Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger
Highland Meadows Country Club
Sylvania, Ohio
July 13, 2008

Final-round interviews: Paula Creamer | Nicole Castrale

Final-round notes

Creamer claims seventh LPGA Tour victory at Jamie Farr.
SYLVANIA, Ohio, July 13, 2008 - After missing the cut last year, Paula Creamer sat in the locker room and vowed to win this year's Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger for her sponsor - Owens Corning - and for all the pink-clad fans that followed her around Highland Meadows Golf Club. She made good on her promise today with a two-stroke victory over Nicole Castrale. The 21-year-old struggled in the final round, shooting 2-over-par 73, but her four-day total of 16-under-par (60-65-70-73=268) was good enough to claim her third victory of the 2008 campaign.

"After you shoot 60, I swear it's the hardest thing to come back out and play," Creamer said after accepting the $195,000 winner's check. "I managed to get it done. I hit a lot of good shots today. I can't be disappointed. If somebody was to go out and play a lot better than, then so be it. We thought we hit every number. We did. We made some good saves, it was a struggle."

Creamer stumbled out of the gates with a bogey on one and made the turn at 1-over-par for the day. Two more bogies and a lone birdie on 13 where she rolled in a nine-foot birdie putt capped her day. Meanwhile, Californian Nicole Castrale (70-69-67-64=270) kept things interesting by firing a 7-under-par 64 in windy conditions. Castrale's tally left her two shots off the pace of Creamer, but still left her with the best round of the day by three full strokes.

"I knew I was going to have to shoot a good number and with the wind being as much as it was today, if there was a way to catch her it was going to be today with it being windy," said one-time LPGA Tour winner Castrale. "So I may come up a few short but I gave it my all."

2008 Wegmans LPGA champion Eun-Hee Ji finished alone in third at 13-under-par (65-66-68-72=271).

Feng earns career-best finish. 18-year-old Shanshan Feng recorded a career-best fourth place finish at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger. The first exempt LPGA member from China, Feng came within two strokes of eventual winner Paula Creamer after making birdie on hole 11. Three consecutive bogies dropped her out of Sunday afternoon contention, but the LPGA Tour rookie managed to finish at12-under-par (69-70-64-69=272) and cash the largest paycheck of her LPGA career ($66,314).

Young Americans in top-10. 27-year-old Kristy McPherson, 30-year-old Angela Stanford and 22-year-old Brittany Lincicome were three of five young Americans to finish the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger in the top-10. In a tie for seventh place, Lincicome (70-67-67-71=275) and McPherson (74-66-64-71=275) each carded even-par in the final round to end at 9-under par 275. Stanford rolled into Sunday tied for seventh, before firing a 1-under round, falling to ninth place at 8-under par (69-70-67-70=276).

Two-time LPGA winner Lincicome's ninth place finish was her best of the season, and first in the top-10. McPherson, a 2003 graduate of the University of South Carolina, earned her third top-10 finish, and second seventh place showing of the season (finished seventh at the Corona Championship). Stanford claimed her fourth top-10 finish, and highest since the SemGroup Championship (tied for third) in May.

ADT Points update. Nicole Castrale's runner-up finish at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger helped move her into third place in the second half ADT Points standing behind Helen Alfredsson (384,912) and Angela Park (227,995). Castrale cashed a $118,169 paycheck following a final-round 7-under-par 64$118,169 paycheck following a final-round 7-under-par 64 at Highland Meadows Golf Club.

Players can qualify for the ADT Championship via three ways: winning a designated Winner Event (an event with a purse of $2 million or more); earning enough ADT Points in either the first half or second half of the season; or earning one of two wildcards.  In each half of the season, there are 15 spots available.  The first spots are awarded to winners of Winner Events, while the remaining spots in each half will are awarded to the ADT Points qualifiers who are not otherwise qualified.  The final two spots in the 32-player field are given to two wildcards, who are the top two players from the LPGA Official Money List following the Lorena Ochoa Invitational Presented by Banamex and Corona who are not otherwise qualified.

The 2008 ADT Championship will offer a $1,550,000 purse with a $1 million first-place paycheck.  For the third straight year, this represents the largest first-place prize in the history of women's golf.  The season-ending ADT Championship will again be contested at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., Nov. 20-23, 2008.

Five-time Farr champion Pak finishes tied for 17th. Five-time Jamie Farr champion Se Ri Pak fell short in her bid for the "Six-Pak" this week, finishing tied for 17th at 5-under-par (68-69-72-70=279). Five of the World Golf Hall of Fame member's 24 career wins have come at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio, including back-to-back victories in 1998-99 as well as last season. She also won in 2001 and 2003.

Pak currently holds the record for most victories at a single tournament with Mickey Wright (Sea Island Open, 1957-58, 1960, 1962-63) and Annika Sorenstam (Mizuno Classic, 2001-05; Samsung World Championship, 1995-96, 2002, 2004-05).

WD. Irene Cho withdrew during the first round and Laura Diaz withdrew during the final round from the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger.

Paula Creamer, 60-65-70-73=268 (-16)
Hole 1, 347-yard par-4: bogey - 4-rescue right, chip out, 7-iron rolled off green to 35 yards, chip to 18 feet
Hole 12, 395-yard, par-4: bogey - 7-iron to 40 feet, 3-putt
Hole 13, 355-yard, par-4: birdie -- 54 degree wedge to 9 feet
Hole 16, 400-yard, par-4: bogey - 7-iron short, 3-putt from 35 feet

MIKE SCANLAN: Paula, congratulations. Your seventh Tour win, your third victory of the season. Probably one of the tournaments you wanted to win given your relationship with Owens Corning and the Pink Panther name. If you would just talk about your day. It certainly wasn't easy out there for you.
PAULA CREAMER: No, having a 4shot lead sounds pretty easy, but it's also very hard knowing that there is going to be so many people coming out. And then when you get all the wind, it is just as difficult. It was an all in all day where you had to hit fairways, and you had to hit greens. Pars were fine. Just trying to get as many birdie opportunities as I could, it was very difficult.

My caddy (Colin Cann) and I just misjudged a couple of holes, which was unfortunate, but it was just a struggle and a grind, but managed to make some really good putts, but missed a couple, too.

Q. You were thinking your way through the round, how many times did you come up with, should I go for it here, or play it safe on a certain shot; what was going on with your lead?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, there was quite a few times. After the first hole, I only had 95 yards to carry the water and we're thinking, can I carry it? What do you think? What should we do here. You know, right off the bat I was faced with a decision to make. It was kind of constantly with the wind. Should we try to be a little aggressive or just hit it to right side?

The wind here was so difficult. It just swirled the hole day. We would be straight down, and I would come up 25 feet short and it's like what's going on? I was confident standing in the fairway, I knew it wasn't my ball striking like it was the last couple of days. It was gist the wind.

Q. Are you aware of how close people got to you?
PAULA CREAMER: Yes, I was. When I made the turn I saw, I think I had a 2shot lead and then, you know, I made some good pars. And then the 3putt on 12, that's when I noticed it. What are you doing? You need to finish this round. And I came out on the next hole, I birdied it. It was the only birdie of the day really.

Q. Paula, considering people were getting close as you made the turn how big was that save on 9?
PAULA CREAMER: Oh, huge. That was just unfortunate. Colin (Cann) and I, just a wrong club. You don't want to be long. That was a great up and down. That was probably the biggest moments of the day right there. You don't want to make a turn making a bogey. That was huge.

Q. 10, I think it was, you needed one more turn of the ball like Tiger got at the Masters?
PAULA CREAMER: 10. That was something. That was some kind of putt. I didn't realize it was half in the hole and half out. I have no idea how it didn't stay.

Q. How far was it?
PAULA CREAMER: It was about 45, 50 feet. It was pretty much the front of the green.

Q. Considering the start that you had, did you feel like you were leaking oil a little bit the last two rounds?
PAULA CREAMER: The last couple of days. After you shoot 60, I swear it's the hardest thing to come back out and playing. 60, that's not many times. Anything over that, you feel like you are shooting 85. That was hard. But I managed, like I said I managed to get it done. I hit a lot of good shots today. I can't be disappointed. If somebody was to go out and play a lot better than, then so be it. We thought we hit every number. We did. We made some good saves, it was a struggle.

Q. Do you feel like you got rid of your demons from the last two weeks?
PAULA CREAMER: Yes. Like I said, I played well this week. I shot 60, backed it up with a 65. Then my ball striking went away on Saturday and it came back today. I worked really hard after the round yesterday. I hit a lot of golf balls. I came out, hit the ball well. I just struggled with the wind a bit. It will be a nice week off with the win and it kind of takes your mind off what's happened the last week and a half.

Q. With 60 being outrageous on the first day did you spend the next three days away from the course trying to figure out where that came from and what you can do back there?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, you shoot 60 and it's everybody saying, congratulations, congratulations. You still got three days left. It's just the first day of a 4 day tournament. It wasn't like it totally disappeared. I played well the next day, just a couple of shots on Saturday.

Q. We talked to a lesser known player, she talked about I want to check, there is always next week I want to know personally about your drive, to win every week, to be the best golfer in the world, is that how you feel every time you tee it up?
PAULA CREAMER: Without a doubt. My goals are to be the No. 1 player in the world. At the same time there is a lot I want to do outside of golf. You know, it's the neatest thing seeing all of this little girls and boys in pink and that's what really means a lot to me. The more putts that I make hopefully I can influence boys and girls to get involved with golf because it's such a great game.

Q. What were you thinking walking up to the 18th?
PAULA CREAMER: It's over. It was quite a feeling walking up the 18th hole. Any time have you a 2shot lead, or any time you are going to win an event, it's a great feeling. You just try to soak it up. You never know when the next one is good go to be. It's a great feeling and to see all of the people in pink is really what makes it special.

Q. Are you much happy to have this thing finally in the bag, to have actual won it?
PAULA CREAMER: No. I wish we could keep playing more. I like this golf course. I'm glad that I won. There is always next year.

Q. You talked about what this tournament means to you, did we over emphasis it because of the sponsorship thing?
PAULA CREAMER: No, definitely I'm sponsored by Owens Corning. My name make is the Pink Panther. There is all these ties with this weekend. I want to play well for everybody here because of that reason.

But I also want to play well for myself, and I want to come out and win.

But when you see pink, and you see Pink Panther everywhere, I'm reminded constantly about that, and I am really glad that I won, and I told Judd, and I told a couple of other people with Owens Corning. I told Sherri last year when I missed the cut I'm coming back next year and I am going to win this event and we did it.

Q. Away from the golf course, what's your best memory of Toledo this week?
PAULA CREAMER: Watching the water go down on the golf course. Hopefully, there will be no more rain. I always have such a wonderful time when I come here, people are so nice. I'm eating dinner at restaurants and people come up, great job, we are pulling for you. And that's such a nice feeling and that's wonderful to have and to know that there is so much support. I would say the fans, for sure.

Q. You made some key putts out there towards the end, you had a little fist pump, timid, do you have any more demonstrative than that?
PAULA CREAMER: I was excited on the first hole. You can't just practice it. It's got to be in the moment. You have a oneinch putt on the last hole, I'm not going to go Woo. It's all about momentum and there is some key putts that I made out there. I did give a couple of fist pumps. That's who I am. I'm pretty focused. I'm relaxed at the same time, but I'm very determined on what I do.

Q. When you were in the locker room last year and missed the cut, were you mad? Was it emotional? You don't miss many cuts. It's not just this place. How would you describe what that was like?
PAULA CREAMER: It was a terrible feeling. I felt like I let down a lot of people. I let down myself. It was emotional, but I was very determined. I wasn't going to let it ruin the rest of the year, and I wasn't going to let it ruin my thoughts of what I think about this golf course. I had two bad days, and I didn't hit the ball well last year, and I knew that if I came back with a vengeance, and I did, like I said, I talked to a couple of the people with Owens Corning last year and I told them I'm going to win this event.
Like I said, this golf course sets up so well for me. I had an off year, or an off couple days last year.

Q. As you struggled to hold on, knowing you didn't have your best stuff, so to speak, what did you learn from today that might help you in the future?
PAULA CREAMER: Well, I showed patience. I did. I made a lot of pars in a row. I made the bogey on 1. I made a lot of really good saves, a lot of really good up and downs, a lot of six or seven footers with some break.

At the same time, I learn you have to stay in your own world. It doesn't matter what people do until you are walking down the 18th fairway.

The leaderboard was actually down on 17 green, so I had no idea where I was at, and I was talking to Colin, I said, what's going on here? He said Paula, you're fine, just finish the hole. I learned a lot about perseverance and staying in the moment and forgetting what's happened in the past.

Nicole Castrale, 70-69-67-64=270 (-14)
Hole 1, 347-yard par-4: bogey - 5-iron into left bunker, blast to 8 feet, 2-putt
Hole 2, 162-yard, par-3: birdie - 7-iron to 4 feet
Hole 7, 575-yard, par-5: birdie - 6-iron to 30 feet on fringe
Hole 11, 391-yard, par-4: birdie - 6-iron to 20 feet
Hole 12, 395-yard, par-4: birdie - 8-iron to 8 feet
Hole 13, 355-yard, par-4: birdie - 50 degree wedge to 6 feet
Hole 15, 389-yard, par-4: birdie - 7-iron to 20 feet
Hole 16, 400-yard, par-4: birdie - 9-iron to 35 feet
Hole 17, 513-yard, par-5: birdie - lob wedge to 1 foot

MIKE SCANLAN: Nicole, what a great way to finish the tournament. You're the runner-up this week. Talk about your day.
NICOLE CASTRALE: It was a good day, made some putts, just left myself in some good places on the greens. I was just trying for fairways and greens with it being so windy out there; I was just giving myself a chance.

Q. When you look up and you see where Paula is at and where you are at, what do you think when you get to the course?
NICOLE CASTRALE: Obviously, I knew I was going to have to shoot a good number and with the wind being as much as it was today, if there was a way to catch her it was going to be today with it being windy. So I may come up a few short but I gave it my all.

Q. Considering the conditions, is this the best score you've probably ever shot?
NICOLE CASTRALE: Definitely best round this year, that's for sure. 64 is my low, but on par 72. But I'll take it. It was a fun day out there.

Q. How much leaderboard watching do you do?
NICOLE CASTRALE: I think when I got to 13, and I had two par5s left, my goal was to try to birdie both and post a number and let her see it and basically see what happens. I thought I almost jugged it on 17. I thought that would be a good way to give two back. Unfortunately, I drove it in the rough on 18, and I didn't leave myself the best approach shot.

Q. On 17, I'm sorry, do you know the yardage there?
NICOLE CASTRALE: About a foot, my third shot.

Q. Where were you, what club did you use?
NICOLE CASTRALE: It was just a sand wedge from 80 yards.

Q. Are you typically a disciplined player?
NICOLE CASTRALE: I have played well in the wind over the course of my career. Whenever it is windy I like to think that I can post a good number and move up the leaderboard.

Q. Did you think playing in the wind would help you?
NICOLE CASTRALE: You know, I knew it would definitely. Everyone can play well in the wind. I prefer it because I was far down the leaderboard. Like I said, I just played well today.

Q. If you hold on to second place, your reactions to finishing second in this tournament?
NICOLE CASTRALE: Yes, it's great. Obviously, every week we are going to an event to try to win it. Starting the day in the top 20, barely, and to finish second, it's a good Sunday any time you shoot 6under par on the backside.

Q. Feel like you're back in the groove?
NICOLE CASTRALE: Yes, I feel like I'm starting to get in the groove a bit. I just felt like I really wasn't putting things together early in the year. I was hitting it pretty good and putting well, that's kind of the key.