WENDY'S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR CHILDREN

August 12, 2001

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. Let's start on the front side. Birdied No. 5. 7-iron to three feet. Birdied No. 6. 7-wood, 2-putt.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 25 feet. Birdied No. 7. 8-iron to 20 feet. Birdied No. 11. 7-iron, three feet. Bogeyed 13. Sand wedge, 3-putt. Birdied No. 14. 9-iron to about a foot. 16, also birdie. Chip, sand wedge, four feet. Birdie on 17. 8-iron to six feet.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you. Yeah, I'm extremely happy the way I've hit the ball this week, especially my iron play, it's back to where I want it to be. I had a lot of great shots that just stayed on line, several tap-ins for birdies. Hit a lot of greens. It was a great week. I mean, I'm as pleased as I can be with my game.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, it's coming together. I'm excited about that. Really don't know what made it turn around. I think a lot of practice. I worked with my instructor two weeks ago. But it just takes some time to get the swing in groove. Great week for it to come together. I mean, this is a course for iron shots. I was able to aim at the pins. The way the greens were set up, I could fire at the pins, it would be right there.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Very much so, yeah. Even though I didn't win, I mean, I would have taken 18 under par. If you told me that Thursday, I would have taken it right away (laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's very tough to say. I mean, I think, you know, on the Front 9, when I looked, I was only two shots behind. I can't recall what hole that was. You know, starting with five shots behind, I'm now just two. I think that's climbing pretty close. Then I looked again, I saw she birdied I think 9, and then again later. It seems like she got her game going again. When you're trailing by five, that person shoots 4-under, in the 60s, it's just very hard to catch somebody. I'm very pleased with my round. I tried starting from the first hole to birdie every hole. I personally think I was around the hole also in the beginning, until that shot dropping on the fifth hole. I mean, Wendy played excellent. 20 under par, 21 under par, according to Neal, that's a three-day record. I mean, it's fantastic golf.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. No. 1, I believe I had like a 10-, 11-footer. No. 2, nine feet. Definitely makable birdie putts. I think I hit two good putts there. Didn't go in. My only mistake was on 13. I mean, you're going to make a mistake or two. If you only make one, that's fine. It turned out to be a putt. Other than that, I made a lot of putts throughout the week. It's something I'd just like to forget. I don't think it would have changed anything.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: This week, I mean, it's just Wendy (laughter). I mean, I think I played as good as I can. Sometimes you have a player like that that is really, really hot. She is unstoppable this week. Last year I remember I was right up there. I remember I had 21 putts on the Back 9. That held me back from winning then. This has been a great tournament for me. It's been a great event overall. I finished in the top six three times. It's probably the best tournament I can think of that we have on tour. Top 10 every year. It's a great place (laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'd like to see it 72 whether it's behind the British or not. For me it really doesn't make a difference. I like four-day tournaments. I've said that all along. I still think it's the best true test of who's the best player out here. I'm not saying Wendy would not have won. She would have a great lead going into the last round again. It's a true test, four days.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, earlier in the year, everything went my way. I mean, I hit every fairway, I hit every green. If I did miss, I made up and down. It was really easy, it felt like. Everything went my way totally. Then in May, June, started to make a few more mistakes, didn't hit as many greens, didn't make as many ups and downs. Especially at the US Open, I didn't make any ups and downs. Then I started to make ups and downs, but then I starting missing greens. The last two months, I've not hit the ball as well as I'd like to. Missed a lot of greens, missed a lot of fairways, which is normally my strength. Have been kind of struggling a little bit, really haven't found the rhythm. When you stand on the tee, you see a lot of trouble, when you normally see a big fairway. It makes a big difference. I think mentally that's kind of been tough on me because I'm used to hitting fairways and used to hitting greens. But it's changed this week. I'm back to where I see a pin, I just fire straight at it. It's a lot of fun. I had a great time this week. My game is back. There's no better feeling when you hit a pure shot.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Both. Actually, both. There are a lot of tees behind us. There's several holes where we walk past tee boxes to get to our tee. I know you can definitely a lot of holes, especially some of the par 5s, some of the par 4s also. I wouldn't mind to see some more rough. Other than that, I mean, I think it's a great layout. I mean, I love the course. It's just this year for some reason, it's rolling a lot on the fairways. I'm hitting sand wedge and pitching wedge a lot.