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SHOPRITE LPGA CLASSIC

June 4, 2005

Annika Sorenstam

ABSECON, NEW JERSEY

PAUL ROVNAK: 67 yesterday, 65 today. You're tied with Juli Inkster right now with 10 under for the lead. Before we get started take us over your score card.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, I can. I birdied the third hole. I hit 5 iron short of green, chipped it up and tapped in for birdie.

Birdied No. 4, pitching wedge to four feet.

I bogeyed No. 10. I hit a 8 iron and three putted from 15 feet. My par putt was three feet.

Birdie 12, sand wedge to eight feet.

13, sand wedge to eight feet.

14, 5 iron to 10 feet.

And then 16, I hit a seven wood short of the green chipped it up and made a putt from 6 feet.

Finished with birdie, hit 4 wood short of the green, chipped it up and made a putt from 5 feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: Start talking about what it's going to be like tomorrow, you, Juli, and Laura all at the top of the star studded leaderboard.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm looking forward to it. Juli is playing great golf. I look forward to playing with Juli. Laura is playing a suburb round. It will be a fun Sunday. A lot of players like to go out there and try and chase, I know what it's going to take, it will be fun. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and it will be a great finish to the tournament.

Q. What were the differences today from yesterday for you? Was it that much easier to play today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The differences are night and day. By the time I came here there was a little mist. The rain stopped and there was hardly any wind. I had great conditions today. The course is still a little wet. It was soaked at times, but perfect conditions to go out there and put a low score out there.

Yesterday was one of those days where it was a long day, tough to play and you just have to be really patient. It's totally different these two days.

Q. Also on No. 10, what happened on the putt there and did that kind of, for lack of a better term, fire you up for the rest of the round?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't really know what happened. I told my caddie I had 3 good putts. That's the way I'm going to look at it. These greens you have to hit them firm and straight sometimes and I don't really know what happened there. I'm not going to analyze it too much. I'm making a lot of putts, I'm going to miss some, that's the way golf is.

Q. Juli was joking around a bit saying she probably would be playing with you tomorrow and she couldn't remember the last time that she played with you in a final round. Do you remember at all?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's been awhile back. I enjoy playing with Juli she is a lot of fun and obviously a great player, she's done a lot for this Tour, so I'm looking forward to playing with her. I can't really remember the last time. It's been a while, that's for sure. I look forward to it.

Q. How much of an inspiration has she been to you and maybe Laura as well? A lot of the women who have been out here for a long, long time, how much of an inspiration are they to you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Both have been very great golfers, they both have won majors, they've won a lot of tournaments. I've always looked up to Juli. She's a person that has succeeded in a lot of ways in her life, a great balance. She has a great family, great kids. But then still to go out there and have a great career, she is a Hall of Famer, sometimes she doesn't get a lot credit because it's not so easy to be able to balance both, and she's certainly done that.

Laura, I've always enjoyed playing with Laura. She is a very nice person. She has a huge heart, really fun to play with. I mean, if you blink you'll miss her swing; she's probably the fastest out here. She's not going to slow us down. She can rip it and she can really play some great golf. She's proving that today.

Q. So you and Juli have obviously had success here, how will confidence play for you tomorrow in the final round, you've played this course well and had success?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Confidence is important any day you play, especially on a Sunday when you're in the last group you have a chance to win. There are going to be birdies out there. I have to play aggressive. The par 5s I have to take advantage of those. I just hope to make a few putts. Put pressure on them or just try to catch up with them, whatever is going to on. They're going to be birdies. It's fun. It's going to be exciting for everyone.

Q. It got pretty warm out there during the round. Were you hot in that long sleeved sweater?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, I was, but I didn't take it off because I only had a tank top on, it didn't look too good with no logos on it. The weather was hot and then the bugs came. It was unpleasant at times, but you have to look good for the sponsor and the tournament, so there you go.

Q. I was figuring you were wearing the long sleeves because of the bugs. Did they bug you today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think they bugged everyone, long sleeves or short sleeves.

Q. Juli did not birdie any of the Par 5s. And she's still 10 under. What do you think about posting a number like that without birdieing any Par 5s?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm amazed. That's good for us that she didn't, otherwise she would have been impossible to catch. She's obviously playing good golf. It seems like she's playing steady, making birdies on par 4s and par 3s, good iron shots. These are Juli's strengths. That's really good playing.

Q. Does your approach tomorrow change at all because players like Juli and Laura are at the top of the leaderboard as opposed to maybe non winners, less experienced players?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I think my initial game plan is going to go out and play my own game and after three or four or five holes see how things are going. If they're making birdies, I have to play more aggressive. If they're not making birdies, then I'll continue with my game plan. Anything can happen. I always adjust to what's happening that particular day. Who knows, there might be someone right behind us shooting low scores like Laura did today.

Sunday I usually have a game plan, but it depends on how the other players are playing. Whoever is hot you want to watch out for that person.

Q. With the string of majors coming up, including Match Play, can you talk about the intensity of the schedule coming up, the busy June month. And also because of that, how many straight weeks will you be playing?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You're right, this is really a busy time of the summer. We have some huge tournaments, starting this week, a major next week, and it's not until the end of July where it starts to calm down a little bit. I'm playing next week and then I'm playing the Open and Match Play and heading over to Europe. I'm going to miss some of the tournaments, but I can't play them all, even though maybe I wanted to. It's too much for me.

Whoever is playing the most solid in June and July is going to finish very high on the Money List. A lot of important things can be decided in the next few weeks.

Q. At the Dinah Shore, I noticed you went to the X 14s, after the PGA tournament. Are you settled on your clubs or are you going to go back? I know you've been looking at different sets of irons.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm on my third set of irons, but I'm very happy with what I have right now and I think these will make the cut for next week.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thanks, Annika.

End of FastScripts.

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