WORLD GOLF HALL-OF-FAME INDUCTION

October 20, 2003

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's been great so far. I arrived at 10:20 and went straight to the 20/20 Conference and had a great lunch at the clubhouse and was listening to some of the stories from the Hall of Famers and it was fun. It was more interacting getting to know the people and saying hi, the ones that I know and so forth. And I'm here. So it's been calm so far, but I know it's going to be -- I'm obviously very excited to be here. It's an honor really and it's a dream come true and here I am. I'm looking forward to tonight and having a good time this week, today. I want to enjoy this day. It's going to last for a while.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Actually the LPGA introduction will on November 24 and there's going to be a pig party in Orlando. So there will be plenty of celebrating, but I'll do it later in the season because I still have a few tournaments left.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you very much. Yeah, it was -- well, I was second on the Money List and Karrie Webb had such an excellent year and I felt like I wanted to be No. 1, and to do that, I have to step up my practice, not just golf, but the physical part which I thought was a lot of room for improvement. So I decided to work with a trainer and spent a lot of time in the gym just trying to get stronger condition-wise. I figured I could get stronger and add a few yards, not to the driver, but the irons and get consistent with my swing. Now it's pretty much been four years and I've seen some incredible results off the golf course as well as on the golf course, and obviously I'm very happy with that. And I do feel today that I'm playing as good as ever. Hopefully I haven't reached my peak yet, but I'm seeing the results from the hard work and it's obviously a lot of fun and that's very, very important.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, obviously I never thought I would be sitting here. I never thought I would get a chance to come here other than to watch somebody else get inducted. But, you know, growing up I obviously loved to play. I was in all kind of sports. I've always -- in school I would answer questions if I knew the answer. Same thing on the golf course. In the beginning as a kid I just didn't want to make a big deal out of myself. I just enjoyed playing and I sometimes I would 3-putt on purpose so I didn't have to sit here and hold the trophy and give the winning speech. But every time I drove home with my parents, I was very upset with myself because winning was what I loved to do. I think one time I accidently won because somebody else accidently 3-putted, and so I had to give a speech and after that, that was addicting. It's gotten better with getting older and playing more. It was a big step obviously and qualifying for the LPGA, one of the biggest things I've done in my career and I never knew then, is my game enough to win one tournament. I had no idea, and now I'm here to years later, 47 wins later. Obviously I'm very proud of what I've achieved. I'm very proud and hopefully, I haven't reached my peak yet and I will win some more tournaments and all of my goals will be fulfilled.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, first of all, it's flattering in many ways, first of all to come watch me play. And the reaction I got especially out of my performance at Colonial, people's opinions, and suddenly I felt embraced by everyone and all of the support I got. I really noticed a big difference this year and I think from the Colonial, people recognizing what I've done on the LPGA and also around the world. So it's very flattering and in a way it makes you want to work harder, and I don't want to let anybody down. I want to continue to perform and take my game to a different level.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I love to be a role model. It's only for one little girl or one little boy. I did kind of -- I hope that when people see me play that they really see that I enjoy what I do and that the game of golf has given me so much. I love for other people to pick up the game, whether you're a little kid or you're older. It's a great game and I love for people to watch me and say, hey, maybe that's something they want to do. Then again, I just try to be me and do what I do.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know. We have to find out. Right now, I like to say that because of the first foreign player that came to the tour had some success -- I mean, I can relate to the way I feel, Liselotte Neumann won the U.S. Open in 1988. She comes from a little town just like I do and when I saw her win the U.S. Open, for me it was like, "I would love to do that." I hope that I can be there one day, and I'm sure that that's the same thing that's happening in Korea, little girls or little boys will see Se Ri Pak winning tournaments hoping, "well, I'd like to do that one day." So I think in the past, the LPGA has been a lot of American players, and therefore, maybe more in this country. Now it's opening up to around the world. And I'd like to say the LPGA is a world tour. It's not just because we have international members but we also play, we play in France, we play in England, we play Japan, Korea, you name it. Now we are everywhere. That's why I think you see so many international players. And I think it's great for the game because it's growing, everywhere. More people are having fun, enjoying the game and more people get to see the good players. When you see a lot of international players that will spark the Americans wanting to take over the spot from being No. 1, No. 2, etc.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: When? Two weeks before the Colonial.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I notice in Japan, definitely, I mean, the big talk then was you're going to play with the men in two weeks. That was the big deal. I'm heading over to Asia in ten days. But I have noticed a big difference, especially in my home country Sweden. I notice a big difference. More people know about my success on the golf course and know about the awards that I have received, etc. So especially the Swedish tournaments we've had. The Solheim Cup, for example, that was fantastic and especially in the last year or two I would say.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. (Laughter.) It's been an incredible year in so many ways. If you measure a year in the amount of victories, yeah, last year was more -- you could say I won more tournaments but that's not the only thing that counts because I love to win. But the experiences I had this year, and obviously Colonial, that is the greatest thing that will ever happen to me golf-wise. Winning two majors that I had not won before, like you said, giving me the career Grand Slam, Solheim Cup in my home country, in Europe, to win, and then here. I don't know why all of the pieces are falling together; maybe I shouldn't ask why. I just want to enjoy it and be thankful because I really am. But it's definitely the most memorable year that I've had.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I thought what was intense before I got to Colonial just because, I mean, the preparation. I had a chance to play with Tiger -- no, I didn't beat him. I didn't want to hurt his ego. (Laughter.) But just it was a buildup, it was preparation, everything that comes along with it. I mean, the practice round that I had with Sergio, with Jesper, all of the things that I got, which was kind of what the whole thing was about. It wasn't just me competing against them and see how good I am. It was more, I wanted to learn from them, as well. The pressure that I was under, I figured if I can handle that, I should be able to handle everything. I mean, that's the way the week was. It wasn't just being there and walking, for instance, Sergio or whoever it was that I played with. It was the whole atmosphere, dealing with the people in the media.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Monday I felt it, Tuesday, obviously -- Friday was spectacular. I'm coming down 18 on Friday and I mean, I was -- everybody knew I was going to miss the cut. But they were still pulling for me. There was "hole the shot"; "make the putt." They were trying -- okay, I was trying, too, but everyone was living with me trying everything. I came off the 18th and they were clapping. I made a long par putt and it felt like I had won the U.S. Open when I reached that green.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I haven't really set a time or anything. I'm going to play as long as I enjoy it. As long as I'm motivated to practice and the adrenaline is pumping and I'm excited to go out there. I will do it if there's more goals I have to achieve. But I have also said that I have other interests, and golf is not the only thing that I enjoy. But it doesn't mean that I'm going to walk away from golf totally. This is just the highlight of my career and next year -- I hope to always in the top every year. This year I felt, do I have to win 14 tournaments this year to make it a better year? And in the end, you run out of tournaments. That pressure, I feel it's very tough. A lot of that comes from myself. I'm very hard on myself.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, Canada -- after Colonial, the buildup, it took so much more out of me than I expected. I caught a at the U.S. Open and with all of the excitement and the thrill of the last few days, the chance to win the Open, it just wore me down. And Canada, I had nothing left. I had never felt anything like this before I think I was hitting my 4-wood off the tee 180 yards. I had no strength. I had nothing. It was just a really weird feeling. First time I was in a tournament like that because I had nothing left and knowing it was a long year to come.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I personally don't think we have -- that's not a big issue on our tour. I am for technology. I'm for taking the game to a different level. This is 2003. I think the game is bigger than ever, more popular than ever. And all of you people are a part of it, all of the little cell phones, you name it. Okay, why can't we do great things for the game. Maybe one day we could separate amateurs with the pros. But right now, I don't think especially on the ladies tour that's a big issue. People love to hit the ball a long way. I don't think the amateur in golf has really lowered their handicap but they might hit it further which is fun. This game is supposed to be fun. I'm all for technology. Technology has helped me. I mean, today I average 272, and if you would have told me that five years ago, I probably would have laughed at you and said you're crazy. But, you know, with the hard work in the gym, technology, I love the game.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think fitness is a bigger role. Technology has helped me . It's both, a combination.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I'm excited about my speech. No, I'm not going to mention everybody. I have a lot of friends, a lot of people that helped me along the way. I would not have time to mention them at all, but I'm mentioning a few people that's kind of the key people.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Probably won't have time for that either. I will tell you, as I sit here, I'm not alone. To be part of the World Golf Hall of Fame, I might be hitting the shots, you might be making the cut but there's a big team behind me that are supporting me, emotionally, you name it. These people I think are aware of it and I'm going to say some of them tonight, and I'm going to save a few for November 24th and hopefully by then I've covered everyone.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I try not to think about it but you bring it up. (Laughter.) I'm going to read my notes. I'm not afraid to read them. I'd like it to be a birdie but hopefully it won't be a bogey but we'll see.