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BANK OF HOPE FOUNDERS CUP

March 19, 2017

Anna Nordqvist

Phoenix, Arizona

THE MODERATOR: All right. Anna Nordqvist is your 2017 Bank of Hope Founders Cup champion.

What a great week: 61 yesterday; seventh career win. You did it all where you went to college. How does this feel?

ANNA NORDQVIST: It feels very, very special. I think I only could have dreamed of winning on what feels for me like home soil.

Obviously had a great round yesterday shooting 61. My phone was blowing up yesterday and I was just trying to play it chill. I knew it was one more round to play, so kept my head down.

It's been such an amazing week. So grateful to be back. Just a couple weeks ago I wasn't even going to play here. Glad I added it to the schedule. Maybe it was meant to be.

But all week I've just had a big smile on my face seeing so many of my college friends and all the people that just meant so much to me over the years and that kind of helped me settle in the U.S.

THE MODERATOR: So you weren't going to play. Just kind of like last minute, Might as well go to Phoenix and play this week?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah. Couple schedule changes with Australia not counting for Solheim Cup. I was going to play Australia and having it count for Solheim Cup, and it wasn't counting.

So I'm going to Spain in April most likely. Ended up adding this tournament. Just been staying with friends and kind of soaked up the atmosphere of this place that means so much to me.

THE MODERATOR: You had some other friends from growing up as well, right?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah. So Marcus (phonetic), one of actually my best friends from growing up playing golf, we grew up at the same golf course, and he ended up being here with a group of Norwegians, even though I'm Swedish.

They been kind of cheering me on all week. Just means a lot that even though I'm far away, to have that hometown support. Obviously great seeing him again. We have so many good memories from playing junior golf and club tournaments. He was goofing around, and he probably taught me a lot of the shots that I know today.

So just great memories.

THE MODERATOR: Great. I'll open it up to you guys for questions.

Q. The decision about almost skipping here, was that a difficult thing for you when you realized maybe it wouldn't fit in the schedule?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah. It was going to be hard for me to do Australia, Thailand, Singapore, week off, and then another three events like Phoenix, San Diego, ANA.

But, you know, with Australia, having to withdraw last minute, you know, I kind of added it to the schedule. A lot of people were happy to see me add it to the schedule.

I was still able to stay with my friends that I always stay with. It worked out good I think, especially sitting here.

Q. Couple of follow ups about the U.S. Women's Open. A lot of people admired the way you reacted to that. What kind of reaction did you hear in the wake of that, and how encouraging was it maybe?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, I always say that I didn't feel like I was a loser that week. I played tremendous golf. What happened, happened, but the amount of support and fans and the people that reached out to me, I'm very touched.

I was very, very speechless how much, you know, people almost supported me even more. I mean, the only thing I didn't get that week was a trophy. I still look back at the tournament, and shot that 67 the last round and, you know, played great golf.

So, yeah, I didn't get the trophy, but I added a lot of fans. I got a lot of, you know, meaningful people reaching out to me. That meant a lot.

Q. Last follow up. So as you were going to tournaments in the past, people would shout out encouragement. What kind of things would you hear?
ANNA NORDQVIST: I've only heard positive things. It was one of the last tournaments actually in the U.S. I think we played, even though it was in July.

But the tournaments after I seemed to have a lot bigger following, social media, coming out to tournaments. I never heard a bad thing about it.

You know, I did my best that day. I touched the sun and life goes on. Here I am with my next trophy. I'm just trying to do my best. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose.

Q. You were challenged in that last round but didn't wilt. Did you do a lot of leaderboard watching the last round?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, I mean, this is a great tournament. It's a course where you know coming into it that you have to make birdies.

I shot 61 yesterday and I knew there was maybe going to be a few tougher pins today. Maybe be a little bit harder to get to a number like that. With so many good players up there, I knew someone would post a good number.

I was just trying to play my game and didn't focus too much on the leaderboards today. Saw it on 15, 17, but I knew a lot of good players were going to make birdies.

Ariya made a charge there at the end. I knew I had to shoot a couple under par today to give myself a chance. I'm proud of the way I played and proud obviously for sticking to my game plan.

Q. Hi, I'm Meghan. I'm one of the junior course reporter. I was wondering what was going through your head, like how did it feel to have won this tournament?
ANNA NORDQVIST: Well, winning this one in particular is very special for me since this is where I went to college, at Arizona State University. You know, this is where I got the opportunity to play golf. Moved all the way from Sweden to come here.

So it means a lot to do what where I feel like is home soil. I have a lot of fans and supporters and friends out here, so to do it and play well with them being there means a lot.

I wouldn't be here without them, and it's been such as incredible journey since I came here in '06.

Q. My name is Mary Beth, and I am the other junior course reporter. What was your mindset going into the final round?
ANNA NORDQVIST: My mindset going into the final round? Well, I had a great round yesterday, and a lot of times you try to focus on that. Like my phone was blowing up yesterday. I think I had probably a good 80 text messages, and I'm sure going to be a couple more today, too.

So I was obviously very touched that a lot of people reached out to me. I knew it was 18 more holes, and I tried to stay focused on this tournament. Today I knew I had to post a pretty good round, and the lower I shot I knew someone else would have to shoot even lower.

That was kind of my mindset: try to play my game and shoot a couple under par.

THE MODERATOR: Seems like and you your caddie, Kyle, have a really good rapport with each other. How does he help you on the course?

ANNA NORDQVIST: So Kyle Morrison and I been working for a little bit over 14, 15 months now. He's not only a great caddie, but he's a great friend.

I feel like we have -- you know, we are a really good team. I feel like I can rely on him. He's very relaxed, easygoing. I seem to be a little bit more stressed sometimes and uptight, so I feel like a good combination. His girlfriend Laura was here this week cheering us on.

I'm just very happy he's on the bag. I feel like I'm enjoying this journey more now than I've done in the past. More happy. Before I was trying to let the results define me as a person and what I was doing.

You know, seemed to get a little harder on myself. But this year I told myself to enjoy what I'm doing and keep smiling, because I feel that's who I am. So no matter the results, I'm just trying to embrace this opportunity to play professional golf.

I don't want to leave the tour knowing I didn't enjoy it and was just so focused on results.

THE MODERATOR: It's hard not to smile sitting in front of this trophy. Anna, congratulations. 2017 Bank of Hope Founders Cup champion, Anna Nordqvist. Thank you.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Thank you.

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