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

ADT CHAMPIONSHIP

November 20, 2004

Annika Sorenstam

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

DANA VON LOUDA: Thanks for joining us today. You enter tomorrow's final round with a one shot lead. Opening comments first?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm glad to sit here. It's been a long day. I don't know if I can call it a roller coaster day, but it's been tough. Today I felt it was really tough for me. I couldn't really play the front nine, and I'm just glad I liked the back nine, to come back and put a good score together, and at least put a decent score together in total. Like I said, it was a tough day for me today.

DANA VON LOUDA: Let's go through your round.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Okay. I bogeyed the first hole. I hit that was a great play 4 iron off the tee, and a 7 wood short of the green, chipped it up and 2 putted from about 5 feet.

Bogey No. 5, I hit a 4 iron to the left and chipped it up to I 2 putted from 7 feet.

And then I bogeyed No. 11. I hit 9 iron and three putted from 15 feet.

13, I birdied. I hit a 5 iron to six feet.

15, a birdied. I hit a 4 wood on the green and 2 putted.

17, I birdied, I hit 8 iron.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 15, the first one was 20 feet, and then just a tap in?

Q. You said it was a roller coaster round. But 4 iron 7 wood on one? Can you explain that? It's a little off on that one?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't really know what to say. Now that I look at the card, it reminded me how stupid that was. It's just a tough hole. Every time I'm on the tee I ask Terry where I should hit. And we think driver, but it's so tight. Today I thought 4 iron would be a good idea and played it up safely on the green. I thought I would have a 5 iron in and misjudged it. And I took 7 iron. I didn't think 7 iron would be enough. I had a good par chance. I'll give credit to that. I didn't make it. So I walked away thinking that was a poor play.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 5 iron. And 4 iron would leave me short of everything. I can make a good swing and I'm in good shape. I was in good shape, but I was a lot farther away than I planned to be.

Q. (No microphone) did that set the tone early for you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I bounced back, I hit driver on the next hole. I crushed it. I was thinking why didn't I do that on the first hole. I think what really set the tone was my bogey on the 5th hole. I thought I hit a good 4 iron. I had a bad lie there and thought I made a good chip and walked away with a bogey.

The flow wasn't there. Karrie made birdie on that hole. All of a sudden I drop three shots on five holes, and that's definitely not the start I wanted. I tried so hard, I couldn't get anything going. And the 3 putt on 11, I just felt I should pack my bags and go, it wasn't going to be my day. I tried to dig deep on the last few holes and made a few birdies.

Q. What was the turning point today getting things finishing the way you wanted?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The key hole was to birdie 13. At least I would make one birdie today. The previous days I've been averaging 7 and here I played 12 holes and not had a single birdie. So to make the first one was key.

And then I thought the second shot I hit on 15, I was happy with that. That set me up for an eagle putt. I hit a good 8 iron on 17, as well. 13 was the one that really got me going.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I crushed a drive. And Terry told me I had 175 yards left. I said no, it can't be. And yes, he was telling me that at the sprinkler. I hit a great drive and still had a 5 iron. And the pin was tucked way left, and I thought this hole is getting longer and longer, but luckily I had a good shot in there.

Q. How proud are you of this kind of round, a round that you rescue it in the middle of it?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, these type of rounds, they are very important. I could easily have come in with 4 or 5 over if I wouldn't have made that birdie on 13, and still feel like I played pretty good, but nothing happened. At 3 or 4 behind, that would be really tough to catch on this course. To be able to turn it around is a key, as well. It's not always like you said, about the low round, because you're not always going to play great. You have to make the most of it, and that's what happened today.

I'm worn out now because I fought hard all day. It's the end of the day and I'm still there. I have a chance to win tomorrow, and that's really all I care about.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: What kind of mood? That's the kind of mood you want to stay away from. My caddie has learned what to say and let me walk and be grumpy on my own and try to figure out what to do. There's not much he can say at the time. It's probably the less he says the better. It's just a matter of trying to find it and trying to think positive, even though it's very difficult at that time.

I really thought I played pretty good and I was trying to think about when was the last time I was 3 over, and then when you're 3 over and you think about the holes that are left, there's not you don't have positive thoughts because you know every hole in the end is tough, as well. You just fight and fight and hope to get a good break and make some putts and smooth out that score.

Q. Are you surprised to still be leading?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Maybe a little. I haven't really looked at the leaderboard too close. I saw two nines and I'm not sure what fourth is. It seems it was tougher today. Even though I had a hard time, it wasn't easy. Again, the wind was a little different than it was the first two days. There was a lot of cross wind. And the pins I thought were difficult. They were 6 or 5 paces on or all the way back. There was nothing in between. Overall, I think I'm a little surprised. I thought somebody would pass me, especially the way I played.

Q. When you were wondering when the last time was when you were 3 over, what was the answer?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't think I answered myself. I think I was so annoyed that I said I'm not going to be here again. I was looking at one of the stats on The Golf Channel. This is my 29th round under par. I have to get four more birdies in. I only got three, but at least I shot under par.

Q. On the PGA TOUR a lot of guys talk about how it's getting more and more difficult to win. Looking at your record, it doesn't look like it is.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It feels like it.

Q. That was my question.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: How does it feel?

Q. Does it feel like it is more difficult to win even though you obviously still win?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I think it's difficult to win. I mean, I have to play really good every week to be up there and have a chance. The competition is tougher. I don't know if the scores are lower. I don't know, I haven't compared them. But I think the courses are set up more difficult, maybe not distance wise, but pin wise. I know we're getting a few more tucked in the corners, over ridges, on ridges. You name it, it seems like they're tougher.

Q. Do you think that helps you, though? The tougher setups weeds out other players that may not be as talented?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, I love tough courses, I always have. I've never been really in favor of scores of 15 or 20 under par. Like this week, it's just right. I don't mind. I want to be able to take shots where you have to think, and not get away with bad shots. You have to hit good shots to get close. So in that case, I think I like the tougher setup.

Q. Two questions. The one on 11, after your birdie putt, you seemed to have an animated conversation with Terry and kind of flipped your putter up in the air. What was that discussion; do you recall?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You mean after the first putt?

Q. Yes.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Just kind of how I reacted well, the first two days a lot of putts I missed was on the high side. Today the first few holes I was on the low side. I couldn't figure it out really, am I not reading them right or what's happening.

And on that particular putt, I was on the high side and I asked it to break, and it broke too much. It was kind of like, hey, maybe I should be quiet and let the ball roll on it's own. And I kind of told him, and he said yes. He always agrees with me when I'm mad. (Laughter). That's why he's still on the bag.

Q. There were a lot of disasters on 17. I don't know if it's that hole location or what. What do you see when you're standing on the tee there? Do you see a tough shot or do you see an 8 iron to three feet?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Today I see 8 iron to three foot. I was so focused on that hole. And he gave me the yardage. 153, perfect, I'll hit 8. That's a very intimidating hole. The last three are intimidating. It's tough when you're between clubs. I was between clubs on the first day, between 7 and 8. And I believe I was a little bit between clubs yesterday, too. And today I was just right. When you have the right club, you don't see anything else.

But like the first day, I needed a 7 to get there. If I pulled a little bit, I'm in trouble. And what do I do, I pulled it. And you can't breathe for two seconds, and that just makes it a really tough hole.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know. He's a good caddie. It wouldn't surprise me if he said what I wanted to hear.

Q. If the conditions stay the same, what is it going to take to win tomorrow?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I have to shoot under par tomorrow, for sure. I'm playing with Jennifer Rosales, and I've been watching her. I've been right there. It depends how she does. And again, if somebody behind charges. You know, it's not easy. What was the lowest today, 2, 3 under? Yeah, if I shoot that, I will be happy with that.

Q. You mentioned playing with Jennifer Rosales and having Cristie Kerr chasing you. Those are players that seem to have come into their own this year. What are your thoughts on both of their careers?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: They've both gotten really good. Cristie, she's won before. To see her win, she's won three this year. Jennifer, I think she's improved in a lot of ways. I think her first win just kind of got her going and gave her a little confidence. And she's not afraid at all. She's kind of an all or nothing type of player. I look forward to playing with her tomorrow. I haven't played with her in a while, but I like her. She's cool.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think I will have the same conversation with my caddie tomorrow. What are we going to hit. Everything depends on the wind. But again, I haven't had a wind I really like on the first hole. I think it would be stupid. Driver works all these times. You have to stick with what works.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I like lift, clean and place. We don't have to do a club length. Like you said, in Europe, we do score cards. That's just enough. We don't do it to improve our lies, we do it to clean the ball. Today, a few holes, I had mud on the ball and I wish there was something I could do about it. Mud is very unpredictable. Especially today on 12, I had the chance to go for it in two. I was debating if I should or not because I had a ton of mud on the ball. That fairway is always muddy. So for me there, if I could just lift, clean and place right there, that would be fine. I don't know if I answered your question.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I can't see that rule in the rules book.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, we have. The LPGA liked that rule. They thought it was very smart. They like it.

Q. (No microphone.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Put it this way, I would rather have lift, clean and replace than not. It's better than nothing.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297