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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA

June 10, 2005

Annika Sorenstam

HAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND

Q. Annika, thanks for coming in?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you.

Q. You have a two shot lead right now, I guess everything and going according to plan?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Are you out of breath?

Q. I am. You made me run.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm obviously very happy where I'm at and the way I'm playing. It's very steady, fairways and hitting greens. I'm putting well. I could not have asked for a better start. I'm very pleased so far.

Q. Take questions.

Annika, early in the day Laura Davies came in here at 7 under and said she expected you to pass her as the day went on.

When you saw the score she posted, did you feel it was a score that you could reach and pass.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I felt like it was a score that I could reach and pass, but then it's a Major championship and, you know, the way I looked at it is she's playing good golf. I like to be up there by the end of the day. The wind was picking up a little bit today. I thought it was a little tougher to play. I thought the pins were really tough. They were tucked between little hills and mounds on the green.

Once I was out there I realized that it's not an easy day, and I've got to be patient and try to avoid big numbers. I looked at the leaderboard and said, wow, she's playing good. I wanted to try to keep up with her.

Q. You haven't taken full advantage of the par 5s. Does that surprise you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm a little disappointed about that. I have not played the par 5s well. Yesterday was not the greatest performance there. I thought about it last night and thought today would be better, but I think it's worse today. I don't really know what I'm doing wrong. I think I'm playing sensible. I'm playing aggressive because I can reach the greens in two. If I don't, then I'm playing totally conservative, which that's not how I play.

I would like to improve the par 5s, definitely, especially hole number 8. I'm hitting 6 irons in, and you can't walk away with lower than a 5. That's very disappointing. Again, I'm playing really good on the par 4s and sometimes it evens out.

Q. Can you talk about the lie you had on 12, the par 3, and the importance of making that par coming off that previous hole.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, that was a key hole. I hit a 6 iron off the tee, and it kind of rolled in the wind a little bit. It was long and ended up in the really deep, steep stuff. I had some green to work with, but it was one of those lies where you don't know how much grass is going to get between the club and the ball. It's a little bit luck, it turns out just right. That's a shot I worked on and it landed softly and ended up about 2 or 3 feet, and I could make par.

That was a key hole for me because I bogeyed the hole before, and the last thing you want to do is lose two shots.

Q. Can you walk us through the shot at 16, 17 and how nice it is to finish the round the way you did?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Okay, on 16 I hit 7 wood off the tee and I had 78 to the hole and hit a bump run kind of sandwich and had 3 feet for birdie. On 17 I hit a 7 iron just very close to 2 feet and tapped it in, and 18 I hit a driver, 7 iron, and 2 putted it in.

Q. Why don't you take us through your scorecard.

(Scored card done.)

Q. Do you expect you're the only one that hit a 4 wood off 11 today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Probably. When I walked up there, I was wondering myself why I hit a 4 wood. The bunker there really comes into play. It's 255 to the end of the fairway, and for me it's a 3 shot hole anyways. I thought it's better being in the short grass. I really don't think that's what made me make bogey there, but looking back at it, you can question it for sure.

Q. Actually, Laura hit it in that bunker.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Okay. Well, thanks, I won't question then. Thank you.

Q. Annika, Laura's name has come up a couple of times. What kind of effect did her success early in her career have on you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I mean, Laura is one of those players that I've watched play for some years and, obviously, a player I admire and a player with tons of talent. You know, she's just a natural athlete in many ways.

Growing up, I really didn't follow women's golf really closely because I was into all kinds of other sports, but once I started playing golf, you heard of Laura Davies. I'm sure she's been a role model for many people. I've always admired her. She's a great person. Her attitude to golf is a little different than other players, but I like it, it's fun to play with her.

Q. We asked her when she first beat you, and she said there was a tournament you beat her in Austria, probably '95. Do you have any recollection of that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I remember playing in Austria, and she plays every European Tour event, so I'm sure she was there. I remember some tournaments where I've played against Laura. I played with her in a playoff, I think this is probably one of my biggest tournaments was the World Championship in Korea. I beat her, and that was a big feat for me to beat Laura Davies.

It was a par 5, and into the wind it was long, and here you've got Laura that hits it a mile, it was tough. I felt it was a big boost for my career.

Q. Was that mid '90s?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes.

Q. You just signed a 5 year contract with Callaway, does that mean you're going to play for five more years?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm definitely going to represent the company for a few more years. The question is how active I will be. I have been with Callaway since I turned professional. We have a great relationship and, obviously, want to continue to take it further, whether I compete competitively or not, but I'm definitely playing for, you know, this year and next year, and then we go from there.

There is a lot of things you can do with a company like that. One of my plans is to start a golf school. I think Callaway is going to come in very handy there. We have a lot of plans and, obviously, I'm very excited about it. For me it's great news.

Q. Laura almost drove 16 and ended up chipping in for eagle. Did you think about hitting a driver?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It definitely crossed my mind. Once we walked from the 15th green to 16 he was explaining to me, here's a hole we can do that on. Once I got to the tee I felt like I was going to play it how I normally play it, down the middle.

I thought the way the pin was sitting for me, I thought it was quite difficult, and obviously now, looking back, I'm happy I played that way. It definitely was a thought that crossed my mind. I saw Natalie hit a driver so it was a great hole to be aggressive.

Q. Did it help you at all being in the same group as Natalie, given you both were battling for the lead for a while?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It helps to play with someone who is playing well. I thought Laura played well, also. She made a hole in one on 3, and it was birdies all around the whole round. That's when you get feedback from each other and I think that's very important.

Q. I was curious what the feeling is like when you hit those 3 shots, 14 through 17, and every single one of them I'm sure from your vantage point looks like they're probably going into the hole that quickly together like that, it must be a nice rush.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It is. That's a great word to use. Something that brings you back to the game is when you picture something and it feels solid, and you look up and it's tap ins. A great rush is a great word. Do you get that rush.

Q. You're making fun of me, aren't you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I'm not.

Q. Will any of the LPGA tournament players come play your home tournament in Sweden?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hope so. I think Natalie is talking about coming. I think she would be a great asset to our tournament, especially this year when we don't have an LPGA this particular week, I would love to see them come over and play, especially being in Europe already, and it's going to be a great tournament and great golf course, and I welcome them all. It would be fantastic.

Q. What players have you talked to?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mentioned Natalie, and now it's totally blanked, and Natalie, and I can't think of anybody right now, but I hope they will come.

Q. And you will play for three years?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, I will.

Q. Annika can you talk about the pressure, compare the pressure of a player who's trying to do what you're trying to do in terms of winning the Grand Slam to what Laura is going through where this could be a good chance for her to go into the Hall of Fame.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, there's a lot at stake for a lot of players. Whoever it is, for somebody to win their first tournament, or a Major for the first time, for me, the goals that I have, you mentioned Laura, you know, that's what's so, you know, unique with these types of tournaments. There's so much at stake and you feel the pressure and you've got to be able to handle that.

That's what I think is cool to see, you know, there's a challenge, and can you do it. Can you hit the shots when you need to? That's what this is all about. No matter who you ask, this tournament is going to have a really important meaning.

Q. Any more questions for Annika? No. Thank you Annika?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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