ARCH WIRELESS CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 2000

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I bogeyed the 9th hole. Hit an 8-iron short of the green. Birdied No. 10, 9 iron, three feet, birdied No. 11, 9 iron, 18 feet. Birdied No. 12, 7-iron to about 18 feet. Birdied 16, sand wedge to 10 feet. Birdied 18 with an 8-iron to 20 feet.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Just some putts going in. I think, again, I hit the ball really well. I'm very pleased the way I'm driving it, the way I'm hitting my iron shots. When I came to the 9th hole, I was in the left hand rough. I thought I hit a good shot, but got stuck in an uphill slope. Tried to get a ruling for a plugged lie. Had no success. It was difficult. I told my caddie, "When is this going to turn around? I think I'm playing some good golf." He said, "Don't worry." I came to 10th tee, things just turned around for whatever reason. I think the biggest reason today was I was more patient. I was staying focused. Yesterday, I ran out of patience, got really upset at myself. Today I said, "I'm not going to do it again." I just kept grinding. It helped today.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think they're tricky. I mean, I wasn't raised on Bermuda grass. Always tricky for me with the grain. Luckily I have a caddie that's from here. He knows where the green is. I ask him on every hole, "Where is the green? Where is the green?" There's a lot to these greens. If you look at them from far away, they might look flat. I think up close they're quite undulated. It's taken me a few days. Maybe not just the breaks, but even the speed. Up the green they're slow, down the green they're so fast.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I really feel like I've been in control. I think the first day and today, I really played good. Yesterday I played good, but mentally I kind of threw it away. You've got to learn from that. Luckily, it was Friday yesterday when I did it and not Sunday. My goal tomorrow is just to have the same attitude as I did today. Of course, it's easy when you roll putts in. Like I didn't roll any in on the front, but I kept going. I think that paid off. That's what I'm going to do tomorrow. I mean, I think I missed six or seven greens total, and I've hit a lot of fairways. I mean, I feel like I'm really in control of what I'm doing. I need some good breaks, and I had that today.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I went straight to the putting green and tried to figure out what was wrong. But I really don't think it was anything mechanically. I think it was more mentally up in the head.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I was thinking about it this morning.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Not now. Luckily. I needed a day like this to forget about it. I went home, called Dave Stockton who helped me with my putting. I had a putter in one hand, a cell phone in the other, and said, "Help me." He said, "What's going on? I said, "I shot 1 -under, I'm at 5-under." He said, "What's leading?" I said, "Five." He said, "Good." I said, "Yeah, okay." So I kind of changed my mind and my attitude a little bit. Then we talked a little bit about, you know, my stroke. I just have a lot of respect for that man. Just talking to him got me fired up. Stood there putting with one hand. I said, "I got it." I hung up. He said, "Call me tomorrow and let me know how you did." Can't wait to call him.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It started I think last year after the US Open. I did an outing with some of the seniors. I mean, I putted so bad at the US Open, it was -- I mean, I felt so down. I came to this outing, there was probably like 20 seniors. They all said, "I can help you." I said, "That's okay. I need one, one person to help me." The next day they all agreed Dave Stockton was going to help me. He's the only one that showed up on the putting green with me. I just talked a little bit to him. I've probably seen him six times since then. We communicate really well. I like the things that he says.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: What?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, they all have their different ideas.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know. I mean, I'm not afraid of going out the last day being in the lead or chasing somebody. I mean, that's what I look forward to. I mean, there are times when I don't succeed, but there are also times when I have succeeded. That's what I remember and that's what I strive to do. I mean, I have nothing to lose tomorrow. It's been a great year. You know, the way I played these last three days, I mean, I want to go out again. I mean, I'm hitting the ball so well. It's a lot of fun. I'm going to give it all tomorrow. I mean, I feel like I've got a good handle. You know, there's the Top 30 here. I mean, anything can happen. I mean, I have to play some good golf. I also feel like I've got it in me. It would be nice to finish up the year with a victory here, you know, move on for next year. But if I just play well tomorrow, that's all that matters. The momentum is there. I know it will continue in 2001.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think it's been very different, just the way I played this year. It's been so much more consistent golf from the first round to, you know, today. Last year was very much like a roller coaster. One day I would shoot 68, the next day I would have 74. There was no rhythm to it and no consistency whatsoever. It was my swing that kind of hurt me last year. Some weeks it was my putting. This year I've been swinging it really well. The way I played this year is the way I used to play, a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. I mean, I improved a lot with my short game. Therefore, I'm very pleased. I mean, I have still a few things to work on. I'm not going to settle for this year. I mean, I still have a long ways to go where I want to reach my goals. I mean, even though I win here tomorrow, I still won't be able to look at Karrie. But mentally I think I'm closer, which will help me for next year.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Next year we start over (laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Oh, yeah. I have a lot of confidence in my game. I mean, I know that the things I'm working on is getting better. If I just put that all together, I can do it. I mean, I've beaten Karrie several times this year. She has had a superb year. She's done good in the majors. US Open she won 500,000. If she didn't win that tournament, I'd be right there. That's what I've got to do, I've got to win majors. I think I have the game for it - I know I have, because I've done it before. I've just got to do it when I need to. It's been a few years. I think I've got to prove it to myself.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, it's a huge difference. It's still a big gap. Like I said, whoever wins the US Open is going to be Top 5, if they just play one event. I mean, that's how big the purse is, which is great. You just hope that the other tournaments would climb with the US Open. On the other hand, I mean, that's the biggest championship we have. It's nice to see that it really has that status and that the purse is that high. I think the Money List doesn't maybe show the consistency of the players as much as it used to when you have a tournament like that. Therefore, I think the scoring averaging player of the year shows a little bit more.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, it was a good check for me (laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I practice every day.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think it's maybe her game that she's taken to another level that makes me want to go practice. I know I can do it. I'm quite tough on myself. But I've won six times one year, plus the Skins Game, that's seven times. I mean, I know I can play. That's what makes me go out and practice.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was. I mean, it's only Saturday. I mean, a lot can happen. If you look at the leaderboard, I mean, there's a play (inaudible) every shot. It's so close. I won't know tomorrow till the last few holes. Therefore, it just makes you still focus on what you have to do on every shot. Especially on this golf course, there's a lot that can happen. Laura Davies was 7-under, next time I looked, I didn't see her. If you don't pay attention, it can slip away.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: He's on his way. He was playing a tournament.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Amateur.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: This year. Took him two years, but it was worth it (laughter).

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: First of all, the competition here is tougher, gotten tougher every year. I came out in '94. A player would win maybe two or three times. When I won six times in '96 or '97, that was great. After that, I won four, and it was, "What's wrong?" That's the same thing now. Karrie has won seven times. I think that's like every three tournaments she's played in. That's pretty awesome. Two majors. I just think the expectations get higher and higher. The competition is getting tougher and tougher. We've got to kind of look at that also. When you look on the men's tour, I guess Tiger is having such a great year, but Phil Mickelson is having a superb year, and he's kind of behind a little bit. I don't know, the golf is so great, I think, on both tours. One victory just kind of slips by like that; it doesn't mean as much as it used to. I feel the same way. Now it's not enough to win five times; I'm still behind. You've got to be realistic sometimes.