Corona Championship
Tres Marias Residential Golf Club
Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico.
April 26, 2009

Final-round interviews: Lorena Ochoa | Suzann Pettersen

Final-round notes

Top-ranked Ochoa earns 26th career win as she successfully defends Corona Championship
Matches 25-under-par score from 2008, holds on for one-stroke win in 2009 for $195,000 winner's check

MORELIA, Michoacan, Mexico, April 26, 2009 - Rolex Rankings number one player Lorena Ochoa does it again, but this time it goes down to the wire as she holds on for a one-stroke win over five-time LPGA Tour winner Suzann Pettersen. Ochoa, who has now won on the LPGA Tour 26 times, outlasted Pettersen on Sunday to finish at 25-under-par 267, as the duo never could gain more than a two-stroke lead over each other all day.

"This was a very important victory for me. Suzann has been a great contender here all week," said Ochoa. "I want to thank everybody for the victory, which was very hard to obtain, in a very tight match."

With the score tied at 23-under-par with only four holes to play, the defending champion recorded birdies on holes 15 and 16, while her playing-mate settled for par. As they walked to the 17th tee, Ochoa had a two-stroke lead, and Pettersen needed to birdie the final two holes, or record an eagle to stay in the game. With both players making par on 17, Pettersen needed an eagle on the final hole to force a playoff. Instead, Pettersen made her 21st birdie of the week, and finished at 24-under-par, one stroke shy of Ochoa.

As the Mexican star's final putt dropped in the 72nd hole at Tres Marias Residential Golf Club, the thousands of fans in the 18th-green grandstands began chanting her name.

"I love Morelia and Tres Marias. They welcome me every time I come here," said Ochoa. "I did my part here, which was winning the tournament."

Unlike the first three rounds in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, the defending champion began her final day with something different about her. Her full-time caddie, David Brooker, suffered a broken left foot, while playing in the annual tournament soccer match after the third round. In his place, Ochoa's coach, Rafael Alarcon, had bag duty on Sunday, and was able to get the job done.

Ochoa, a native of Guadalajara which is only about a two and a half hour drive Northwest of Morelia, matched her final score from a year ago at this event, 25-under-par, but instead of a comfortable 11-stroke win in 2008, this year she had a much closer margin to work with. The win is also Ochoa's second of 2009, as she won the Honda LPGA Thailand, her first tournament played of this season.

Pettersen earns runner-up honors, one stroke shy of winner. Seven-year LPGA Tour member Suzann Pettersen came as close as she could have gotten to claiming the trophy, but finished just one stroke short of winner Lorena Ochoa. Pettersen matched Ochoa's impressive round on Sunday of a 5-under-par 68 of her own, but finished overall with a 24-under-par 268 scorecard. In 72 holes played, the Norwegian player only had one bogey, along with a pair of eagles, both on hole eight in rounds one and three, and 21 birdies.

"I know my game is right there," said Pettersen. "This week I played to my strengths, and so what can I say. I am 24-under-par with just one bogey. Not bad, but it's not good enough."

Pettersen's runner-up finish at the 2009 Corona Championship is her best finish since claiming the second-place position at the 2008 Kapalua LPGA Classic event in Hawaii. It is also her fourth consecutive top-10 finish of the 2009 season, as she has tied for ninth, tied for fourth and tied for fifth, respectively, already this year. Pettersen has won five times in the LPGA Tour. All five of those victories came during the 2007 season.

Six Americans finish in top-10 on leaderboard. As the final round of the Corona Championship came to a close, five of the top-10 finishers hail from the United States. Wendy Ward, of San Antonio, Texas, had the best finish of the bunch with a solo fourth place. Ward finished 17-under-par 275, eight strokes behind winner Lorena Ochoa. Ward's fourth place this week is her best finish since tying for third at the 2007 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger.

In a tie for fifth, Miami, Fla. native Cristie Kerr finished one stroke behind Ward. During the four-day event, Kerr registered 20 birdies, three bogeys and one double-bogey, which equaled 16-under-par 276. This week's Corona Championship was her fourth top-10 finish in as many tournaments, and fifth overall of the 2009 season. The 13-year LPGA Tour member has collected a total of 11 victories, with her last coming at the 2008 Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi.

Sharing the seventh place position on the final leaderboard are McKinney, Texan native, Brittany Lang and Morgan Pressel, of Boca Raton, Fla. Lang recorded a 3-under-par 70 on Sunday, giving herself the 15-under-par 277 score, while Pressel settled for par on holes one through 17, before birdying her 72nd hole to finish the day 1-under-par 72.

Rounding out the top-10 in the LPGA Tour's seventh official event of 2009 for the Americans include a pair of rookies, Vicky Hurst and Michelle Wie. Hurst, who hails from Melbourne, Fla., finished the week 14-under-par 278. The Duramed FUTURES Tour graduate used a bogey-free, five-birdie performance on Sunday for a 5-under-par 68 score, her lowest of the week. Her tied for 10th-place mark is her best of the year, and as an LPGA Tour member. Hurst's fellow rookie on Tour, Wie, finished the four rounds of action with one eagle, 18 birds and six bogeys for her own 14-under-par 278 outing.

Pair of hole-in-ones earned at Corona Championship. In rounds two and three at Tres Marias Residential Golf Club, Alena Sharp and Charlotte Mayorkas each earned their first LPGA-career hole-in-one. Sharp used a pitching wedge from 136 yards out on hole six, while Mayorkas used an 8-iron on the 150-yard 14th hole for her first ace. After four rounds of action in Morelia, Sharp finished in a tie for 26th and Mayorkas in a tie for 32nd.

WD. Jane Park withdrew after the second round of the Corona Championship, while Kate Golden and Jimin Kang withdrew after the first round. Simi Mehra and Hana Kim did not start the event.

Final-round interviews: Lorena Ochoa | Suzann Pettersen

Lorena Ochoa, 65-65-69-68=267 (-25)
Hole 4, 394-yard par 4: birdie, 8-iron to 7 steps
Hole 7, 353-yard par 4: birdie, 54º to 1 step
Hole 8, 499-yard par 5: birdie, passed the green in 2, approach, 2 putts
Hole 10, 466-yard par 5: birdie, 8-iron 180 yards to 13.14 steps, 2 putts
Hole 11, 325-yard par 4: bogey, 9-iron 120 yards to 20-22 steps, threeputt
Hole 15, 434-yard par 4: birdie, wedge 120 yards, to 5 steps
Hole 16, 541-yard par 5: 54º wedge 110 yards to 7-8 steps

Q. Lorena, you had another great round. Congratulations on winning your 26th tournment on the LPGA Tour. How can you take the win away from a player that makes only one bogey in 72 holes?
LORENA OCHOA: Suzann is a great player. It was a very important victory for me. She has been a great contender. I want to thank everybody for the victory, which was very hard to obtain, in a very tight match.

Q. Lorena, Tres Marias gave you a trophy and in return you gave back glory to Mexico. Will there be a Lorena for the next three years, if the tournament goes on?
LORENA OCHOA: It has been very clear that I love Morelia and Tres Marias. They welcome me everytime I come here. I did my part here, which was winning the tournament, now it is the turn of the authorities and sponsors to do theirs and have the championship for many more years to come.

Q. You have worked quite a lot on your short game. Evidently, it has improved. Is this victory the result of it?
LORENA OCHOA. This has been a week where I improved a lot. I left a few strokes out there, but gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities. I will keep improving in the next tournaments. As I said before, I want to be number one for many more years.

Q. Was the putt at the 16th hole key to the victory?
LORENA OCHOA. Deffinitely. Although I had one stroke over her (Suzann), when she missed her opportunity on the 16th, I told Rafael (caddie) that we needed that one. We read the green and agreed on the stroke. It came a little bit soft, but finally got in. It was great that everybody on the grandstand at the 18th green could see it.

Suzann Pettersen, 69-64-67-68=268 (-24)
Hole 3, 161-yard par 3: birdie, 7-iron to 25 feet
Hole 5, 521-yard par 5: birdie, chipped in to four feet
Hole 10, 466-yard par 5: birdie, green in two, tap-in
Hole 12, 374-yard par 4: birdie, lob-wedge to 10 feet
Hole 18, 506-yard par 5: birdie, gap-wedge to six feet

Q. Suzann, congratulations on a great week. You finished runner-up with a 24-under-par score by only one stroke. You also had only one bogey in four rounds of play this week. How do you feel right now?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Today, I knew I had to go out there and do a super job. I still shot 5-under, but only lost by one. My putter just went cold there for a little while on the back nine, which is when I really needed to make a few putts. But, I had a great, great day today between Lorena and myself, and at least I gave it a good round.

Q. All day you and Lorena Ochoa were back-and-forth, and it was very exciting to watch. With how competitive you are when you are playing, how did that feel? Was it extra motivation?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean you are just trying to get the ball in the hole in as few of shots as possible. Coming in you know that there are a lot of birdies on this course that can be made. So, every chance that you don't grab it comes like a smack on the bottom. But I mean I had a very good tournament. I had only one bogey in four rounds, so I mean, I can not really complain. It is a good finish.

Q. With this runner-up finish this week, how can you keep this momentum going to the next few tournaments?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean, it has only been going one way the last six tournaments. I have been close a few times, and even closer now. I just need to close that gap even more every week.

Q. This is the most important chance you have had in the last three months. How does it feel to have more confidence once again in your game?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean I know my game is right there. This week I played the course to how it kind of fits in my eye. I played to my strengths, and so what can I say. I am 24-under-par with just one bogey. Not bad, but it's not good enough.