LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

March 22, 2023

Anna Nordqvist

Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, here with Anna Nordqvist, local Sun Devil, golfer extraordinaire. You're back in the Arizona area for the LPGA Drive On Championship.

First question from me, how happy are you to be teeing it off here in your home?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, it's obviously nice to be able to drive to the tournament, especially even though it's I think 30 miles away. I'm a little bit worried about the traffic this weekend, but it's just nice to be able to sleep in your own bed and have some friends and family come out and support you.

Yeah, obviously was hoping a little bit warmer weather and more warmer welcome for all the girls, but just very excited. This is a great event and I think we're very excited that we're back playing in Arizona again.

Q. Speaking of the traffic since you brought it up, have you ever been to that renaissance festival before?

ANNA NORDQVIST: I have not. I'm not a huge person for patience, especially when it comes to traffic, so I don't think I'll be going.

Q. Yeah, that's probably a good call. Speaking of being in your home state, what kind of support do you expect to have this weekend? Hopefully some Sun Devils out here, family, friends? Who is coming out?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, this place means a lot to me having gone to school here. The ASU girls are playing a home tournament this week at Papago, so they'll be busy on their own so I'll be cheering them on from afar. I wish I could go watch, but our schedule obviously doesn't line up.

I have a lot of my team in Arizona, so it's going to be nice to see them. See how many makes the drive out here, but I know they don't really get to see me play a lot so they're excited about that opportunity.

But in general, yeah, it's just nice to be home and feel like you have the support.

Q. Can you tell us about the Arizona golf scene and how excited you were to hear that the LPGA Tour was coming back to the state?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, so I actually watched my first LPGA tournament out here at Superstition in 2005. Annika was playing. I think she ended up winning the tournament, too.

I was 17 years old at the time and I received a scholarship to come to Arizona for about a week. We went down to Tucson to see U of A and then went to see ASU and then we got to practice, so it was obviously a very special moment for me back then, watching Lorena and her and the best players in the world compete.

Then I did try to Monday qualify on my own when I was still at school in 2008. I remember I think it was my coach who caddied for me, and I don't know if I didn't have the best start or what it was, but she made me a bet she would take me to any restaurant if I made it through.

I said can you please take me to IKEA if I went through, but I didn't qualify. But came out to here to watch. Obviously the tournament moved away since. And then we played at Wildfire it was very special, even though I did not live here at the time.

But winning it in 2017, probably as close to feel like winning at home and getting to share it with a lot of the people that have been there for me through thick and thin, through the journey.

Yeah, my win in 2017 was one of my most special wins, so it's just nice to see given that -- how many people love golf in Arizona and how many people come here for the winter and how many great golf courses we have in this state, I think it's exciting that we come back here.

I hope to see a lot of spectators out here this week and hopefully be a lot of young girls with similar dreams that I had coming back out here.

Q. Speaking of great golf courses, let's talk about Superstition Mountain. I know you have done a few practice rounds. What are you seeing on the course? What's tricky about it? What are you looking forward to playing on to this week?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, I hadn't played this golf course in many years until yesterday. I was really surprised how firm the greens were. I had a lot of like even short irons release a lot, so definitely very tough. Some tucked pins that you're not going to be able to get to. Maybe with a wedge or shorter iron, depending on the wind and stuff.

I just played the pro-am, and with the rain, and we have quite a bit of wind out there right now, so playing totally different. Maybe a little pitching wedge in yesterday I think I had hybrid in today.

So, I mean, with the conditions, living here in the state, knowing how different it can change from day to day and given it's been a little bit rougher winter and cooler than normal, I think the conditions are going to determine a lot.

But the golf course is in amazing shape. Probably some the best greens we'll play all year. But they're fast and firm and you are definitely going to have to try to put yourself in some good spots.

Off the tee is very generous. I'm a lot of bombers love it out here. But it's a great course. I think the last four or five holes is a really great finish, really cool finish.

I remember watching -- I think Lorena ended up eagling it to win here back in 2007 or 2008 when she won. So, yeah, looking forward to the week, and I think everyone is excited to be here.

You are seeing what a great golf course -- we're only in March and this is the first event for a lot of the girls, so I know a lot people are eager to get going and get the year started.

I couldn't think of a better place.

Q. You brought up Annika and Lorena, and Juli Inkster has also won here. What would it mean to win out here along with that list of Hall of Famers?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, I know how hard it is to win out here, so it's obviously very special when you do. You know, I feel like I've been putting in a lot of work, so just do my best.

But, yeah, like I said, putting the name on a trophy here in Arizona in 2017 is something no one will ever take away from me, and doing it again would be amazing.

It's a long way to go until then, and I'm just excited for the challenge ahead this week.

Q. Let's pivot to this season. Really good golf, top 10 finish and T12 as well. What's been the best part of your game and how excited are you to get into the swing of things?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, I'm just excited to get some kind of rhythm in the game. Off-season seemed very short for me because we played the Tournament of Champions early in January. Tried to practice over the holidays and I felt like everything I did was kind of half half.

I did the best I could. It's just going to be nice to be back playing in LA next week. Obviously that's closer to home, too.

Yeah, I'm a player that likes to play a lot and get in the rhythm, so I'm just excited to get the season started. And I know that the majors are not far away and that's obviously something that really inspires me to work hard on my game.

But it's early on and you get a little tougher conditions and greens that really firm. Definitely going to be a really tough challenge for all of us this week.

Q. So you're not the only ASU alum to be here. Former teammate Munoz is here too. Has there been some smack talk to bring one home for Arizona? Is it more just friendly?

ANNA NORDQVIST: No, I think I was on the team with Aza Munoz and Carlota was a little upset that I left school to turn pro about a month before she joined the team.

But they did just fine without me because they won a national championship I think five or six months after I left. We've all been very supportive and been through this journey together.

ASU has been amazing support. Coach Missy Kaye has done a fantastic job as head coach there. I go down to The Bird, the practice facility at Papago where ASU is very generous of letting us alumni come and practice.

So it's nice to spend some time with the team and draw a lot of inspiration from a them because they're working really hard. But I would say it would be nice if a Sun Devil won, of course. I know we're trying our every day to practice hard.

I know there are a lot of girls who practice here every day and has this as a home course, and I'm sure that will be a little bit of a home advantage. I think a lot of people are ready to go. Obviously definitely rooting for my Sun Devils.

Q. So I just wanted to ask you why this place means so much to you. I know you went to ASU, but do you have any core memories that makes this feel like home?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, being from Sweden, not having my closest family and friends in the U.S. it's hard, but I feel like when I moved to Arizona in 2006 to go to school, like I didn't miss home until I moved away and I moved to Florida.

Maybe wasn't my smartest decision that I've done, but there is just something about the people here because I feel like they supported me since I was 18 years old, and a lot of them, you know, treat me like family and they don't treat me like the golfer and they're there for me when I need them the most.

I don't feel like that any other place in the U.S., so I think that's why I was very keen on moving back here and ended up doing it in 2019. Just feels like home. Something about the atmosphere. It's a lot more outdoorsy than Florida I feel like. So as much being away from my family and everyone back home, I feel like this place probably felt as much of a home than Sweden has.

So yeah, I'm just very grateful for the opportunity that I got back in 2006 to come and play for Arizona State. I don't know if there would've been any other place I would've wanted to go to. If I did it all over again, I would be just as happy or just as grateful to get the opportunity to come back and play for Arizona State.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Thank you.