U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

July 7, 2023

Annika Sorenstam

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Press Conference

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THE MODERATOR: Please join me in welcoming Annika Sorenstam. Can you talk about the scene on 18 just now and what you were thinking?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: First of all, I just want to thank everybody. It's been a great week in so many ways. Thank you to USGA. Thank you to Pebble Beach for hosting this big championship here. And to all the fans out there today, I just really felt the love and the support. It was just great to come down here the last few holes just feeling welcome and appreciated and having the family here and friends. It's been a special week in so many ways.

Of course I wish I would have finished a little better, but this course kind of kicked my butt this week, but in a good way. I think it's a really good setup. It's a true test in so many ways. Great condition, and just really fair. It just wasn't meant to be, but everything else had been meant to me, and I'm just thankful for having the opportunity to be here.

Q. You came back for Senior Women's Open and two Women's Opens in a row. When may we see you again?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I am playing in the women's Senior Open, so you will see me there. I'm playing next week in a celebrity event in Tahoe, so I have two tournaments on the schedule and I'm hoping to pair up with this young man at the PNC maybe in December, but that's about it.

Q. Annika, it's easy to know what the firsts are in life, but few people are blessed to know when something is the last. What are the different feelings that you have knowing this is your last one of these championships?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, you just kind of know it. I thought my last would be in 2008, but then with everything that's kind of come about with Will loving the game so much and COVID and turning 50, I've all of a sudden started to play a little bit, and then getting the exemption here, I wasn't really going to come.

But I think just being part of this tournament has meant a lot to me, and to kind of see how far women's golf has come the last few years by playing courses like this, and I'm hoping there are young girls around the world that are watching this championship that are dreaming about one day playing on the LPGA or in a USGA championship. I think that's what's so nice to be part of this event.

Having said that, I know this is my last one, but it's been great to be here and really feel now that they've elevated the tournament to a different level. We've played some great courses in the past, no doubt about it, but this is such a course -- like I think I said in an earlier press conference, people are flying around the world to come here and play.

You can see here record crowds. I know it's been a success from every aspect, so I think that says a lot about the event.

Q. Can you just take us through all the different range of emotions that you had on the last green there as it was coming to an end?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I mean, from very high level, just so much appreciation, so much being thankful and being part of it. It warms my heart. But then you get down to reading a putt and then you get mad. Like why am I putting for double.

It's just the little things that are annoying because I know I came in here prepared and I felt really good about my game. Then you look at the big picture and you realize that women's golf is in a good place and I've been part of some of the history, and to share this with my kids and my husband, it really means the world.

That really overtakes the anger that I had about my game. It's just very short-sighted from that perspective. But that's what golf is. It comes and goes.

Just to look over behind us and see the people, it just warms my heart.

Q. When we look back on this week maybe 20, 50 years from now, where do you think this tournament will rank in importance in terms of where women's golf goes next?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, good question. I certainly standing here today, I think it's elevated this championship in so many ways, and then you look at the other courses coming up, great venues. We can't go backwards from here. They set the standard here this week, and I hope that they will continue to raise the bar for the next generation.

Whether it's the courses, the purses, the arrangements and just everything about it. It's just a notch up. I think that's what the women deserve, and hopefully we can continue on this train. The women deserve it, no doubt, and it's finally here, and let's just go up from here.