U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 3, 2003

Annika Sorenstam

Q. What was it like out there today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Tough. Very very tough. The wind was -- there wasn't a lot of wind, it was changing constantly. So actually I'm tired. I was thinking on every shot. It was really tough, I thought.

Q. Did you ever get a feel for the speed of the greens today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I thought so. Maybe if you saw on 18 you might not think. But I thought I putted really well today.

Q. Was it playing harder than in the practice rounds?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well I thought in the practice round it was difficult. But then again today I thought the greens were a little firmer. Obviously I don't think they're watering it very much. So they're bouncy. And that make it's more difficult. Today I hit a few more 7 woods off the tee because I thought it was more bouncy. And I didn't want to put the bunkers in play. So it was a little bit of different strategy.

Q. You had three birdies in a row there for awhile, you kind of got on a roll midway through the round. Did that help you or what happened after that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, of course it helped me.

Q. Momentum-wise, I'm sorry.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. Definitely. It's just, when you make birdie here it's important. Because you know you're going to make bogeys. And especially on those holes where I made them on 13 I hit my tee shot in the woods and then I hit it to about six feet, so that was a great comeback. But I felt I played well today. It was tough, really.

Q. Were you going for the top shelf on 8?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I wasn't. Not at all. Really I was trying to carry 145, which was just the beginning of the up slope. And I hit a great shot. I carried it over the green. So my caddy and I we're still confused even now three hours later.

Q. It looks like one or 2-under is going to be around the lead. Does that change your expectations what it's going to take to win this thing?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, not really. I thought early in the week when somebody said they shot 10-under here last year and I said I'd love 10-under. I think it's -- if you shoot under par in general this week that's going to be a fantastic score. I'm just going to try to go out tomorrow, continue to play the way I'm doing, be smart. The greens are going to firm up, the fairways are going to be firmer. So it's the longer we play the tougher it will get.

Q. You had people that were up around two or three and then they would fall off.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah.

Q. What does that tell you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well there's some tough holes out there, some tough pin placements. To make birdies here you've got to putt well, obviously. It's tough to hit the ball close to the pins. So I figure people are rolling in some putts and once if you don't hit it close, it's -- then you're happy with par.

Q. Is it surprising at all that you've got three teenagers on the board?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I haven't looked at the board too much. But that's nice to see.

Q. Is that the one thing you think that's going to keep scores at around par, the fact that you just can't it get very close?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes. I don't know if you saw on 18. I only had what? 30 yards to the flag. I'm in the rough. And if you land it just on the first cut, you can't stop the ball. Suddenly here I am with 30 feet. And that was probably as close as I can hit it. And that's just the way it is here. Even if you hit it in the fairway it's tough to get close. So I think the more you play, you've got to know the little ridges and maybe you can play with them a little bit to get close. But other than that, play in front of the greens and let the ball bounce and see what happens.

Q. What happened on 13?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 13? I hit a 6-iron, I had to hit under little trees and then a little fade and I was hoping it would land between the bunker and the rough on the left side and just kind of did what I thought there. So obviously that was a bonus.

Q. What did you have left there?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't really know. I hit 6-iron. I was just more concerned getting under the tree. I think I had 145 to the front. And something like that.

Q. Could it have worked out better for you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Not really, to leave with birdie there. If I would have made par I would have been happy.

Q. The guy with the camera on the tee shot?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: On first hole? Yeah. But I don't think he was around any more.

Q. On 2 did hitting the stick make your ball go further away than you think it otherwise would have?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's tough to say. But it looked like it. I think it bounced twice and then hit the flag. But it's tough to tell.

Q. Satisfied? Happy?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I'm disappointed I made bogey on the last. So I thought I played so solid all day and when I made the bogey I did a nice comeback with a birdie and I was 1-under for awhile and then it's never fun to finish with a bogey on a par-5, for sure.

Q. How many drivers did you hit today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Five.

Q. I think you always have big galleries wherever you go. But you have a lot of people on the move today. Does that fuel you, does that give you more energy?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Definitely. It's fun to have people come out and watch. The more the better. That's what it's all about. That's what we see at these type of tournaments and that's what makes it so special.

Q. Would you say this was fun today or are you just worn out?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm tired but it was fun. I love these type of championships, but you've got to focus from start to finish. There is not a single hole out there where you can feel like you can breathe or relax. It's constantly trying to figure out if it's not on the greens, it is your tee shot, I don't really think that this course favors long hitters. Because I'm hitting more 7-woods and 4-woods off the tee. So you've got to play smart off the tee, but then when you are playing conservative you've got a longer iron in and then you got these greens. So I was constantly thinking and it wears me out.

Q. Have you thought more about hitting more drivers, even though you're obviously trying to keep the bunkers out of play, but as accurate as you are, have you ever thought about that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well it's not really like I can do that because then it seems like if I play left of the bunker then the rough comes in later and it gets narrow. And I wish I could hit over the bunkers, but I can't carry it that far. So it's not, like I said, there's some holes even if you hit it straight, the fairways turns in and gets narrow.

Q. Like on 3?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: So -- exactly. If you work it exactly with a fade after 250 and it fades three yards, then, yeah. But I got to work on that. I got to work on that one.

Q. In sum, does this feel like a U.S. Open, is it that familiar feel of grinding it around?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, this is one of the toughest U.S. Opens I've ever been to.

Q. So many teenagers in the field. Can you talk about, is that good for golf?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so. They are the future. It's fun to see the future being so great. And if they're on the leaderboard already, that's great for women's golf. So I hope they all have a good time. This is a great event. Enjoy it.

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