MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 2, 2003

Suzann Pettersen

NEAL REID: Good playing out there, I know you didn't finish the way up wanted to.

SUZANN PETTERSEN: You can't win on this golf course on every single shot. You have to hit the fairways. The rough is killing you. Especially on the par-4s. It's so difficult to attack the pin because you only get a fly out of it, it's so short. So good driving is very important this week. It's feels a bit disappointing, I dropped a shot on the last as well and then today. I was in a divot in the fairway on 16. So it wasn't too easy that second shot and I dropped a shot there.

So I'm very happy and getting my game together and finally starting to putt as I used to do.

NEAL REID: You had a good week last week, you finished third and going out on 29 on the front 9 on Sunday, can you tell me a little bit about that Sunday?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I was early up that morning. I finished my two holes, I was 3-under. I really got my putter going that week, especially on the weekend. After three birdies in a row I looked at the leader board and I thought, okay, you have to do something to get up there. I thought 10-under, 12-under, and all of a sudden I was where I should be. It should have been 27. Everything was right there. The birdie putt was just a ball short. It was just a day where you actually don't think, you just play.

NEAL REID: Your first par was on the par-5.

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I missed my birdie putt there, very disappointing. It's a new week and a very good golf course. I have to play well to keep up with the other rookies. They are doing pretty well out there. I have to be patient.

NEAL REID: Questions, guys?

Q. You said you bogeyed 18 both days?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: 9 yesterday and 18 today.

Q. What got you in trouble on 18?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I was a bit sloppy on the drive. It's actually my shot to hit a drive and fade. The wind is helping, the water is not in play. It's a bit sloppy. A bit interrupted by some noise. The lie in the rough was not too bad but it's always difficult to know how hot the ball will come out of it. As I say, you have to keep the ball in the fairway to be in control.

Q. What do you take from your experience last week into this week?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Be patient, be patient. Give yourself the chances and the putts will finally go in and especially on this golf course. You will always have some bad lies out there. Make the best out of it and keep it going. It's even on my book, be patient.

NEAL REID: You look at that a lot.

SUZANN PETTERSEN: On the golf course you will always hit some bad shots. I don't know how bad they are. You can make some good up and downs which is possible. The greens are tough. The rough around the greens is killing you. You can get some really bad lies. You just have to use your fantasy and be creative.

NEAL REID: Overall would you say your game is pretty sharp right now and everything is clicking right now?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yes, the game is pretty solid.

NEAL REID: What's the 9 on your hat there?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: The 9 on my hat is actually I try to go for 9 putts on the front 9 but it didn't work. I'm just kidding.

NEAL REID: What is it really?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: It's a prototype. The 9th in production.

Q. How long was your par putt on 18 that you missed?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: It was four feet, a bit disappointing.

Q. Is there a real low number out there?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I don't know, I thought yesterday 5-under is really a low score on this course. There is not a single easy golf shot out there. So a 5-under is solid golf. I haven't seen much movement on the board. I think Lorena is 7-under. So there is still a lot of place to go. It's a very good golf course. You test your skills quite well out there.

Q. There was a discussion earlier that 3 or 4-under might be the winning score?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: 3 or 4-under total?

Q. For the tournament.

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, if you keep all of your 4 rounds well under par, I think you will be well up there to be honest. It's an awesome golf course. It's probably one of the best ones that I played this year. It's nice and you get treated so well here after the guys being here for a long time. I just enjoy the whole resort.

Q. Can you identify the noise that distracted or interrupted you on 18?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: It was all from the toilets. But there was another click just on my takeaway.

Q. The camera?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: No, there was another one further back. I can't blame anything. It was a sloppy drive. But there was a lot of noise around there.

Q. How important will the par-5s be come the weekend, you are 2-under today, will that be the difference?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: That's what I'm trying to work on, all of the par-5s are reachable. If you can be 3-under on the par-5s you have done a great job. You always kind of birdie some of par-4's and maybe some par-3s, but it's always nice to have those 3-under in your bag. So I keep working on the par-5s. I didn't birdie --

Q. No. 3?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I missed the putt.

Q. If you hit the fairway in a par-5 is that giving away a shot almost?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't think par is giving away any shots on this course. Well, the par-5s are like a long par-4. I mean I'm starting on the par-5s with less than a 3-wood. It's like a 5 or 7-wood. With a good drive maybe a 5-wood. So I don't think you will feel like you dropped any shots with par this week. But of course, par-5s, par-5s.

Q. Is the golf course too short?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I think it's great. Finally they set it up for -- some of the good ball strikers actually have a chance. We were playing some golf courses earlier this season where you have like a drive, wedge, on every single par 4. It is so boring. Everybody can get a round with it. I just think, from my point of view, I think each week the best ball strikers should win the tournament.

If the setup a par-4 you actually have a drive, 7-iron, great. Then the good iron players will actually have a chance. No, I don't think it's too short.

Q. When you came out here this year as a rookie what were your expectations in terms of the Top 10s, wins, anything like that, did you set goals like that?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yes, you always set goals. I have been playing with probably all of them, all of the players before, So I know the level. The most difficult thing I think is to play in the LPGA, week after week.

In the beginning was actually get the feeling of how they set the golf course. It's a bit different from Europe. What clubs would you actually take out of the bag and what clubs would you probably get more use of putting into the bag.

So I can give you an example, on the par-5s you will have more use of a 7-wood which goes high and soft and drops straight down instead of a 3-iron which actually shoots. With the high fly you can actually attack the pins.

Now, I'm actually feeling more confident with all of the clubs I have in my bag. It's a lot of fun out there.

Q. When in the week do you make that decision?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: It was actually last week, before last week it was so wet. Some long par-4's. Some are long, could have been long. I just felt it it would be nice to have a club that actually carries 185, 190.

Q. So you are playing with the same clubs this week that you used in your bag last week?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I am.

Q. Did you not make any adjustments for this course?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I actually took out my 4-iron and put a 60-degree wedge. So 5-iron is my lowest. I've always been, no, I'm not going to have more woods in my bag and than a driver and 3-wood. Now I have a 7 and 5 as well. You have to be honest with yourself and ask what clubs do you need, what clubs do you need to have in your bag? And I am getting there. It's not easy. You have to be patient. Each week is different. This is another golf course, even better than last week, and the greens are different. Everything.

Q. Is this the first time you wore a microphone?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yes, it was. I doubted it when I hit balls on the range. They asked me. I said okay. Okay, I can test it out. It didn't bother me. I mean if you are into your game it shouldn't bother. I hope I didn't swear too much.

Q. Do you have to watch your language?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I try to. I just thought, wow ESPN, go for it.

Q. Can you swear in Swedish and get away with it?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yes, I can. There wasn't too many bad words today.

Q. Is this tournament televised in Sweden, do you know?

SUZANN PETTERSEN: I'm from Norway. But it's not televised in Norway, no. I don't think so.

Q. Sorry about that.

SUZANN PETTERSEN: No, it's not.

NEAL REID: Thanks, Suzann.

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