Lorena Ochoa, defending champion

PAM WARNER: Lorena, thank you for coming and joining us today.
LORENA OCHOA: Thank you.

PAM WARNER: You are back here at the Samsung World Championship as the defending champion after a come-from-behind win last year. Can you start with some opening comments on being back here at Samsung?
LORENA OCHOA: Hello, everybody, good to see you. Yes, last year was a really special year, especially this tournament. I think winning here, you know, the tournament and having that last round play with Annika, and coming from behind, it was something very special and important for my career. And now I feel we are back.

It was a lot of fun to finish strong last year and be able to play good so far this year. So a lot of positive things, a lot of, you know, good things, improvement, in my golf game, and inside the ropes, things we've been working on.
I'm ready to start playing tomorrow. I'm really excited. I've already had a couple of practice rounds. The course looks in great shape and I'm very excited about starting tomorrow.

Q. Last year when you won here a lot of people thought that maybe that was when you became the No. 1 player in the world, even though you said you weren't.

Was there a point in the last 12 months where you actually felt that you were the No. 1 player other than when the computer said so?
LORENA OCHOA: This year or last year?

Q. When did you feel like you became No. 1?
LORENA OCHOA: Well, I think for sure, last year, the way we finished the year, finishing in Mobile and finishing high in ADT. The 2006 season was the one that put me in the No. 1 position for sure.

Q. Starting this year you felt you were the No. 1 player?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on the criteria change for the tournament at all with the Hall of Fame exemption, and would you like to see the criteria change for next year even more, maybe use the Rolex rankings?
LORENA OCHOA: No, I think, you know, I will support whatever they decide to do. But for sure, you know, it's important to just stick with what they say. And at the end of the year they have, you know, saying that the first 18 will qualify from the Money List, I think that's great. I'm glad that they keep their word.

And, you know, what Annika decided to do, that's something that I admire very much, I respect. She thought they were wrong to do it. That just shows how much class she has and how professional she is. Hopefully, they will be clear with the rules, you know, how it's going to be, the qualifications for next year and just stick with that.

Q. I was just talking to Angela Park saying she was hitting 3 woods into one of the greens at least. What's the longest club that you have into a par 4?
LORENA OCHOA: I think a couple of holes, 4 iron and 5 iron. I think 17, if it plays into the wind, we could have for sure a 4 iron, 185 yards to the green.

Q. What about 9?
LORENA OCHOA: Nine today we used my driver, I hit a 7 iron.

Q. Back to Annika for a moment, do you kind of wish she was here, you wish she was here?
LORENA OCHOA: Annika? Yes, very much. You know I think, you know, what happened to her is very understandable, the way she got injured and tried just to slow down and not play as many tournaments. You know, she has been through a lot. And, for sure, I miss her, not only me but a lot of players, and the sponsors, and everybody would like to have her here. But she will be back. She is doing good and ready to start playing more golf in more weeks in a row and get a good rhythm to show the results.

Q. Lorena, you played very well at the end of last year, starting here obviously; you've played very well for six or seven weeks now; do you feel you can keep this going through the ADT like you did last year?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, I would like to do that; that's for sure. You know my goal right now, just to be focused in every tournament and give myself a chance to win all of them. I would like to win not only one, but hopefully I can win a few more. I'm feeling good. I think it's all about being in good shape, being strong, and I can tell you that physically I feel very good.

And then I have this week, and next week we go to Korea, a couple of weeks off, and then ADT. It looks good to be able to finish strong and where we would like to be at the top.

Q. You took a little time off just recently, about four weeks?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes.

Q. How important is that during a year to take the right time off at the right time?
LORENA OCHOA: Very important. I will tell you that four weeks could be too long. I did it for two reasons, after coming from three wins then my brother got married, it was really tough, the whole summer. And I just, me and my coach, we decided to take it easy. It was a good time to go home and relax, recharge, to be able to finish strong.

So in this particular year I think it was important to do that. I think next year I'm going to try to do maybe one rest, no more than three weeks in a row. Because it's always hard to get back to the game.
I was feeling not very comfortable the first week in Birmingham, Alabama. Much better last week, and I think by now I'm 100 percent ready. It's part of the learning. It was good

Q. Lorena, there are many more people, more cameras in this press conference than previous press conferences, and even with you in previous years. With more people watching you, more people paying attention to you, does that give you more incentive to play better?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, for sure. I do feel a lot of support. Thank you to all of the media and also the fans, not only in Mexico but people here in the United States, from all over the world, they come and watch us play. It always gives you extra motivation when you feel that good energy, and I want to say thank you for that.

Q. Can you just comment on the condition of the course and how you feel like it's playing?
LORENA OCHOA: Yes, tournament relations, everybody here at BIGHORN, it's a beautiful golf course. I think the setup for the tournament is for a Grade A championship for the top players. It's going to be challenge. That's also fun for the spectators.

The greens, I've never seen the greens in better shape. Not even one ball mark. They are so flat and fast. So I think it will improve the way you are playing. So I think that's good; it's very fair.

Morgan Pressel

PAM WARNER: Morgan, thanks for coming and joining us today. The last time you were here in the desert you won your first LPGA tournament at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and qualified for this tournament. This is your first time playing here at the Samsung World Championship. Can you talk about being here at BIGHORN this week.
MORGAN PRESSEL: I'm excited to be here. This is a great tournament, a great week, and it's pretty special to be one of the 20 players in this field. So, to have qualified early in the season, winning the Kraft, especially right around the corner, is pretty big.

PAM WARNER: You just got off the course. What are your thoughts so far on the course?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I love the golf course. It is beautiful. It's set up tough. The greens are perfect. So I'm excited. Hopefully, we can see some putts go into the hole this week.

PAM WARNER: Questions for Morgan?

Q. Any fond memories of six months ago coming back into the (Coachella) valley this week?
MORGAN PRESSEL: Absolutely. I mean it's the same sort of thing, the same type of golf, so I'm excited about that. We got our friends that we stayed with out here. We have a lot of friends that were here a few months ago, that are still going to come out and watch me this week, so I'm excited about that. And I love this part of the country. It's beautiful.

Q. How have things been since you've won that tournament? I mean, have things significantly changed for you?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I don't think significantly. I think that it was a big thing. But, you know, golf is still golf, and I have played well and I have played not so well and that happens. But, I mean, I've been pretty busy, but just trying to work on my game.

Q. Can you just kind of assess the second half of the year and how you feel you've done, and maybe putting kind of let you down a few times?
MORGAN PRESSEL: It's been okay. I've had my better tournaments. And, I mean, I'm just really trying to work on my game. It's been tough kind of the middle stretch of the season where you are gone, you are on the road so much. It's tough to actually work on your game. When you go home it's time for a break. It's time to kind of cool it for a little bit. My putting has been a little off here and there. And last week my ball-striking wasn't as solid as it has been, so hopefully we can pull everything together here.

Q. Is there anything specifically that you're working on? Any kind of swing thoughts or putting drills or anything?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I'm always working on speed drills on my putting and really trying to start the golf ball in the proper line. And with my swing, just working on my swing, playing a little bit, and slowing down my hips.

Q. Yesterday, Suzann Peterson said to play this golf course you have to hit it straight and stay out of desert. Then, Paula Creamer said you have to hit good iron shots into the green. And Nicole Castrale said it's about the greens, because they will be so fast. How do you attack the golf course?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I think it's all of the above. What all three of those girls said, you got to try to keep it out of the desert. You got to hit it on the right part of the green because the greens are fairly big, but they're undulating, and they all got levels to them, and you have to putt them well. You got to make some putts. So it's all of the above. Your whole game has to be on this week.

Q. I know this is your first time here but do you have any thoughts at all about the criteria change for this event and maybe going forward? Did you have any thoughts on the change or what you would like to see?
MORGAN PRESSEL: I mean, I've kind of tried to stay out of that and tried to worry about my game. I mean, I qualified for this event. I mean, criteria for events change all the time. I mean, we're not exactly sure what's going to happen going forward.

Suzann Pettersen

PAM WARNER: Suzann, thank you for coming and joining us. It's your first time playing here at the Samsung. You're coming off a great win last week in Danville over Lorena Ochoa, talk about your season and getting here to Samsung.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I'm very excited to be here. It's always been a tournament that you want to get into. And this year I definitely earned my spot here and just finished my 18 holes. Such a fantastic place. The course is in great shape and I just try to end the year how I started it, and it's going well.

PAM WARNER: Can you talk a little bit about your win last week at the Longs Drugs Challenge?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yes, I didn't have the best start, and I just tried to come back and see what I had in me. And it all ended up, it was good enough for a playoff. And who is better to face in a playoff than Lorena. I was lucky enough to win that one.

Q. Hi, Suzann. A lot has happened to you since the last time you were in this desert. You've won three tournaments and a Major. Obviously, you played well that week, too.

Was there something that you took away from that that helped you to these three victories and this kind of season that you've had?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know how many tournaments I need to win to get rid of that question.

Q. I don't mean it to be that question. You've played so well since then?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I just think I learned a lot from it. I think I learned more from finishing second than to win that tournament. And it kept me going, and it kept me working really hard and really wanting to win. I mean I still want to win that one. But, I mean, the only thing you want to do is put yourself in a position where you are capable of winning. And I did. I just didn't finish it off. And the next major I finished it off and I won.

So it was a tough learning process but a very good one at the same time.

Q. Just talk about what you did to celebrate, if you celebrated at all. Did you come straight here and practice Monday?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: No, I missed my flight Sunday and I stayed, and I spent some hours with some of the members from the club which was very nice. They had such a cute dog, Bogey. So I spent some more time with Bogey. And flying pretty much yesterday. I picked up my mom and just kind of had a nice day yesterday. Yes, just easy and long.

Q. You are in this tournament, you are in the ADT, you haven't had a chance to experience it before, did it validate you in some way or do you feel more confident in yourself that you now qualified for these tournaments that you've watched other players play in the last few years?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean sure, but your main goal is just play as good as you can every week and if you take care of business you will be here. And this year I played very good, and I am very happy with the result. If you play well, you will get into these events.

So it's definitely kind of a goal the beginning the year, but that's not what you focus on. So I'm excited to get started here and then we head to Asia and there is a nice finish, a couple of tournaments in America.

Q. I know sometimes Lynn and Pia watch you on TV, and then offer feedback, did you talk to them about the playoff. Have you talked to them since?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I actually catched them quite late on Sunday. I didn't expect them to be up. I just talked briefly. They were just so proud. It was Lynn's birthday so that was kind of my present to her.

Q. This is the first time you've seen the golf course, what do you think about it? How are you going to be able to attack it?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, you better hit it straight off the tee. Otherwise you are in, I don't know, all kind of trouble. It actually suits some long hitters, some reachable par 5s. Some good par 4's, some good par 3s. The greens are in excellent shape. The fairways are rolling. They are not too wet. And I think I just want to get started. I seen it once I will see it tomorrow. I will get a few notes that I need to add to my book, and I will be ready to go Thursday morning.

Paula Creamer

PAM WARNER: Paula, thanks for coming in and joining us. You have had two great finishes here at the Samsung World Championship in the last two years. Can you start by giving some comments on being back here at BIGHORN?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, the golf course is in great shape. The greens are awesome. They are just rolling so pure. It's in probably the best shape I've seen. It's my third time here, and like I said, it's great to be here and hopefully it will be a good week.

Q. You have had another great season with a win early on, and some Top 10 finishes, just talk about getting here and qualifying for Samsung?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, it's been kind of an up and down season. I'm third on the Money List, but I've missed two cuts. I've won my first tournament and this has kind of been an up and down year. The Solheim Cup thrown in there. It's been exciting. I've played good golf. I've had my moments out there. Obviously, I wish I could have won more. Hopefully, looking for a couple of more wins to finish out the season. But there a lot of things that I know that I need to work on in my golf game that I will be working really hard in the off season.

PAM WARNER: Questions for Paula.

Q. Hi. What is it about this golf course that seems to fit you because you have had a couple of pretty strong performances here?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, I think it all comes down to, you know, your irons out here. Fairways are pretty generous. You have to be a good putter, a good speed, feel putter. You know, lots of breaks.
You have to hit your shots in the right parts of the green, if you miss it in a section, it's really hard to 2 putt in certain places. But I think that's what it comes down to is just irons and striking.

Q. Nicole Castrale was in here a couple of minutes ago. She said that she had seen greens this fast on Sunday but never on Tuesday?
PAULA CREAMER: Right. They are quick, that's great. Like I said earlier, that's the biggest thing that I have seen is how big the greens are. They are so pure. There is not a blade of grass out of place out there. The course superintendent has done a fantastic job. I can't wait to see what it's like on Sunday. Goodness.

Q. Paula, on your My World you talked I think three different times about you are still learning out here, learning experience for you. A third year veteran, you've won, you have been very successful, can you talk about what you are still learning out here?
PAULA CREAMER: You learn something every day. Golf is a game of learning. It's a game of perfection. Just little things, learning how to deal with situations. I didn't have a very good start last week. I was 5 over through 8 holes and I comeback and took 11th. Things like that, you just have to fight through it and learn how to control your emotions out on the golf course.

But stuff off the golf course as well, learning how to manage your time. Learning how to manage your personal life and your golf life when there is a balance. It's just all a learning experience. I think playing golf is one of the easier things. It is just everything else that you kind of have to go out and learn and figure out what works best for you.

Q. You talked about you've had the good performance this year, and you've had some that weren't where you wanted them to be. Anything in particular that was causing that, or is it confusing to you as well?
PAULA CREAMER: Just one of those days of golf. You have your bad days and you have your good days. I've worked on my golf swing a lot this year, and I have taken a lot of breaks in certain places. Last week was the first time I really played a round in five or six weeks. That's kind of hard to do just mentally. I played seven in a row, and then I come off two weeks, play Solheim, take two weeks off and go last week. You know, it's just the game of golf.

I think I was tired at one point. You know, earlier in the season, you know, I was practicing a lot, hitting a lot of golf balls, hitting a lot of things. Mexico was the first cut I missed. I couldn't putt that week. It was just certain little things.

Q. It took you two weeks to thaw out from Sweden?
PAULA CREAMER: I've never been so tired after a golf tournament. Mentally it was hard. I don't think people realize that I played nine holes Monday, 18 holes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Friday I played two rounds of 18, 2 matches, and all of them were 18 holes, 17 or 18 holes. I played a lot of golf that week. I was tired. I was on that plane, I was like what, get me home.

Q. What is your second favorite color?
PAULA CREAMER: Pink and then pink. Geez, I don't know. I like pink and black together if that makes sense. I like pink and black. I don't know. I don't really have a second favorite color. Sorry. Maybe white because it goes with everything. It goes with pink.

Q. This is an odd question maybe, Maria Hjorth is the oldest player in this field this week and she is 33?
PAULA CREAMER: Is she really? I didn't know that.

Q. She will be 34 Monday. Does that kind of verify what the LPGA has been talking about the last couple of years about the young players coming up and starting to take this Tour?
PAULA CREAMER: Of course, it really does. You see that field, I didn't realize that 33, that's the oldest one. That's great. I think it's great for women's golf. I think it's great for the talent that's out there right now. It's just going to get younger and younger. It's just a matter of time to see that. That's actually a really interesting statement, I didn't realize that.

Q. I got bored last night.
PAULA CREAMER: I should do that in my off time. Who is the oldest this week?

Q. You are not even the youngest?
PAULA CREAMER: No, I'm not.

PAM WARNER: Thank you, Paula.

Michelle Wie

PAM WARNER: Michelle, thank you for coming in and joining us today. It's your fourth time playing here at the Samsung World Championship, just talk about being back at here BIGHORN.
MICHELLE WIE: You know, I love it here. I really do. It's a great venue. It's a great golf course. And you know Samsung just holds a really good tournament every single year and I can't believe it's my fourth year already. I'm just really happy to be back.

PAM WARNER: Since the last time we've talked you started school at Stanford, what has your experience been like so far at school?
MICHELLE WIE: I can't explain enough of it. It's been so crazy. I think crazy is the one word that explains college. It's hard work, but it's a lot of fun, too. I just love the people in my dorm, thankfully my roommate is pretty normal. I like her. We both said the same thing to each other, God, I'm so glad you're not psycho or going to kill yourself this year. So it works out. I made a lot of great new friends. The professors are great. I'm really excited about the classes that I am taking this year.

PAM WARNER: Questions for Michelle.

Q. How are you physically?
MICHELLE WIE: I feel a lot better physically. I am just so grateful for the fact that I am actually feeling really healthy right now. My wrist is feeling a lot better. It never felt better the whole year. I feel like I'm getting stronger. I feel better. I feel healthy as a person, too. You know, going to college, you know, just having some fun. Just really working out and really practicing and just leaving everything behind. I just feel like a cleaner, healthier person.

Q. How are you finding the classes, the difficulty of the classes? How are you balancing your practice with your class schedule and homework?
MICHELLE WIE: You know, classes are pretty difficult especially when you have to take midterms the day after you get back to school. I'm not looking forward to that. As I said, the professors are great. The lectures that they teacher are amazing. I write pages and pages of notes. I never really experienced that before. It's a lot of fun.

It's the first time where I felt like, you know, when you're in high school, and you are usually the outstanding student. But when you go into Stanford, you are like, am I the mistake exception? Everyone is so smart. Everyone is so outstanding in whatever they do. I feel just very lucky to be part of the graduating class.

You know, I think college is working out because I have a lot more time to practice, too. I really feel like I got my schedule down where I get to have my hours of practice in the morning, then I get to work out in the afternoon. So, you know, I really feel like I'm starting to get into my schedule.

Q. What are your classes?
MICHELLE WIE: Well, I'm taking introduction to humanities. It's a required class. I'm taking a lot of general credit courses. This quarter I'm taking calculus and Japanese.

Q. When you went back, was it the injuries, is that what happened?
MICHELLE WIE: Yes. If I look back on this year, I don't blame myself, my golf game, nothing changed this year. The only thing that I would do differently, I wouldn't have played this year. It's as simple as that.
The only thing that I did wrong this year is that I did not take my injuries as seriously as I should have. You know, it was my first injury that I had ever as a golfer. It's been over a year since I've been healthy. And now that I feel like I'm healthy again I realize how I felt now and how I felt then. I should have just not have played. It was as simple as that. I'm not blaming myself for anything. If I had to do anything I just wouldn't have played. I'm not thinking about it right now. I'm thinking about the future. As I said, I feel a lot healthier. I feel a lot better as a person. You know, I think that it will get better.

Q. Would you have changed anything? Would you have apologized to Annika for what happened at the Ginn Tribute?
MICHELLE WIE: Well, I mean I never really said that. I still don't feel like I did something wrong but if I felt if Annika, or anyone felt like I disrespected them, or if I done anything wrong to them, you know, I do apologize for that. But I don't really feel like I've done anything wrong as with myself. But like I said, the only thing I would have done differently, I wouldn't have played this whole year.

Q. Michelle, was the decision to go back and play before maybe before you were ready was that just a matter of wanting to compete or being bored to death at home?
MICHELLE WIE: That was my 17 year old competitive heart coming out. I mean take any young golfer and tell them that they have to sit out on every tournament. They are not going to want to do that. It was my decision. It was my wanting to compete. I love the game that made me go out there. Maybe a little bit too soon, but it was what I wanted to do. I really wanted to compete and I did that.

Q. Since school started how much have you played, how much practice do you get in?
MICHELLE WIE: You know, I practice every day. I work out every day. It's been pretty good because I feel like I've been able to practice more being in college than in high school because I think that the flexibility of making my own schedule and being able to practice whenever I want, you know, is a big advantage, I think.

Q. Do you have any other tournaments scheduled this year?
MICHELLE WIE: Not so far, no.

Q. Michelle, where do you see yourself in a year from now?
MICHELLE WIE: I see myself being a stronger person, being stronger physically, more stronger mentally. I feel like I'm going to do pretty well. Have fun in college and practice as hard as I can. Really play out the work hard, play hard motto.

Q. Can you talk about your decision not to join the LPGA for 2008? Did you consider it at all?
MICHELLE WIE: It was more of a personal decision for me because unfortunately it conflicted right with orientation week at school. It was my first week at college. You know, I really didn't want to miss that. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. You don't get to be the first week of college freshman over again. It was more of a personal decision for me. It was unfortunate that it conflicted with my first week of school.

Q. If it didn't conflict do you think you would have tried to qualify?
MICHELLE WIE: Most probably I would have. I think it was definitely on my mind to qualify and stuff like that. But, you know, it just happened that way.

Q. Michelle, some strange things have happened to you at this tournament the last couple of years, you had the DQ, you hurt your wrist last year, do you have any trepidation coming back here or are you comfortable here because you got the place here?
MICHELLE WIE: You know, a lot of good things, a lot of bad things happened to me at this event. It's been pretty traumatic. It's been pretty epic actually.

A lot of good things happen, it was my first tournament after I turned pro. It's my birthday every single year this week. So I always take it as a new beginning every single year. I get a year older. Well, it's my birthday this week. You know, I just feel like this year is going to be extra special because I will actually be a legal adult. I'm very excited for that. I think that it's time for a new beginning. I'm really looking forward to it.

Q. Going back to living at Stanford, obviously, you're very busy training, practicing and such, do you feel you still get to live the life of a college student, are you able to take part in extracurricular activities, things like that?
MICHELLE WIE: Oh, yes, definitely. No worries about that.

Q. Talk about that a little bit. Obviously, people out here, you know, everyone out here there is a lot of Southern California fans, USC fans, what was your opinion of Stanford's big victory over USC?
MICHELLE WIE: Do you really want to get me started on that? I was so happy that we won. No. 48, he lives in my dorm. I just feel like it was the best decision that I made to actually go into a dorm. It's an all freshman dorm. Unfortunately, I live on the third floor. It's a pain to walk every day. But, you know, it's so much fun because being the only child in a house growing up, I never really had anyone to play with and now it's like, on, I'm bored, entertain. You have 88 other people who are in the dorm. It's just great because whenever you have a problem you don't go back home, now you actually go back to your dorm, and you talk about it with your friends and. RA's and everyone.

Everyone has been so supportive of me and everything. When Stanford beat USC I was jumping up and down. I was, unfortunately, by myself in my room, but I was calling everyone. It was pretty insane, I have to say. I'm pretty proud of Stanford.

Q. How much time have you spent here practicing since you have been in school? Are you coming up here on the weekends?
MICHELLE WIE: Actually, I didn't really have that much time to come down here for the weekend. I've been pretty busy just getting settled into my dorm and moving everything in. I came here on Thursday, or Wednesday night, or Thursday and I just stayed here until then.