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ADT CHAMPIONSHIP

November 22, 2003

Annika Sorenstam

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

PAUL ROVNAK: Annika, thanks for joining us. You've gotten better every day. 74, 70, 67. And you're in a very familiar spot. So go ahead and give us some opening comments and we'll take some questions.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes. You're right, the scores are going in the right direction. I'm very happy the way I played today. I thought it was very steady. I hit a lot of greens. I had a few chances, it was steady today, I thought. The winds picked up a little more than I expected and then it seemed like it died and then when I came to 16 again it picked up. So again I thought it was a tricky day.

PAUL ROVNAK: Questions?

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I got two today, so I think that's fine over there.

Q. A lot of people had a big number out there today. Is that one of the keys to this course is staying away from that kind of number?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, that's the key. I think you got to play smart here. Play for the big areas, the wind really plays a big role here. It seems like we had cross wind on every hole, really. I was just trying to play smart. Sometimes I laid up where in the past I might have tried to go for it. But it's just not worth it. The rough is much thicker and I think the greens are at times a little faster. So I was just trying to play smart.

Q. How tough has this week been, you came in jetlagged and you got the pink eye and you've obviously had to overcome some things this week. Talk about that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, it's just a long week, that's for sure. Just trying to stay patient with everything. It's the end of the year, November, I'm always tired this time of year. But then especially this year with so much going on early on, and then throughout the summer, I'm just hanging on for my life, really, just trying to do the best I can. Trying to not waste too much energy in the evenings. I'm really taking it easy trying to sleep. Next week is a really big week. So I want to make sure that I'm a hundred percent for that, for sure.

Q. Why do you feel like you've done so much better today than you have in the previous days?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well I think I hit a few better shots. Especially I drove the ball a little better. I was finding the short grass, which obviously makes it easier to hit a few more greens. I think I also got use to the wind. You know how much the wind is going to affect the shots. And speed of the greens, I'm finding that a little bit. And most of all I'm staying out of the thick rough. And it's tough when you're in that tough stuff.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's tough to say. I did read my own putts today. That's just what I'm used to. And sometimes it's not just what you see, I mean you stand over the ball and then you have a feeling as well. That, combined with a line, that's how you make putts. When you stand over there and you don't really know for sure, you just trust somebody else, it's a good drill, but I don't know if it's the right thing to do at a Tour Championship. But I really haven't had much choice. So I'm thankful that Terry can read greens, but I'm glad on the other hand that I'm back to normal and can do it on my own.

Q. When you're leading going into the final round versus chasing, how does it affect your approach the way you go out and play?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, first of all we'll see what position I'm in for tomorrow. I think the key tomorrow is to play like I did today. Trying to go for the big areas, play smart when I need to, there's some birdies out there, but then there's also some bogeys if you don't pay attention. So I'm going to pay a lot of attention tomorrow, just be very as smart as I can. Obviously give it all and see what happens.

Q. You're right now up 3 shots. How confident are you when you get off to that kind of an advantage on a course like this with 18 holes to play?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well I've been in this situation a few times. I feel very confident. I'm playing well. I know this course, and I've won here before. So, but having said that, again, I am taking nothing for granted. I'm going to play my own game tomorrow and see what happens. I was swinging a little better today and hopefully I can do that tomorrow. I've been working on a few things and it takes awhile to feel comfortable over the ball. Especially when it's so windy and trying to trust a new swing thought.

Q. Judy was talking about your course management, and playing smart like you had talked about. Is that maybe the biggest change this year as a golfer and not just maybe the physical part of it, but the mental part of it, knowing when to go for shots and when not to?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I like to say that that's always been my strength. I've always played like that. But I do think that I have learned a few things the last few years. Experience means a lot. And you only get that by being in this situation. But course management has always been something that I enjoyed and always I'm trying to figure out how to play a course. And I don't think I'm doing anything differently today than the last few years.

PAUL ROVNAK: Let's go over your card.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I birdied No. 1. I hit 8-iron to four feet.

Birdied number 6, sand wedge to five feet.

Bogeyed 7, chipped and 2-putted.

8 birdie, 9-iron to five feet.

12, I was in the bunker, hit it to 6 feet and made the putt.

14, birdie, sand wedge to about 6 inches and then.

And then 15 I hit 7-wood on the green. Two putts.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, a hundred percent.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That's a good question. I think I'm just going to take a mental rest there.

Q. What was the best shot of the day?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The bunker shot on 12, for sure. That could be -- those shots are always tough. I had probably 45 yards to the pin. Those type of bunker shots are never fun. I just hit it to six feet. The caddy said, "Wow, that's quite a shot, you didn't have that when you played with me." I told him, "Don't ask me to hit it again, but I'll take it."

Q. One minute you're down like two shots the next minute you're up, because there was so many people making high numbers. Do you pay attention out there to what's happening with the score board, where you stand?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I normally do. Not today because, like you said, I noticed in our group how much it was changing. I figured if I just know where I'm at and pay attention to my game. I looked at the score board on 11 there's one to see there, it's hard to miss. I looked at that one. And maybe a few others. But then it changes so much and it's just enough just to worry about your own shots and trying to figure out where the wind is, etcetera, that I didn't pay too much attention to it today.

Q. Did you ever go, "Oh, wow, I'm leading now." Were you surprised?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I was surprised because I saw that Laura at one point -- well I heard her chip in. She went pretty low today. And then I looked and I saw her at 1-under. So that kind of surprised me.

PAUL ROVNAK: We all set? All right. Thank you.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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