home

jobs

	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

HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

June 29, 2005

Annika Sorenstam

GLADSTONE, NEW JERSEY

PAUL ROVNAK: We're with Annika Sorenstam. Annika, welcome to the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship. Thanks for talking with us.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you.

PAUL ROVNAK: Can you talk about how important this is for women's golf, the first women's match play United States in 50 years?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Obviously it's a great opportunity for to us play a different type of format. Match play is very, very different compared to stroke play. You know, I'm excited to be here. I think it's fun to have a different format like this. It's a little bit more drama into it because anything can happen and every hole is a different match. So I like the format, you've got the best women golfers in the world in one place playing against each other, so it's fun.

PAUL ROVNAK: This is a $2 million purse this week, first prize is $500,000. That's a purse that rivals men's events. Can you talk about that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Obviously it's a huge commitment from HSBC to do that, to support us. I think they are stepping up to the plate showing their commitment, and I think that's why you see a great field. I mean, that's a lot of money for anybody. Obviously it's exciting to see the commitment. The purse is big, the course is great, the facility is fantastic. I think just is a first class event.

PAUL ROVNAK: Last week was a little tough. You wanted to win the Grand Slam and came up shy at the Women's Open. Do you think you can win this week, and if so, what will it take?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: We'll see. I feel good. I feel like I can win. I'm disappointed about last week but hopefully I can bounce back fast and play good this week. I feel good about my game. I love this golf course, so we'll see what happens.

Q. How does your strategy or approach differ from match play to stroke play?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think when you play match play, you pay a little bit more attention to your opponent than you would in a stroke play competition. I think there are some holes you might play more aggressive. There might be holes where you play more conservative because you're paying attention to your opponent.

I mean, I love playing match play. We don't do it as often, pretty much only at the Solheim Cup nowadays. I think it's a fun format, the strategy. I mean, you've got to play your own game, but you want to pay attention a little bit to what's going on.

Q. After last week, do you work on stuff that didn't work last week, or do you forget it, or how do you handle preparing this week as a result of what happened last week?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I have analyzed last week quite a bit, trying to figure out what happened and pretty much what didn't really happen. I just came to the conclusion that last week, I tried; just things didn't really add up. You know, I was pretty happy the way I hit the ball, pretty happy the way I was putting. Just wasn't happy with where I ended up.

Now I'm here this week and continue to practice the things that I'm working on. I feel good. I've had a great season so far. I'm not really going to change too much. And this is a totally different golf course, the fairways are a little wider. The rough is not as thick, the greens are not as fast, so you just have to adjust to that.

Q. With the new breed of golfers that are coming up, some of the young amateurs and newer girls that are turning pro, do you feel almost like women's tennis, that women's golf is moving more into the mainstream now because it's creating unintentionally a little bit more of a sex appeal?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't think I understood the question. It seems like it was many questions in one question.

I mean, you're seeing a new generation out here. I mean, I'm obviously all for that. It's great to see young players coming up. When it comes to golf, they hit the ball longer, I think they are stronger. They are just a lot more mature. They have a lot of game.

There's some great personalities that are coming up. I think it just great for the LPGA in general, whether they are amateurs today, pros tomorrow, I think the future of women's golf is really good.

Q. Sounds strange to ask this, but can you talk about your first round opponent? We ask that in college basketball sometimes. And also, could there be an advantage to being an underdog in this type of format in the sense that if you have one bad hole, it's just one bad hole and you're not out of it?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, to answer your second question, I think underdog or not, you've got to go out there and play your game. You've got to play good. The difference from stroke play, match play you don't have to count all your score. So you can have a hole with a higher score and you still just lose one point or one shot. So it's very different compared to stroke play. You can be a lot more up and down, but still you have to make birdies to win the holes.

Having said that, you've still got to play some good golf, but you might want to a play aggressive sometimes because if you take a risk you might not get penalized as much. That's the difference I think in match play and stroke play.

The first round, what I think about my opponent? No, I just had lunch with Joanne, and, you know, I haven't played with her all year. I've played with her in the past Solheim Cups, I've played with her on the European Tour, so I'm looking forward to playing against her tomorrow.

Q. Is this the first time that you've played in northern New Jersey?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: First time I've played?

Q. In northern New Jersey.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I've been here before. Not here, but I've played courses around the area, played in New York. So I'm pretty familiar with this type of golf course. It's a great golf course, it's a beautiful area and it's great to be here.

Q. Outside of the Solheim Cup, would the last pure match play tournament you played in be the Women's Amateur?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. Actually we had a tournament on our schedule I think it was only three or four years ago.

PAUL ROVNAK: The Cisco World Ladies Match Play, 2001 2002.

Q. Could you talk about the possibility of playing 72 holes on the weekend on a very hilly course? And you're obviously in very good shape, I would think that would be

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 72?

PAUL ROVNAK: 36 Saturday, 36 Sunday. (Laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Sorry. It's been a long day. Obviously endurance is going to play a role, there's no doubt about it. It is a hilly course, and you know, you've got to be in good shape. Especially if the temperatures are up there, if we get the humidity, etc., it could be quite tough.

So you know, having said that, I'm glad that I've been working out the last few years. Hopefully I'll be in good shape to do that.

Q. Just curious if you thought that your success this year has captured the average fan like you thought it might have as far as their interest in the game of golf?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, I really don't know what kind of attention I was going to catch, but obviously I'm very happy with my start. I think this is the best start I've ever had if you think of all the years I've been out here.

So I'm very proud of the way I've played, and I think there's a great little buzz around the LPGA right now for all kind of reasons, and it's wonderful to be a part of it. I heard last week's ratings were fantastic. So I think the momentum is on our side, and like I said, I'm just happy to be part of it. Well, let's see where we're going.

Q. Just wondering on the Grand Slam thing, last week were you thinking more Grand Slam, or were you thinking more just winning the Women's Open?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, to be honest with you, I mean, when I came into the tournament, I thought a little bit about the Grand Slam, but once I was there, I was there. It was the U.S. Women's Open that counted. I was nervous on the first day, but the last three days, I really didn't think of it the last two. I was just trying to play my own game and playing the golf course. I just want to play lows and my mind was still focused on my golf and what I had to do.

Q. Do you think it's still possible to pull it off?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I do. I believe in it, I really do.

Q. Is there any gamesmanship that comes into match play?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, another difference is you give putts. You can give a 2 or 3 footer, whatever you feel comfortable giving. Other than that, I don't really think there's anything different. You just play your own game, and I don't play any other games than I do in stroke play.

Q. When you look at a course, like you come here and play your practice rounds, do you look at this course any differently because you're playing in a match play event as you play your practice rounds than you would in a stroke play? Do you think any differently as you're checking it out?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I haven't the last two days. I think I just want to get used this type of golf course. You know, today I was playing very aggressive. I hit a lot of drives, and I think the reason for that is, well, first of all, the fairways are quite wide, but it's also very wet. You don't get a lot of roll; you hit it somewhere and know it's got to stop.

That's the way I'm going to approach the next three days, try to carry most of the bunkers, stay out of trouble. It depends a little bit on the pin placements, where they put them when you're playing match play. And again, you pay attention to your opponent, you might want to play more aggressive. Just the practice round, the way I approached it is the same as I would any other course. I just want to get to know it.

Q. Do you think it's possible for a golfer to do what Tiger did to the PGA Tour, a woman's golfer do for the LPGA, and do you see that in the future?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I don't see a difference what Tiger did and why a woman couldn't do it. He's a golfer and we're golfers, too.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you, Annika.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297