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AUGUSTA NATIONAL WOMEN'S AMATEUR

April 6, 2019

Annika Sorenstam

Augusta, Georgia

Q. What did that feel like?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I was a little nervous. I had a tear coming up when I looked at my family. Gives me a tear now, but it was cool.

Q. Where does it rank in moments that you've experienced?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, we all know it's historical, for everybody, whatever level, wherever you're one of the players or sponsors, media, first time. It's cool to see all the pieces come together as far as my professional career and then with the foundation and then standing next to Nancy and then the global aspect with Lorena and Se Ri and just to be here. I mean, I can't explain it other than I'm very honored and touched about it.

Q. Did you all stay and watch the first group go off?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I told Se Ri, they have to play where they hit it. I don't even know where my ball is, probably in somebody's pocket.

I said it before, but it's so thrilling for them. I'm excited for them. I mean, what a treat. All the hours you put in, all the dreams you have, and to come here, it summarizes the whole thing, it really does. It's true.

Q. A lot of these girls played in your tournament?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, so we started off with 59, which is a funny number, but we had 59 out of 72 were here and then it went down to 24, so still got 80 percent.

So I see them, and this is our 11th year with the foundation, so some of them, I have seen six, seven years in a row, which is really nice to see them grow up and whatever the path is for amateur to college and now they stand here and now I'm talking to several of them turning pro.

Yeah, it's neat to see. Gives you a little motherly feeling which sounds funny, but yeah, even though it's a few weeks a year I see them, but we keep in touch, a lot of them.

Q. And Maria won your award?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, thank you, Maria Fassi, and my daughter was texting her on Wednesday night, and she's answering back, and they were talking last night on the phone. My daughter is going to follow Maria today.

You know, it's more, it's more than just sharing a golf tip. A lot of it is personal, if you know what I mean, because a lot of them go through a lot of pressure with parents, school, you know, decisions. So you really get in deep with them, so that's why when you see them here, it's like, you got it.

Q. We look at Maria's golf ability but she seems like she has the potential to be a golf ambassador later on.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Obviously, I travel with my kids and I see how people treat them, and that to me says more about the person. We had dinner after we announced the Annika Award with Golf Channel, she had dinner and my daughter was teaching her how to floss and Maria could not floss.

First thing my daughter said, "Have you been practicing your flossing?"

She said, "No, I haven't." I don't think flossing has been on her mind at the moment.

But interaction and keeping in touch -- Maria is a top-notch girl obviously from a lot of perspective and she hits it a long way, but she's quality, and a lot of these girls are quality and that's what makes me proud when I work with them. It's quality-character people and that's what makes me so proud to have them as ambassadors of the game.

Q. What's your big-picture take away from the whole week and today in particular?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think today is a little wave of something big that's going to come and I'm not just talking girls golf. I'm talking golf, I'm talking women's sports and I really think the ripple effect will go further. It seems like a first-class event already, but they are already thinking, what can we improve and the girls are over the moon already. They are like, this is the best ever.

I think it's been a tremendous start, and it's the acceptance, and that to me means a lot and I think for all the girls. They are influencers in their peer group, and the things that they are going to talk about this event, it's going to spread. We want greater participation. We want to increase the interest in the game of golf. These events can do this.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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