GAINBRIDGE LPGA

February 28, 2021

Annika Sorenstam

Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Annika, the last round has completed here. Your overall thoughts as you reflect upon the last four days.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, no, it's been really great. You know, I'm just thankful for being here, playing here and be able to make the cut. I think overall it's been quite successful in the sense that I accomplished what I wanted, which was to go out here and just play and play and play. I hit a lot of shots, but I really focused on every shot. I think I never gave up, even though it was not really going my way and I wasn't hitting as well as I should be to be out here. The purpose was to get some tournament rounds and I did that.

I would say I'm quite tired, I'm exhausted. I gave it all. Takes a lot of effort when you miss greens and chip around these greens is really, really difficult. So put a lot of energy into that and obviously just with everybody around it's been fantastic. It really has. The more I think about it, and once it sinks in I think it's going to be a big smile on my face.

Q. I could see that Will wasn't at the birthday party yet. The neighbor boys were running around. Turned into an Annika watch party.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's so fun to see our kids' friends to come out and hang with them and to see what golf is about. It's a family sport. This is a family community. It's been nice to see the members and other friends come out here and support and just kind of have a good time. We have a lot of friends that are not golfers so this is the first time they've ever seen me play. A lot of them said they're exhausted just watching me. But it's been fantastic and I want to congratulate Lake Nona and Brendan for doing such a good job. The hospitality has been fantastic. The course has been in excellent shape and I am just very proud of the club and the community for coming together last minute and really putting on a great event.

Q. And you said that the goal of this was to get tournament rounds under your belt. You're looking ahead to the U.S. Senior Women's Open. What until then do you think will be the priority? How much are you get on the course and when do you think you'll get the competitive juices flowing?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Now I feel like I need two weeks of rest. It's been a lot work, a lot of golf. Kidding aside it's been great, but I'm going to take a little bit of time off, get back into normal life and clean up the house a little bit and get back to laundry and all the things that need to be done.

I'm going to try and play something somewhere. I need it. I mean, I don't want to wait four months and here I go back at square one again. I'm going to continue to practice. I've had some players come up to me and say, Hey, if you need a competition round just call me. So I'm going to set up some games with some of the local LPGA players and really try to do my best and go out and really focus and do that.

That's really what I need rather than go out and social golf and not really care. I look forward to that. I look forward to picking up some of these friendships and go out there and have a good time.

Q. I know you said it all week that this was just an appearance, not a comeback. Would you think about possibly doing another LPGA tour event?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I mean, no. I have so much respect for these players and it's just -- there is a part of me that always felt you can do this and then you come out here and you realize it's just a different time in my life. My level of golf is not where it needs to be. I really don't know if I -- I know I don't have the motivation to get there. I don't even know physically if it's possible.

And that's okay. I'm pleased with that. I'm happy where I am. It's taken a lot of courage to come out here and I applaud myself for that. I need to work harder and I don't know if I have that and I don't really know if I want to do it. I have a great life with my family and the things I do. I'm excited about the different projects and all the things coming up, so that's where I spend my energy and where I want to do well.

Q. You had so many great interactions with your kids all week throughout the tournament. What was it like for you being for the first time playing an LPGA tournament with your kids watching you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, it's terrific. Obviously there is some distractions. It's different because Will wants to hang around, be part of everything at breakfast and talk about shots, analyzing shots on the range. He's very engaging that way and he comes out on the course, and he really says some good things. It's funny, because the things that he told me is things I have told him and I didn't know he was listening, but he has been listening, so that's a good thing.

Hopefully he can implement it when he's playing in his tournament next week. It's just terrific. I want them to see when you have a passion for something and also what it takes to be good at something. Hopefully that will rub off whatever they want to do. They can find their passion. Knowing you have to put in the work to be successful. That's what it takes. These young ladies out here work their butt off every single day. You only see a few up the leaderboard. There are so many that work so hard every week.

It's tough to see when you just watch TV. You don't see that part of the game. When you're here you see it every day, the people putting and chipping late at night, early in the morning, and that's really what it takes to be up at the top.

Q. And there are a lot of women who step away from the tour to start families or when their kids get in school they step away. What would you say to somebody who might be thinking about the U.S. Senior Women's Open but hasn't played in a long time and wants to try.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: First of all, I just want to say I admire the mothers on tour. I don't know how they do it. Well done to be able to juggle all they do and play a full schedule. When I looked at the field for the U.S. Women's Open it seemed like a lot of the ladies are playing, and I think that's got me going thinking, wow, I haven't seen her in a long time. Where has she been? She's teaching and out there playing.

So I just thought maybe I think we all need to support the event. They have and I haven't, but now I'm at the age where I can support it. I hope I get a chance to do it, and it looks like I can so I will do my best.

Q. You said you felt like you accomplished what you wanted to coming out here this week. What were your overall takeaways about your game?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, overall about my game you know I'm disappointed in the way I hit my irons. I really hit them poorly. That is normally a strength. I hit them with very little spin and straight. The last two days especially I had no distance control and it was frustrating because you end up on some really difficult sides of the green with a lot of rough. Makes it hard.

So that's probably the biggest disappointment is my iron game. Because that's really my bread and butter, if you know what I mean. But the last two days I felt really good around the greens. Really didn't make much, so I think I kind of calmed myself down. I felt comfortable. And again that was really the purpose of it. So I feel that was an accomplishment.

Driving could be better. I could probably improve my bunkers shots also. Overall, yeah, if you look at the score, if you would have told me I would be 13-over which I think I was, you know, that's just nothing really I would celebrate. But it's more just the journey and being out here. That's what I got to take out of it. I got to be positive. My dad said, I can't believe you're 50. I thought you were 49. (Laughter.)

Q. So many players talked this week about what having you here meant to them. Did you think about what impact your presence would have here?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, first of all, that's very sweet. Thank you for that, for sharing that. You know, that means a lot. I guess warms my heart quite a bit. So that's cool. You know, I work with so many of them and golf still has a big part in my life. To give back to the game is something I enjoy doing. It's just I think that's where I need to spend my time and maybe be a little bit more efficient and productive than being out and trying to play my own game, because I've done that. You know, if I can help somebody else live their dream I think that's just more meaningful than anything.

Q. Nelly is playing really well. Jessica obviously won the first event. You and your sister had a back-to-back title run a few years ago. What do you remember about celebrating back to back with your sister?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, no, I think it's so fun and it's so nice to see. Both Nelly and Jessica, they're tremendous players. I played with Nelly at the Diamond Resorts. I was very impressed, and I know Jessica has done some great things, too. I just love the way they play, the way they swing. I think they're great ambassadors for the game. It brings back some great memories when I play with my sister. Played in Solheim Cup, and like you said, back to back there. You know, when you grow up together, and I've always been competitive and she has too, but at the end of the day you have a heart for each other and you support each other.

So it's tough out here, so when you have somebody that you care about it makes it -- I wouldn't say easier, but nice to have somebody that cares. I think they probably feed off on each other too. It's good for the game and I'm sure we'll see a lot of the two of them in the near future.

Q. Would you like to see LPGA come back to Lake Nona?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I would love to. I think it's been great. I spoke to Gregor Jamieson who's the head professional here and he said it's been received very well by the members, and I feel it has. It's just the time of year to give up the course for a long time. A lot of players, members don't really want to do that. But I think overall it's really showcased well. I think it's been a fair golf course. A true test with a little wind today and some the pin placements. It's great to be in central Florida. A lot of golf fans this time of year so a lot of things make sense.

I hope Gainbridge is happy with the turnout and we'll see what happens. But I'm game for it for coming back.