT Official) Money List is going to be tough because it kind of depends on how many tournaments you play. The purses are so uneven nowadays that I don't think that really shows who plays the best. The Player of the Year is probably the best indicator because the points are even for the season. I don't know what it will be by the end of the day, but I'm sure it's going to be tight. I'm sure it will come down to the last two tournaments, the Tour championship, it's going to be quite a race.

I'm excited that I still have a chance. I think today gave me some points moved up a little closer to Lorena. Obviously, Karrie pulled away. It's fun. It's going to be a lot of fun. The previous years I have been able to lock it out early. The situation is very different this year, so I have some work to do the next few months but I look forward to it.

Q. Annika, this is the first time the LPGA has been in the Bay Area in quite a few years, all in all, what were your impressions of Blackhawk, as a golf course, of the crowd that showed up at this tournament, and of the test that Blackhawk presented to the field?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, first of all, I'm glad that we're in this area. It's a beautiful neighborhood. I think the crowds have been spectacular this week. The weather has been fantastic. I'm surprised to see so many people walk 18 holes, it's not an easy golf course. We've been very well received here, it's fantastic. It's a good week.

Q. Tell me what you think of Karrie making a comeback this year?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I'm glad to see her back. I always have a lot of respect for Karrie. She has been the best player out here for a few years. I'm happy to see her back. She is a great competitor and just a nice person. I think it's good for the Tour. It makes it exciting. It's great for women's golf. It's just blooming in the field of great players; whether it's the young ones, or players that have been there and kind of making a comeback. We can't forget Karrie, what is she 30 years old, 31 maybe? She is on her second swing now, and I'm sure that we are going to see a lot from her.

Paula Creamer, 69-74-72-68 =283 (-5)
Scorecard: Hole 3, 552-yard par 5: birdie – lob wedge from 64 yards to six feet
Hole 5, 446-yard par 5: birdie – pitching wedge from 85 yards to five feet
Hole 10, 178-yard par 3: bogey – 5-iron from 182 yards to 40 feet, three putt
Hole 13, 315-yard par 4: birdie – 9-iron from 116 yards to 20 feet
Hole 14, 390-yard par 4: birdie – pitching wedge from 106 yards to four feet
Hole 17, 333-yard par 4: birdie – lob wedge from 68 yards to 10 feet

DANA GROSS RHODE: Paula, you had a great day today, you were 4 under for the day. You had an amazing showing, you were commenting about all of the people that were following you. What has it been like this entire week?
PAULA CREAMER: It's been so exciting. Obviously, I wish I would have played better the last couple of days to put myself in contention today and to give myself a chance to win.

Even today, I had so many people out there supporting me. I was trying to make as many birdies as I could, do as well as I could. It's nice to stand on the tee box and see tons of pink and ‘Go Paula.' It's really nice to be able to come home and play in front of everybody.

Q. So this year you were talking about the extra nerves and the extra pressures of playing at home, so do you think next year you come back you will be more relaxed?
PAULA CREAMER: Definitely. Yes, now I know what it's like. I can take what I learned from this past week and put it into perspective going into next year. That's very important. The more times you do it, the more times you learn. I will take it and use it in a positive way. I will feel a lot more comfortable on the tee next year than I did this year.

Q. Hopefully healthier?
PAULA CREAMER: Yes, and hopefully something is not wrong with me.

Q. I had a question, Paula, about this golf course. What did you learn about the golf course and how will that benefit you a year from now when the Tour comes back? What were most of the players thinking, perhaps about the golf course, playing at Blackhawk for the first time?
PAULA CREAMER: I think length is definitely an advantage out here. You can carry the ball far. A lot of the par 5s can be reachable if you hit it far enough. You have to have good wedges. It's more of shaping the ball out here. You have to be more of kind of a right to left player which I am. But at the same time you just have to hit it a little further than I did and I think you can just light this golf course up. But like I said, you have to be on. There is some really good par 3s that you have to take your three and get out of there.

Q. If you know, having grown up here, this is a tough market, you've got the 49ers today, Cal Berkeley on Saturday. From what I understand ticket sales were up and the community has really embraced this tournament, what do you attribute the large crowd here?
PAULA CREAMER: I think everybody loves golf here. It's a big golf community, a big golf city. It's nice that they come out and support us and the LPGA. Along with being a great tournament, it's nice that it's a new venue here. I've been saying every day, it's an exciting golf course. It's exciting for us to play, but also for spectators to watch on certain holes. It's a little inconvenient with the golf cart at the same time, but overall a lot can change on one hole out on the golf course.

It's Pleasanton here. It's a great town. Of course, they are going to come out and watch, they're nice people here.

Q. You mentioned seeing all the pink; how much of that do you really take in when you are wandering from hole to hole?
PAULA CREAMER: At times I'm so focused out there that I don't notice it. But there is a lot of times I'm standing there and looking around. It's like, my goodness, a lot has changed, two years being out on Tour, my second year. It's a sea of pink. It's pretty exciting to see the little girls out there with their bows in their hair. It's very humbling. I always see things in perspective, even though I have a bad day, and I'm still out here doing something I love and there are little girls that want to do the same thing.

Q. You have a good following wherever you go, and you get support from all galleries, I noticed on nine today someone yelled ‘Go Paula!' after you got done with the hole. Do you look a little bit harder when you are local because maybe you might know the person that's yelling for you as opposed to being on the East Coast somewhere?
PAULA CREAMER: I definitely seen a lot of people that I haven't seen for a long time. And I do, when I hear, ‘Go Paula,' and I am walking in the ropes. I'm kind of looking around. I'm kind of nervous to see who I am going to see. It so nice to see familiar faces out there. It makes you want to play better, be positive, put a smile on your face, keep on going out there. I definitely say, ‘Who said that?' ‘Do I know him?' that kind of thing.

Q. Another question, Paula, you are clearly the face of the LPGA along with Annika and a lot of other young golfers, what kind of future do you foresee with a lot of young players with Brittany Lang, and others, I'm drawing a blank right now, Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel and people like that, yourself, young, young players, do you see a very healthy future for the LPGA Tour?
PAULA CREAMER: Oh, definitely. It's great right now because it can only get better. That's the positive thing. The sky is the limit with the LPGA Tour. New venues like this, bigger purses, bigger tournaments, it's great. The more tournaments we have, the more we get around and the more popular we become.

I'm very lucky that this is something that I love to do and I can travel all over and there is an LPGA Tour that I can go to and try to become good. With the young people coming out, it fresh, it's new, and it's exciting. There is a lot of excitement right now with the LPGA Tour.