TYCO/ADT CHAMPIONSHIP

November 15, 2001

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Sure. I'm very pleased about today's round in many ways. First of all, the conditions were I thought very tricky. It's a tricky golf course to start with. When I came out, I thought if I could shoot 1-under par, I'd be happy. Here I am with 4-under, so I feel very good about it. I hit the ball really well today. I don't think I made really a mistake all day. So I'm very pleased.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hit a 5-iron just a little left of the pin. There's a little water hazard there. Then I had to drop way back, then 2-putt.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I don't think so.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I missed it 12 feet.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: After I dropped, you mean?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I was only 12 feet on the left side.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, I know the wind was right to left. It was actually a good shot. To be honest, I was kind of playing short of the pin because the wind was in our face. I had 166. I thought it was at least a club. I really should have hit a 4. Knowing where the water was, coming from the side, I thought, "Maybe I'll play short of the pin." I came up and was surprised to see pretty much being pin-high which was in a way too much club. I'm just glad I didn't hit 4. I would have hit the rock behind the green (laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was more important for me because I was very upset on 17 for many reasons. I felt I played so well all day. You know, "I have to birdie this hole, I don't care." I ripped my driver, 7-iron. Pretty much made it from the fairway. That's how pumped up I was to finish with birdie. I wasn't really paying attention to Karrie at that time. I know she was playing so well. I was more concerned about, you know, how I would feel after 18. You know, finishing with birdie would kind of cool me down a little bit.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, 58.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Seemed like it. I don't really know why. I mean, I know there's some par 5s obviously, birdie opportunities. Those holes you're going to birdie. But, you know, we play very similar games. Maybe just some holes are better for us than others.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was a while ago. I know we played together earlier in the season. I can't really remember. It's been a while.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I do. I mean, I enjoy playing with her because she's a good player. Like I say, we play very similar games. You know she's always going to play well because that's how good she is. Kind of brings the best out of my game. That's what I need. I mean, I can play well without her, but when you play with somebody that really pushes you a little extra.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so, yeah.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That I don't recall. I look forward to it. She's playing some steady golf. I can keep an eye on her tomorrow.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think I'm running on low now (laughter). I mean, I'm motivated to play this week. I'm excited to be here. I'm playing well. But I know that on Sunday driving home, that's going to be it. I'll be tired.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, we haven't really.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, it's been Se Ri, too. Se Ri has played some excellent golf. I know she's not here this week. She's the one that I've been battling the last few weeks. I mean, I enjoy playing with Karrie and having that kind of head to head. But we haven't had it. With the field this week, it really could be anybody because everybody's had a great year. This is the Top 30 best players.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: A little bit. You want to see the best field. I mean, this is the final. This is the biggest chance we have at the end of the year. A lot of things could really change. I mean, scoring average. It would have been nice to see her here. Sometimes other things come in the way. I mean, I know next year Se Ri is going to come out and be strong. I'm sure I'll have a chance to play with her and be head to head with her.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, I like long par 3s where you hit long irons. I like some holes that might be a little tight, like the 1st hole, where you might not hit driver.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I don't hit driver on 1. It's more of a placement. You can hit driver, but it gets pretty risky. It's more of a matter of playing with your head a little bit, which I enjoy, than just teeing it up and hitting it. A lot of the holes out here are that way, you have to plan your shot, hit it where you mean to hit it. There's a lot of trouble out here, a lot of hazards, stuff like that (laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, some good players here. It's a course that's in good shape. I mean, when you have a course where you may get good lies in the fairway, where you have true greens, every time we have true greens, the girls make a lot of putts. That's where you see birdies. That's what we have this week. It's in good shape. That helps, too.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I saw him out there. I saw him on No. 1 and 18. Who knows where he was in between.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, no. I'm glad he was out. I thought that was flattering for him to come out and watch. I know this is his place, but he's such a big businessman, I would think he would have other things to do (laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, a little bit. Especially my irons. I've been hitting my irons a long way.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It should be, unless the wind is in our face.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Very similar.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I played a little better. I'm still working a little on my swing. I worked with my instructor last week. It's coming together. It's very, very close. I mean, I hit a few drives today that were not as perfect as I like it to be. I'm very picky. Obviously, I can score with this. That's why I shot 4-under. I would say my game is playing an 8 out of a 10 right now.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, he does.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah (laughter). Yeah, I like him a lot.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I thought the wind was tough today. I mean, on several holes it was one to two clubs. On 17, I thought it was one club. It should have been. Now looking back at it, I try to analyze why it went that far. I have to think there's a huge rock behind it. It maybe kept the wind away. I thought it was difficult. You know, I hit some good shots, maybe ended up in the middle of the green, where if there was no wind, I might have been closer.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I saw it land. I was hoping that it would stop in the rough. I didn't know how close the line was or really how far I was.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: When I got up there.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I called my family because I didn't know if she had won or not. They didn't know either. I had to ask somebody from IMG because they were running the event. Then I found out and called my parents. We were so far away. She was in Korea. But that's a thousand miles from Japan. I didn't see her until Tuesday of Japan. We just went out for dinner, but nothing other than that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. I called my parents several times. "Did she win?" It was pretty neat.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Birdie No. 3. 7-wood short of the green, chipped it to seven feet. Birdied 5. 6-iron to 12 feet. Birdied 7. 5-iron to 14 feet. 12, pitching wedge to two feet. 15, 4-wood short of the green, chipped it to about a foot. Actually double bogeyed 17. 5-iron, sand wedge, 2-putt. Then birdied 18. 7-iron to about three feet.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 158.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Today it looked like it. Again, it's only Thursday. You know, three more days. Like I said earlier, there's some great players here this week. I mean, I think it would be great to tee up on Sunday against Karrie kind of head to head. There's a lot of players that want to win this week. I think we've got to continue to play like this to be paired together on Sunday.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so, yeah. I mean, this year she finished second at Nabisco where I won, but she was ahead of me. Wasn't really head to head. You're probably right. Must have been Dayton last year.