U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 5, 2003

Annika Sorenstam

Q. Sing a couple songs for us, please.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Which one would you like to hear?

Q. I'm closer to the lead than when I started the day?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, that's a good song.

(Laughter.)

Q. You said yesterday even if you were something like six behind going into the last round on this course it would not be insurmountable. Talk about where you are now and where you expected to be by the end of the day?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That's what I said yesterday and I still believe. So obviously I'm very happy with the way I played today and I think I'm in good shape for tomorrow. Who knows what all the players do, you know on the back nine, but I'm very pleased where I'm at. I played some great golf today and I putted really well. So with that going in for tomorrow, I think I'm in great shape.

Q. When did you leave left hand low and go back to conventional?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Last week.

Q. Why didn't you tell us? Why the switch?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I have more feel with the right hand low. But sometimes I get nervous on short ones and therefore I do left hand low to be more mechanical on short ones. But once I got some breaking putts I found it very tough with left hand low. And last week and this week I knew it was going to be big breaking putts and I needed some feel. So actually I didn't practice putting at all at home on Bermuda greens. A little tip I got from Dave Stockton he told me if you're playing bent, don't practice on Bermuda. So it's the first week where I didn't practice putting and last week and this week I am putting as good and I've ever done. So who knows what really the key to practice is. But I've got great feel this week and I'm rolling it exactly where I want to. So just enjoying it while it's here.

Q. Were you a little bit skeptical of that tip, being home all week and not putting?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. Because I talk to him quite a bit about putting especially. And I've been a little frustrated with my putting and the last thing is maybe I'm practicing too much and he said what are you practicing on? And I said Bermudan. He says, well, especially in the summer in Florida they can't mow the greens down so it's always very slow and therefore when I come out I'm hitting the ball -- and when I come out on bent grass, suddenly if I hit it then I'm too long. So now I start to decelerate and that's what's happening. But now I feel like I can accelerate and therefore I'm making a truer stroke.

Q. So scores are pretty high today. Did it change at all because it's the third round of the U. S. Open or what?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, it's the third round and I think that plays a factor, it is the U.S. Open. But I had great tee time today. Playing a little under the radar, a little earlier, no sun, the greens are a little more receptive to shots. Didn't feel like it was as bouncy today. So I just felt like it was a good day for me to go low. And that's exactly what happened.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, we'll see what position I'm in tomorrow. But this course is so tough that I think I've just got to play my own game. And at the U.S. Open it's very seldom you see somebody go really low. So if I'm right there I'm just going to be patient all day. I think that's the key here. Anything can happen on these holes. But being on the right side of the greens and rolling some putts in, you're in great shape.

Q. Talk about the par putt on 17. You seemed to be fairly excited about it?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I don't know if you saw the first putt, it was a huge break and I don't think I could have gotten much closer. And that was a key putt to make par. Get the momentum into 18. But then also to make par from the rough after my tee shot. So it was a key putt.

Q. You got a good round going though, do you want to -- is it also a state of mind of don't do anything dumb at this point?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Definitely. Starting today I'm behind and I'm trying to climb higher and higher. Birdies means a lot. But once you start making a bogey you fall back so far. So it's -- I didn't want to lose any shots and just wanted to keep on climbing.

Q. Did you look at any boards as you went your way around?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: A little bit. I always look because I want to see what's going on in the tournament. And then I saw the leaderboard on 16 and I saw they all had kind of fallen back to three and obviously I felt pumped with that putt I made. Because knowing I was just one behind at that point. I think now I got 18, par, maybe I can birdie that one, so. Obviously I'm very happy. I think that I played pretty good all week. But today really everything clicked more. My short game, I was driving a little straighter, hitting more greens.

Q. Do you mind going through your card real quick, with your birdies.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I birdied the 4th hole. I hit 4 wood just over the green, chipped it to three feet.

Birdie number 5. 7-iron to three feet.

Number 8, 8-iron to 15 feet.

14, 8-iron to three feet.

Q. 6?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 6 for fun? 7-iron, 2-putt.

Q. Elaborate on that 2-putt.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That was a great -- felt like birdie. Par is birdie there for sure.

Q. You said yesterday you lacked some rhythm in your swing. Did you find that today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so. I hit some balls last night and I was just really quick again. That seems to be my tendency. I was trying to hit it slow and then this morning I think I got a sore throat and I don't really feel great and I think I don't have as much power and I swing better and I think that's what they say, look out for the sick golfer. And that's me.

Q. With younger and younger players coming out here, are there issues between veteran players who make their living on the Tour and young players who maybe aren't as familiar with etiquette and just the way things are don't?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know. I don't understand what you mean by issues.

Q. Issues, problems. Talking about Michelle Wie's dad?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think that was the first time it's ever happened, so I'm not aware of anything. And I don't really know what happened yesterday from anybody's part. So I said it before, I think it's great to have a lot of young players out here. That's how you learn. But then again there's rules out here you got to follow and etiquette for anybody.

Q. Her father said after her round today that when you played with her if they had done anything wrong, you would have pointed it out to them. Is that fairly accurate and did they?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know. I mean when I play I try to mind my own business. I'm there to focus on my game, I don't necessarily look at what all the other players that are in my group how they do, how their caddies behave. It's enough to play, try and play good golf at a Major. So if they really bother me I would say something. But then again I just mind my own business and not make a big deal out of it.

Q. Is your husband still fighting strep?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: He has a little bit of a sore throat and I think he gave it to me. So I'll have a word with him later.

(Laughter.) You only get one shot at this a year. How satisfying is it just to give yourself a shot going into Sunday, there's a lot of work just to get to that point. Yeah, it's true, it is a lot of work. And I would like to say there are four tournaments a year that I would like to be able to take and try to time my game to those weeks. And here it's this week and it's just I felt like I was playing well coming into here. It's a really tough golf course and therefore to have a low round today knowing I have a chance tomorrow, it is really satisfying and anything can happen tomorrow, but there's nothing better than the feeling on Sunday when you have a chance to win. Especially a championship like this with the adrenaline pumping and just knowing you got to hit the right shots at the right time. That's what I live for. That's why I'm here. I love that.

Q. If Lunke and Stanford stay up around the top or maybe one of them gets into the final group I wonder if you can relate to what they might go through from your first time in contention in '95.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think they definitely, I mean it's -- when I won in '95 it was kind of a fluke. First of all I didn't really look at the leaderboard a lot. I had never won a tournament at that time, so I just happened to play very steady and at that time the veterans kind of lost ground and I just was just steady all along and suddenly I won. I came out of the blue a little bit. So, yeah, they're going to be in that situation but to win you got to be there. And that's the only chance to win.

Q. Does that almost give you the advantage, having been there before with their first try?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, and no. I mean, obviously I'm in a position where I want to be. And I know how to react under these conditions. When you either the last group or you're just in contention to win a tournament, but then again, you know what it's like to win an Open and sometimes you put a lot of pressure on yourself, so, but I'm happy where I'm at. I would like to be in my shoes tomorrow and play my golf.

Q. How will you prepare for the final round tomorrow? Will you practice anything today after this?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think I'm going to go home and just relax. Hopefully my sore throat will go away and I'll take a nap and when I get this early tee time I got all afternoon. So I figure that will be something to do.

Q. When did you first start getting sick?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: This morning. But I think I'll be fine. Just take some vitamin C and stuff like that. I'll do it tomorrow.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I just started feeling it this morning. It it's a long week and I just think the body is fairly sensitive.

Q. Maybe it helps your game, maybe you'll get more sick tomorrow.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know, I need some energy, it's going to be a long day tomorrow.

Q. A shot of whiskey will take care of it.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You talking from experience?

Q. Rumor has it.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Rumor has it.

End of FastScripts....