U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 19, 2000

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I was here last year, actually, so I've seen the course before, but the setup is a little different. The rough is a little thicker and the greens are a little faster. I enjoyed it. It's little different maybe than the previous courses that we played in the championship, but I like it.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: This one is a little shorter. Yardage-wise it's a little shorter. Especially with the wind and the fairways being so dry, the greens are very firm. You know, we're hitting a lot of 3-woods off the tee. It's more placement than anything. Especially with the rough so thick, you want to make sure you stay in the short grass.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Oh, definitely. I mean, this to me is the biggest tournament that women's golf has. I think mostly it's because of the tradition, the field, the purse, and the course that we play. I think it's a lot of factors that make this a great event. I mean, as a little girl, I grew up wanting to win the U.S. Open, and you know, even though I won it twice, I still dream about it. So, this is definitely one of the biggest tournaments we have, and that's one of the goals is to win it again.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I haven't given it much thought. I've come here, try and do the best I can. I'll see how I react on Sunday, but obviously, I have the confidence, I have the game. And I'm looking for a good outcome.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think I can play this golf course. It's a matter of hitting the shots that you're good at, finding your strength, and my strength is to hit a lot of fairways. So, therefore, I'm going to try and hit a lot of woods off the tee. The greens are big and the strength of mine is to play aggressive to the flag, even though the greens are big still. I think whatever course it is, you find your strength and you play to that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's definitely the best result I've had the weeks before. I've never won a tournament before the Open. I've never won two tournaments coming into the Open. I don't know if I want to say it's the best I've ever played, but I think I'm playing very solid.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I think golf is 90 percent mental. You know, after last year, I was a little disappointed with the way I played. I wasn't as consistent as I've been in the past, and I just decided I want to work hard again. I want to get back to the No. 1 spot. You know, the motivation was certainly there, and I think that's what I needed, even though I needed a lot of time to practice. Also, just wanting to go out there and find the key and now it's paying off.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: This must be -- if I explain my swing a little bit, last year, it wasn't so consistent. I didn't come down to the ball the same way I did before. There wasn't a lot of impact, impact wasn't consistent. So, now when I'm swinging, I'm hitting the ball the same way all the time. So I know what the ball is going to do, and that was the difference from last year. So, I spent a lot of time on my short game, too, working on my chipping, working on my putting, and I'm playing much better than I have in a long, long time.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't feel any pressure. I like to do well, but I don't feel pressure to win this Championship at all. It's just a matter of what I want. I'm prepared as I can be. I think I have as much confidence as I need, and I'm just going to try and make the best out of it. And, if I don't do it this year, I'll do it next year. I mean, I won in the past. And I think, you know, if you feel like there is a pressure, I think there's something wrong. It's all about having fun, and that's what I'm going to have this week. That's my attitude.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I still have some energy left. I've got four days of energy, that's for sure.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think when I became No. 1, it happened so fast, I wasn't really -- first of all, I wasn't expecting it and I didn't really know what to expect. But when I went down, I realized how much I enjoyed it and how much it meant to me. You know, it's tough to stay on top constantly. There's a lot of work, and it's different to be chased than chasing somebody. And I've been in both positions, but I prefer being chased than chasing somebody.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, I think that's what's been hurting me in the past is, I've felt the pressure and I felt like I could do this, I should do this. You know, when you come to the course feeling that, you get very tight, you can't swing loose, and you can't really just come out and execute. Now, I feel like I can, because I don't have the pressure, or I don't feel like I put pressure on myself, and, I mean, I know I can do it. I've done it the last two weeks. I've won five times this tear. So, if I can just come out with that attitude, I think that will help.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so. I mean, when you see somebody get off to such a great start -- I didn't want to let go of it. I wanted to get going with Karrie. I mean, I know what I'm capable of, and I think actually that's what motivated me the most is the way I performed last year, with the way Karrie plays, the way she started I know I can do this. So, what do I need to do to catch her, what do I need to do to improve my game? But it's fun to see the results and makes me -- makes me happy that I put in the hours and makes me just want to continue what I'm doing.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I played 17. But I'm really, really ready.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, that has been the difference the last few weeks. I've had two or three rounds that were really good golf, and then I had a few rounds that were maybe not as good. But, I was able to scramble, I was able to hang on and I was able to score, and I have not been able to do that the last few months -- or actually earlier in the year and last year. And that gives me a lot of confidence knowing that I don't have to go out and hit the ball two feet from the hole. I can go out and miss a fairway, I can miss a green and still make par, or maybe even birdie. And that's what's been the key this year, is I've been hanging on, I've been trying, I've been fighting. And I think you need that this week, because the way the course is set up, and in a championship like this, you've got to be patient. You won't birdie every hole, and if you miss a shot, it's okay; you can still score. And I think whoever does that the best this week, they are going to win it on Sunday.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I haven't jumped to that step yet. Maybe if I would hit balls for two hours, I would hit balls for three. Just increasing a little bit on all aspects of the game. I probably played more -- if I used to play twice a week; I play three times a week. It didn't jump from three to seven, but maybe next time.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: There's no pressure for me for the money aspect. Money does not motivate me to practice. It's the thrill of being in contention on Sunday. It's the honor to hold the trophy. The money is obviously a nice perk, and I can always spend the money, but that's not why I come out here, not at all. I mean, it's much more than the money definitely.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think I've been in my way, just mentally. I mean, I've played -- I know I can play the courses that we've been at. I played pretty good coming into the tournaments. It's just my attitude has been very different. Like I said before, I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself, because everybody said, you know, your playing is great for the championship, and then you start believing that and then you put too much pressure on yourself. And I think that's just what's been in my way. I mean, when I won the '95 Championship, I had really no clue what was going on. I just went out there was relaxed and I wanted to have a good time. And then in '96, I came out and said, hey, nobody wins it two years in a row; so I didn't expect too much there, either. But then I came there in '97 and I expected myself to continue on that roll, and I think that's what hurt me.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think it's tough to pick out, you know you know, players. I always say whoever is in the field has a chance to win. But, I mean, I just look at the money list, from 1 down through the top 40, those are going to be the favorites.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It depends so much on the weather. If there's no wind, the scores will be low. If there's going to be a lot of wind, the scores will be much higher. As you know, the course is wide open, and if it starts to blow, it's going to be tough to control the shots, and you're going to have hit it in the rough; and if you get in the rough, it's going to be tough to score from there. There's no wind. It's wide open. There's nothing in front of the green.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, it was a thrill for both of us, mostly for her. But her first victory in Phoenix, I was very, very thrilled for her. She's worked very hard on her game, and also, she's always been in my shadow. So, it was great for her to just kind of break through and do it on her own. It was great to see. She's a great player. And when we grew up, everybody said she will be the best of the two of us, and you know, she's really on her way. So it was neat.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I've always been focused on my game. It hasn't really changed anything. I know what my goals are. I know what I need to do, and I have just been working on that. So, nothing has been in the way or anything.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You mean in '95?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, Liselotte Neumann won, and she was the first Swede to win. And when she won, golf started to become very popular. But what happened to me when I won in '95 is I got Athlete of the Year in Sweden, which is men and women, and golf has never gotten that; and that was really a big key for golf, because it was accepted as a sports. There's been a lot of discussions about golf is not a sport. You know, you don't sweat and you don't wear tights. So, finally, it was accepted, and that was a big breakthrough for golf, I think. And after that, you know a lot of juniors started to play golf. It's more cool to play golf than before. And you know, it's been more available to everybody. It's tough to, you know, just pinpoint a few things, but I think that was the biggest change for golf when I got that award.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't lift a lot of weights. I lift a little, but I do work out, yeah.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't really know what they do. I've been working out since college. But the last year, I've been doing more -- schedule is more regular and have a purpose on my workout, where before I would just go to the gym and not really know what I was doing, just following everybody else and thought I was doing the right thing. Now I'm working with somebody and feel like I'm making progress.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: There's not a lot of similarities, but thank you. I guess we've won tournaments. That's where it starts and ends. But I have a lot of respect for Tiger. I think he's a great player, and it's very tough to compare me to him. I think I'm far away from that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That's a big difference. Yeah, we don't have a lot of similarities.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: If it's unfair? No, I don't think it's unfair. What he's doing to golf is incredible. I don't think you can put a money value on what he's doing for golf. And like I said, it's no similarities.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I take it as a compliment. I've always played that way. I'm kind of a statistical nerd, if you want to call it that way. All of my scores are on the computer. I always track fairway hits. I always track greens in regulation and putts, etc., And that's just the way I play. I try and hit a lot of fairways. I try and hit a lot of greens. I have a feeling in my game, but I don't play with my heart. I don't just go out there and rip the driver hoping it's going to be okay. I have more of a strategy to my game maybe than most players, and I stick to it. I think it works.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The willingness to grind, the willingness to go out and just play every day, and, you know, I'm playing more tournaments this year than I have in many, many years. So I think that's just because I enjoy the game, and it's about having fun. And last year, I didn't really enjoy it as much, and I think that's the difference.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The first question, no, I don't spend a lot of time with Karrie. I don't know her very well. I mean, I've seen her -- I see her out here and we've played a few times together. But we don't really talk about rivalry. I mean, I have a lot of respect for Karrie and her game and the way she is out on the golf course. You know, I can't deny it; I check her scores whether I'm playing or if I'm not playing. I always think that she's one of the best, and if you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best and that's kind of how I look at it.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm sure we can become good friends. It's just we -- I mean, she's from Australia, I'm from Sweden. She's a lot younger. I've got my friends; she's got her friends. You know, when you're out here, I don't really spend a lot of time with other players. My husband travels with me, and you know, you're out here 10 hours and you want to go home. It's not like I go and sit down with another player and say, "Hey, how do you play this golf course"? I mean, I've had enough golf, and I don't want to go home and listen to somebody else tell me how to play the golf course. That's just the way it is. But, I mean, Karrie is nice and I think we get along. We do talk. So there's no enemy or any negative thoughts at all toward each other. I saw her yesterday. She said, "Great playing in New York." And, you know, she wins a tournament, I congratulate her. I think it's on a friendly note.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think time will tell. You know, I'm really glad in a way what happened last year that I got my motivation back, because now, I feel like I'm ready to go a few more years. We'll see if I achieve a lot the next two or three years. I might start considering what I want to do. I'm such a competitor and I feel like if I can't give everything, then I want to do something else. But I do know that I want to play into 2003, because that's when I get inducted into the Hall of Fame. So, I'm going to go from there.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, you pretty much said what I wanted to say. In a few years, we'll see how it goes. I have a lot of interests outside the golf course, and one day I want to pursue those, knowing that, you know, I did achieve and I got into the Hall of Fame. You know, that I won so many majors. I feel very satisfied with my career, and I think, you know to stop when you're on top is probably the way I want to leave and to say thank you very much. Because I think if you start a family, I think it will be tough for me to come out and to be able to grind and give 100%. I'm sure being a mother, you've got other things on your mind, and then I think it's time for me to leave.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, I like it here in the U.S. I think definitely I will stay over here. I don't know if I'll work on TV. We'll see. I mean, I love golf. Hopefully, I can find something that has to do with golf, maybe with juniors or whatever. I mean, I love the game. So, I'm sure I will have one foot still in the game.