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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

June 11, 2005

Annika Sorenstam

HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND

Q. Annika, thanks for coming and speaking with us.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you.

Q. I think you have a 5 shot lead, I'm not exactly sure, going into tomorrow, can you talk about that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Sure. I think you're right, Paul, last time I looked, it looked like it. I mean, obviously I'm very happy in the position I'm in, and to come here and, you know, to tee off on Sunday with a 5 hot lead is really an excellent position. I'm very happy the way I played the last three days.

Then again, you know, nothing is over until it's over. You know, I have had a 5 shot lead before and I've lost it. I know tomorrow is going to be important. I've got to be patient out there and keep on saying it, one shot at a time.

I'm excited, I'm right where I want to be, so I'm looking forward to a great Sunday.

Q. Take questions.

Can you talk about the playing alongside Laura, she's on a roller coaster in the leaderboard, is it tough at one time you had an 8 shot lead on her, and then a 3. How do you stay focused on all of that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The good thing is I know what Laura is all about. Laura, it's all or nothing. I bet as a spectator she's a lot of fun to watch. I try not to watch too much. All of a sudden she's 4 under in the back, and then, you know, she plays very aggressive. That's just Laura's nature. I would say she plays with her heart and I like to say I play with my brain. That's the difference. It's fun definitely. I know she wants this really badly.

You can really tell, and she really grinded it out. I was impressed, she came back with such a tough hole, number 9, and all of a sudden she makes four birdies in maybe, like, six holes. I enjoy playing with Laura, especially today, because I felt like we were waiting on every single shot.

You talk about stuff and spend time together, it's good to play with somebody who you enjoy their company.

Q. You, essentially, were in the same spot you were in at Nabisco, do you feel it's about the same situation in terms of how you're playing in terms of how everything is going this week?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I mean, yeah, the par 5s, I definitely want to improve them. Normally that's my strength, at least the last few years, where I can take advantage of them. This week, you know, there's two par 5s that I can't reach in two, and two I can, and I still seem not to make the birdies.

By the end of the day, it's the whole 18 that counts. In Nabisco I ended up playing really good on Sunday there. Obviously, I would like to do that here. I'm in a position I want to be in. Hopefully, tomorrow I can enjoy it and play good golf and walk away with the trophy and good memories.

Q. When was the last time this happened going into the Sunday?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: This year it's Kraft Nabisco.

Q. Without winning?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I try not to remember those. One time it was in Phoenix when I played at Moon Valley, I can't remember the year, but I know I ended up losing against Rachel Hetherington in a playoff.

Q. Annika, can you talk about what was going through your mind I guess it was 15th hole, when you put the second shot near the creek, I guess in the hazard or near the hazard, what was going through your mind at that point? It seemed like you had given some people some hope that the tournament was still winnable, and as Laura said, you were toying with them.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I wasn't toying with anyone on purpose. You know, actually, at the time I was a little frustrated, and I think that's why I got on fire on 16 and 17, I thought I played really good golf since the 8th hole, 9th and 10th. I had a lot of opportunities and nothing was happening. I had a great drive on 15, and a great opportunity to reach it in two, and maybe 2 putt for birdie, and to walk away with par there, I was frustrated. I kept telling myself, be patient, there's a long ways to go, and all that stuff I have been taught to say, but at the time you get so annoyed about the situation, but, you know, I've learned to turn it around, and I think at the time that was just that was it. That was what made me turn it around. I had a great chance on 14, you name it. It just didn't happen on that hole again.

Q. 8th green, what's is that three putts on the 8th green?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, it is. I know, maybe I have to hit the driver on the green, maybe I can walk away with something there.

I mean, today, again, I thought I played a very smart second shot, and go for the middle of the green, I had a really slick putt. I just missed. I really don't know what's up with that hole. I definitely want to improve there tomorrow.

These greens, even though you're on the greens, it doesn't mean you're going to make birdie or anything like that, unfortunately. I have had big breaking putts there, it's been hard for me.

Q. Annika, how key was that sequence at 16? I mean, Laura starting to breathe down your neck and threatening to make a tournament out of it, and she blows her drive way right, talk about your approach.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That was quite a turning hole, definitely. Laura is playing very aggressive off the tee, I'm hitting a 7 wood. I was just trying to get it down there in the center of the fairway and ended up in the rough. Luckily, I hit a great second shot. I rolled in the rough and thought it was going to be okay.

That's the thing with this golf course, anything can happen. You can miss tee shots and you end up in tough stuff and it's hard to make par.

Q. Annika, what kind of message does it send when you have a lead on Sunday?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: What kind of message? Well, honestly, that I'm here to play. My goal is to come, play, win and leave. You know, I feel like I'm ready to play well this week, and so far I've done that. This is an important tournament for me and, you know, I'm not going to give up. I'm going to fight to the end. It's really what I want. Serious business.

Q. Going back to 16, on the TV it looked like the lie was pretty good in the rough. Was that deceptive on the TV or how was that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was pretty good, I had a good lie.

Q. Annika, the fact that a couple of the other two players that were closer to you on the leaderboard have basically said it's over, they're playing for second place, does that bother you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I think that's great. Confidence is a big part of golf. For me to hear that is a confidence booster definitely.

I don't look at it that way. Anything can happen in this golf course. I've worked hard to get here. I'm not going to be in my own way and let it slip away unless somebody comes out and plays very, very solid, then that's what happens. I'm here to play my best. Confidence and the way you think about things is very important.

Q. Generally speaking, how are you playing when you hear things like that? How are you playing this year overall? How does what you're going through now rate?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm very happy the way I'm playing right now. I looked at the stats, I'm hitting a lot of greens, I saw that I was on top of birdies, eagles, all the categories, that means a lot.

One category that I'm not as high as I used to be is driving accuracy. There, again, I've gained some distance. It's a toss up. I feel like I've improved overall. I've always been a pretty good ball striker. I think I've improved in my short game, and that's the difference in the last three years.

Q. You made some birdies early Sunday at Kraft, kind of a knock out punch.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes.

Q. Is that comparative to tomorrow?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, of course, I would like to have that start, you know, to get off to a start like that, obviously, I would have a little peace of mind knowing I have a nice little lead, but then again, 18 holes, we've all seen it before, a lot of things can happen. It's always great to get off to a good start.

The worst thing you want is a lot of bogeys and high numbers. A lot of things can happen. Your mind starts playing games.

Q. Is your nerve level any different with a 5 shot lead than it is level to start the day, a Greg Norman question, I guess?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, sometimes it's hard to have a big lead, because, you think, this looks really good. In my particular case, I look at the leaderboard quite a bit and I start analyzing everybody else's game and thinking about it instead of just really focusing on what I've got to be focusing on, which is myself and my own game. If you focus on your own game, a lot of times it takes care of itself.

That's what makes it so special in a Major when you're leading, you start thinking about so many opportunities that can come about out there. You know, the best thing is if I could shut out the whole world and mind my own business.

Q. Do you kind of have the attitude now if you're playing the way you're playing like you are right now that you're pretty much unbeatable?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't really have that mind set or that attitude, but, you know, what I do feel when I play this well is I can go out there and I can shoot a low score.

I can't necessarily say I'm going to shoot the lowest, because there's so many great players out and who knows what they'll do, but that I can shoot a low score if I hit the ball well. That's obviously a lot of confidence, it's important to have when you come into a tournament or when you come into Sunday when you're knowing you're hitting the ball well and I can take care of this.

Q. Would winning tomorrow mean more than the other Majors because you've won the first two legs of the Grand Slam?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, if I wouldn't have one the first one, this one wouldn't really have a meaning in that sense. I think they all have a great meaning. They all have a step to my goal. Right now, I obviously know where my goals are in the back of my mind, but tomorrow it's a tournament I'm in good shape to win, and I'm going to try to downplay it and go from there.

It's a really long ways to go, even for tomorrow, and also for the rest of the year. I try not to analyze too much. I do analyze a lot of my golf game when I'm out there, but tournaments and results, I try to let them take care of themselves.

Q. This streak of the rounds in the 60, do you think about that at all? You just got it under the wire today.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I didn't really think about it until I read it in the paper this morning. I was doing pretty goody, thought if I birdie 16, 17 or 18, one of those holes, then I'll do it. Normally, I don't have a score in mind. I knew about if today.

Those little records are fun to beat, but that's not really what's my main goal. I believe that if you shoot a low score, a lot of things will take care of themselves.

Q. You said on Thursday that the tournament was 10 percent over. What is it now?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Now, I'm going to say we're about 60 percent. I know it's a funny math I have, but

Q. Do you think they have the same math?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know what they look at. I just think, you know, it's

Q. 60 percent?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, if I would say 75, then that means every round is 25 percent, and I don't think they are. It's obviously more than half, but I still think it's a long ways to go.

Q. Can you take us over your scorecard.

(Scorecard done.)

Q. Where do you come up with 28 feet? Are you still thinking in meters?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It looked like 28. It sounded like a good number.

Q. What do you know about Young Kim? Do you know who she is?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Sure. No, I don't really know a lot about her to be honest. I know I've played with her before. I look forward to it tomorrow. She's obviously playing very steady. I think we'll have a fun Sunday together.

Q. If you could just talk about the pace of play today, if you haven't already and if you have time for it?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was slow. There is not really much to say other than that. I was looking forward to twosomes and thought maybe the pace would be pretty fast. In this heat especially, to move on. For me, tempo and rhythm is important in my golf course. I felt like we were waiting on every single shot. I like to see a better pace tomorrow. There's no doubt about it.

I have no idea why it was so slow. It seemed like the group ahead of us waited a lot too. I don't know where it really all started.

Q. Thank you, Annika.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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