	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN

July 31, 2015

Suzann Pettersen

TRUMP TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND

COLIN CALLANDER: Good morning ladies and gentlemen, we have Suzann Pettersen. She's just shot a superb 3‑under par 69. Congratulations, you must be very pleased with that.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yeah, today was a very solid round of golf. I felt I was in my hundred per cent control of the ball, the flight, the spin; everything you need to do in conditions like this. So this ranks pretty high as a good round of golf.
The ball is not flying anywhere. It's cold. Today is a day where you try to make it easier on yourself and I had a very pain‑free round. Kept myself out of trouble. Had a lot of looks. It's tough to putt, as well, in conditions like this. So easy pars is a nice thing.

Q. Where did that land ‑‑
SUZANN PETTERSEN: 150 yards. It was three yards short of the green. It's actually very close.

Q. How much of your decision to really overhaul your game and go to Butch was about events like this?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I always felt like I had a different gear in my body. I've said it many times, I feel some of my best golf is still ahead of me. To get there, I feel like going to Butch was the right thing. One, from technical standpoint, simplify everything. Ease up the kind of pressure on my body. I feel like I had a lot of injuries throughout the years.
This year, the few things I've had is just small things still hanging from last year. But I can practise more than I ever could before. My body doesn't get tight. It doesn't get sore. And so I think Butch is a great teacher, but he's also a fantastic coach. I guess that's what also a lot of the guys would say. You really makes you believe that you are a good player.
At this point, I feel like only the best teacher is good enough, so I'm very happy to work with Butch.

Q. The last two years, you've finished top five. And prior to that, your results didn't reflect your ability. Is there anything you've specifically done to change that around?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I'm getting older. I'm getting wiser. I'm learning. And I guess that's why this game is so great. Every year you learn something different, how you can kind of maneuver yourself around a golf course.
I'm probably playing a bit smarter. I feel links course, it's a lot about tee balls. It's not really necessary to squeeze the ball in between some bunkers if you can lay yourself up short of it and take trouble out. That's kind of my strategy this week. It's worked out pretty well so far. We've dealt with the wind good, and I don't feel like I've hit any shots not being 100 per cent clear on what I tried to do. That's also nice.

Q. When you mentioned you're able to practise more than you ever have, is that because of the changes in your swing? Can you tell us why that is?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: It's just a much easier move. Mentally it's probably never been this easy for me. Very easy for me to maintain the quality on my practise. I don't feel like the thoughts and the swing thoughts kind of changes from day‑to‑day. It's very consistent. Literally the first thing we work on is still what we just kind of are nibbling on to be honest. Just nice to have somebody that can really push you and kind of take nothing but great success as like the ultimate goal.
I'm very happy. I mean, Butch has pushed me quite a lot. He'll give it to me if I don't play well for sure.

Q. Can you give us a Reader's Digest of what you initially started working on?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Say again?

Q. Just in short, what it is you changed in your swing that you guys did.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I'm a lot wider. I'm much shallower, which is why I hit it a lot further. Essentially, handshake, handshake. It's super simple. He's brought back‑‑ trying to bring back the simpleness. I'm trying to mess it up as much as I can but he's pretty good at kind of getting me back on track.
Under conditions like today, I mean, you don't go out there and think about technical stuff. You're kind of trying to be in control of the shot you want to hit. Like I said, you can have 100 yards and you might chip with an 8‑iron. So if you try to play pitch‑perfect golf out there today, it's not going to ‑‑ that's probably what I've realised and it makes you play better around courses like this.

Q. How big a trauma is it to change a coach?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: It's pretty easy. You pick up the phone. You ask if they can come for a lesson and hopefully they say yes.

Q. And getting rid of the previous incumbent, how do you do that?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I was ready to move on. I was ready for a new chapter in my life. I played well for six years with Lead as my coach. But I couldn't be happier where I am now.
I just think doing the move that I did will lengthen my career. I always thought playing through the Olympics would be a good goal for me. But now, feeling and seeing what I can do differently and how easy I can do stuff, it definitely has changed my perspective of my own career. I have a lot of goals left out there that I want to achieve.
COLIN CALLANDER: Could we get the details of the three birdies and solitary bogey, please. Second hole?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Second hole, I hit an 8‑iron to three inches.
On No. 3, I hit a 3‑wood to 20 feet, 2‑putted.
On 6, I 3‑putted. I missed a 4‑footer for par.
7 was an 8‑iron to about 20 feet, 2‑putted.

Q. When was your first lesson with Butch and what are the goals now that you've reset how you see yourself playing?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: My first lesson with Butch was on my way back to the U.S. from Taiwan. I went straight from Taiwan to Vegas. I thought it was nice to kind of get started on kind of ‑‑ it's a lot of new feels, and instead of waiting until the season was over; I mean, there was no other point to wait. I felt like I was ready, long overdue. So played in México, CME with a new mind‑set and then had a great off‑season.
I played pretty good all year. Just putting it all together and being patient. I'm only half a year into kind of the new things and now things are starting to settle down pretty nicely.
And my goals? I want to try and become the best I can be. Better than I am now.
COLIN CALLANDER: Thank you very much indeed.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297