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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP MEDIA CONFERENCEMay 15, 2008Suzann PettersenJIM MURRAY: Thank you very much, Suzann. Anybody who wants to start asking Suzann a question, go for it. Q. With the success you've had over the last year, what has that done for your confidence and what does it do to your mindset when you're coming down the stretch with a chance to win a tournament? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I just think it's a different mindset once you get on the first tee every Thursday. You know you have a game good enough to win. Even it doesn't have to be perfect. I can do it. Of course, that's going to help the confidence. Now I'm just trying to get through some rounds and see where that can take me. Q. What did winning last year, a major, after what you went through at Kraft Nabisco a couple months before that, do for your career and the way you feel about yourself out there? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean, for me, after winning my first one, to be honest, I didn't really expect to win my second that soon. But, I mean, I guess when you think less and play more, you probably perform better. That's probably what I did. Of course, I was just glad to win another tournament. I was kind of happy and lucky. For me it's more about winning tournaments, of course trying to peak at all the majors. Like in any sport, it's very hard to peak. You're depending on so many other factors. You might get sick. You might get a flu. You might have a headache on Thursday morning. You never know what's going to happen. Now I'm just trying to prepare the best way possible for me to perform my best. Whatever happens that week, you just have to deal with it. Q. When you win a major, does it put you in a better light? Do you feel better about yourself when you show up at the next major, Hey, I've won one, now I know I can do it? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I just think it changes my mindset. I know I pulled off a really big one. And, of course, like coming into a U.S. Open, British Open, you know you've done it before. That's always going to help you. Like I said, I mean, I'm just trying to prepare to win tournaments and do my best every week, not trying to put too much pressure on myself than there already is. Q. After you won Bulle Rock, can you pinpoint some things you had to do to win there? SUZANN PETTERSEN: What I had to do? Q. What do you have to do and what did you do to win at Bulle Rock? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Just played solid golf over four days. Even the Saturday was not my best day, but I still kept with a positive mindset. I didn't sit down and kind of go through all the bad shots that Saturday night; I just tried to think, I'm in position, I'm going to do the best with what I have and try to be very positive. Definitely got to do that because everyone's going to have some tough shots, some bad breaks, maybe one bad score. But, I mean, if you can kind of keep your mindset and never kind of let yourself out of it, then you have a good chance. I came back Sunday and I think I shot 5-under. I mean, I played good enough to win, which was a nice revenge for me for what I did at Nabisco. Q. How good is the LPGA Tour right now? Is it the best it's ever been? SUZANN PETTERSEN: That's a good question. I just think there's a lot of good players coming through. Pretty much all of them has already proved they can already win. It's not like a big fuss going around that these girls can be good because they're already good. There's so many American girls as well as international. I mean, Lorena has set new standards being on top of the world rankings, the same way Annika did when she was there. That makes everyone behind her work even harder, want to win more. I think it's just a great combination. Then you also have Annika, who is still there, Webbey, you have. So many good players, a good mixture. All the young ones, especially having the Americans coming through. Q. By that you mean like Paula Creamer? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yes, Paula Creamer. Natalie Gulbis. You have Morgan Pressel, Brittany Lincicome, Stacy Prammanasudh, Laura Diaz. There's just so many. That's probably like what was missing when Annika was dominating so much. There weren't that many American girls kind of chasing her. I think that's kind of good. We are competing in America and it's very good for the Tour to have the Americans showing face, of course. Q. Did Annika's retirement announcement surprise you at all? SUZANN PETTERSEN: It's always kind of a shock when the word comes out officially. I mean, I know she's been thinking of it. It wasn't a big surprise. She kind of halfway said it at the Solheim that that might be her last one. But it's always a surprise. I mean, as long as she's happy with her decision. I don't know, she's done everything for women's golf. She can really sit back and really be proud of all she's achieved. There's nothing more for her to prove. She has been the best. She has been one of the best ever. She will set records that everyone will try to chase for the next decade. Q. In what way, if any, did your life change away from golf after you won the major? SUZANN PETTERSEN: It didn't really change. Just a little more -- got to be more structured with your time. There's a few more requests for media, interviews, stuff like that. But, I mean, at the same time you'd rather have that part than nobody requesting anything. I mean, it's just stuff that comes with winning tournaments, achieving your goals. I'm just trying to have my main focus on my golf game. So far it's been pretty good. Q. How will you prepare for the tournament this year? Where are you going to participate? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I'm back in Europe now. I'm going to play a course in Switzerland next week, a European Tour event, just to mix up the environment a little bit. And then I'll come back for the South Carolina tournament, then I'll be ready to go for McDonald's. I'm doing everything I can to kind of feel as energized and ready to go when I get to McDonald's. No, there's a lot of work being done. Hopefully it will pay off that week. Q. On the men's side, a lot of the talk is that everything revolves around Tiger, and when Tiger's not there, nobody pays quite as much attention. With Lorena winning so much, especially earlier this year, winning two majors in a row, does that sometime exist on the women's side, too, everyone wants to focus on Lorena? Or is that maybe overplayed by the media? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I think so, as far as overplayed by the media. It all depends who you ask. For me, I don't really look at anyone. I just try to do what I can do to become the best I can be. But you might ask another player and she would say, Yeah, Lorena is very dominant. But I know I can beat her if I play my best golf. That's what I try to focus on. Q. Is that a good thing for the tour when one person does get that kind of attention, because it makes everybody else work harder to beat her? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean, of course. I think there's a great bunch of people playing great golf now. It's not just only Lorena. She's a human being like everyone else. If you put her under pressure coming down the stretch, she will make mistakes like everyone else. I mean, we just got to put her under pressure more often. Sometimes she just gets away with it a little bit too easy, I would say. Q. How important is it to you to make the time to go back and play in the European Tour events? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean, I love playing on the European Tour. This is where I kind of built my career. This is kind of where I learned to get around the systems. It's usually like a confidence boost going back here and play, kind of being in contention, see if you can get the best out of your game. I'm really looking forward to play in Switzerland. It's supposed to be a great course. There's some good players. Yeah, just nice breakup. Q. Give us a little thumbnail about Bulle Rock, what you liked about it, what you didn't, what was hard? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Bulle Rock is all about hitting fairways. If you hit fairways, you're in position to hit aggressive shots into the green. That was my strategy. Not trying to reach anything off the tee, but I just tried to get the accuracy. On some of the par 5s, I tried to take advantage. I remember kind of a risk/reward on 11. I mean, last year we could get to it. Some hoped it might be worth it, but you never kind of want to put yourself in a position where you're always going to make a double and never a birdie. You got to play smart but try to be aggressive where there's room to be aggressive. Q. How does it feel coming in there being the defending champ? SUZANN PETTERSEN: That's cool. I mean, I can't wait. I don't really go walking around thinking I'm the defending champion. It's a new year. I have a new field. I don't try to copy anything I've done in the past. I'm just trying to move forward. Hopefully I'll play even better. Q. Do you have any personal goals now that you won majors? What is your next thing you'd like to accomplish? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I just want to get on the winning streak again. It's been a while now since I last won my fifth tournament, and just try to get in contention, kind of work under the gun a little bit, get the heart rate going. JIM MURRAY: I want to thank you for the McDonald's guys because all those volunteers loved the way you handled them at the little party afterwards. I don't know if you've been to a Ronald McDonald House. SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yes, I have. JIM MURRAY: If you get a chance to knock on one of those doors, do me a favor and do that. SUZANN PETTERSEN: No problem. I will. JIM MURRAY: It's a great experience. One last thing, an Irish question, who were your heroes? What got you into golf? SUZANN PETTERSEN: It was my family. Once I started playing golf, I mean, like from a female aspect, of course it was Annika. That was the time she was dominating. But that had to let go once I started competing with her every day. Then I had to kind of drop the kind of idol aspect out of it. But, I mean, she's been a great role model. I think Tiger Woods is my favorite in all aspects. JIM MURRAY: That was great. Really appreciate you spending the time with us. Good luck in Switzerland. SUZANN PETTERSEN: Thank you so much. JIM MURRAY: We'll see you soon. End of FastScripts |
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