THE ANNIKA DRIVEN BY GAINBRIDGE AT PELICAN

November 8, 2023

Madelene Sagstrom

Pelican Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, joined now here at Pelican Golf Club by Madelene Sagstrom. Madelene, what are some initial thoughts and feelings as we head into the week?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Amazing. Course is in really, really good shape, probably the best I've ever seen it. I play it every year, so I'm just really excited to be here. I love playing in Florida. It's really close to home for me, almost a home game, so just a good feelings about the week.

Q. You mentioned the course. How has it been playing in your practice rounds and the pro-am, and is there anything that you're seeing that you're going to look to take advantage of this week?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think that the greens are playing really fast. Not super crazy for me. I think they'll get firmer. The run-offs here are the hard part. If you miss the green in the wrong spot you're going to have really tough short game shots.

So both, let's see, that would be 12 and 15 -- no, 12 and 18, like the run-offs have no grass. If you hit those a little bit short just straight up water, so you're going to have to drop. So bunch of that stuff too.

But I think in Florida in general the grain really protects the golf course as it's really tough when you have these really tight, grainy lies.

Q. Three top 10 finishes this year. As we head into this week and next week at CME, couple weeks left in the season, what have been some of the highlights for you this year?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think the fact that I turned my game around. It's not been my best season. Last year was probably my best season on tour result-wise. I've been struggling a little bit. Been struggling to mostly find my putting again.

I kind of turned it around before Solheim. Had a few good finishes for a couple events in the States, so that was kind of my thing. I was like you can go through a little bit of a (indiscernible), and then kind of turn it around.

I had a few too many missed cuts early in the year kind of and got very down on myself. Played pretty good at Solheim, and now my game really is feeling -- is heading in the right direction.

Hopefully I can get that out this week or next week, but I can feel at that turnaround happening.

Q. I was going to mention it later, but you brought it up so we'll talk about Solheim for a little bit. Just to be a part of that team, to retain the Cup for the third straight here, a very historic event, what was that week like for you? What it was it like get to go hoist the Cup?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: It's always amazing. Representing something bigger than yourself, Europe is something that I dreamt about as a kid. Now done it for this is my third time.

It changes a little bit every year, but it's so -- it's such a wonderful experience. I know that being American and European that's what we all strive to be, and being in Spain, that was my first one in Europe, and it was incredible.

I had the best of time. I'm happy that we retained the Cup. I actually had my best points myself, individual points of my three Solheims, so quite happy with my performance. Excited for more.

Q. Absolutely. We got 2024 to look forward to.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Absolutely. Looking forward to that one.

Q. Coming back her to The ANNIKA. I know as a Swede Annika is a household name. Do you remember your first interaction with her, first time meeting her? And then how is the relationship between you two? I know you played Dow together in 2022. How did that come to be? Just kind of take us through your relationship with Annika.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think the first time meeting her was probably 2008 or '09. I still think they do. We had an Annika camp around one of her tournaments. It was -- back then it was like, whoa. It was just like she was very untouchable. Like you got very intimidated.

But she is so nice, so generous. She was a great with us girls back then. I think our relationship really started in '17 when she picked me for her Solheim Cup team.

Since then, we've been super tight. I mean, I do consider me one of her friends nowadays and I got play with her today in the pro-am. It's just nice. They have a lovely family. I'm close to the kinds and we spend a lot of time with them.

It's just really nice for me to both -- mostly as a friend and just like how she is as a person, but also having that access to her knowledge, her experience, and just being able to ask her questions is a huge resource for me. I just really appreciate her friendship a lot.

Q. We're here now. You just mentioned her. She's a friend. One of the first namesakes for the LPGA Tour. As her friend, how surreal is it to see her name? On the backdrop behind you, it's on your mic. How exciting is it to have Annika's name everywhere and just how much she's done for women's golf?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I mean, I know how hard she's worked. I wasn't playing when she was playing, but she is so unbelievable at what she does. She works so hard at everything she takes on in life.

This is just a true testament to how good she is and how good she's been for women's sport. Her name draws everyone's attention. It's huge for the LPGA Tour, and just very proud of her and all her hard work and dedication she's been putting down over the years giving back to the game of golf, women's golf, and just keep helping us making women's golf even bigger.

I feel honored as her friend to be a little bit in the background and hopefully do my part.

Q. She mentioned in her presser she's very open to people getting reception about how everything went. You going to have some notes for her after this week?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think so. We all know what a good golf tournament is, and so far it's been amazing. Hoping the whole week is going to turn out great. I know we have a lot of good fans in Florida, so it's going to be a fun week.

The golf course is perfect, so hospitality has been great so far. I think there is not going to be too many pointers, but I'll keep my eyes and ears out.

Q. Recently was announced you'll be playing with Ludvig Aberg in the Grant Thornton. You have an interesting connection to him there. How excited are you to play in that event and using this week and next week to build momentum towards it?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yeah, I definitely feel like currently I might be the slacking one the team here. I need to step up my game. I've known Ludvig for a bunch of years. We both went to the same high school -- clearly not at the same time. We have the same coach, Hans Larson. He is going to be on site.

I've known Ludvig since he was 15, 16 in high school. Now my fiancée, Jack, caddies for him. It's a great story. It's a really good connection. I'm proud of what they have achieved this year and I'm just happy to be a part of a little bit of an ending to it.

It's going to be so much fun. Really excited to see that event and playing with him firsthand.

Q. What's Jack's last name and what kind of opportunity is that for him to be on this bag?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Jack Clark. He's been out here about six years before that. Met on tour, him caddieing. It was a huge opportunity. He actually decided to go away from the LPGA Tour in the beginning of the year. Ludvig was playing as an amateur so it was a big conversation we had, the fact that wanted to try out and hopefully get the full-time gig, which he did.

So I think it's really cool. Jack used to play professionally himself and didn't make it to the main stage, but now he kind of gets to experience it firsthand anyways being with a young kid, having all the new experiences. Ryder Cup is a mega bonus for him, too. It's nothing we expected, but it's been a very fun year for him.

I talked to him -- I was like, I hang out more with you on TV now than I do in person. It's been really cool. For me, it's fun to see them really excited about the journey together, and it's really fun to watch from the outside.

Q. You didn't go to the Ryder Cup, did you?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I wish I would've gone to Ryder Cup, but no, I didn't. I was in America doing my Chinese visa. I think, as of now, I'm still really deep into my own career. I go out when I can. I was out at Valspar watching them and cheering on, so it's very inspiring for me watching the men play.

I really love being at their tournaments and watching them play. Now I have an even bigger reason to go out. It's been fun.

Q. And what is your excitement level for this Grant Thornton event? Obviously a very good player you're partnering with. What's that opportunity going to be like?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I keep telling him, I was like, I picked a good partner. It's going to be so much fun. For women's golf particularly it's going to be huge. Partnering with the men, playing a huge event in Florida, at that time of year, a course I'm very familiar, it's going to be a lot of fun.

Format looks incredible. So it's just mostly -- I know it's a first run of the tournament, but I think they'll do a fantastic job. Actually look forward to learning a lot from Ludvig. Hopefully I can teach him a thing or two. I have the experience over him. He might have the game on me.

Hopefully I can help him with a thing or two, too.

Q. You also share -- your coach teaches Louise I guess.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Yes.

Q. What's your exposure to her game? Seen her play much?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I haven't actually seen her play too much. No, but same thing as with Ludvig. I've seen both of them kind of go to high school. I go back to high school a lot to practice with them. I do all my normal indoor practice over there, go there in the summer.

I've seen a fair bit of all the kids a lot. Not too familiar now. I hate to say it, but I'm quite a lot older.

Q. We all are, don't worry.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: But the fact that she's here getting to experience LPGA is amazing. I think it's a good story for her to be here and just seeing this firsthand. I know her goal is to get out here one day. She's got a year and a half left in college, but I think she's going to have a fantastic week.

I'm proud of the job that my coach does with all the kids leading up to these fairly big events.

Q. Finally, what was Annika's influence on you pursuing golf? I know a big age gap between the two. Her name and what it meant in Sweden, what kind of influence did it have on you?

MADELENE SAGSTROM: I think the biggest thing for all of us, we come from a very small country with a lot of winter. It's always been the influence of she made it to the biggest stage in women's golf. She became the best of the best. I think that it's like from a country with very little -- I don't want to call it resources anymore because we have great resources now -- but what you would probably think dreams may not been considered attainable. I think that has inspired all of us.

It doesn't really matter where you come from and what it looks like, we can all make it out there. So she's really paved the way particularly for Swedish female golf, but also men's golf. I mean, we had five players in the Solheim Cup this year; we've been super strong for a long time.

She is the reason why. She was there to pave the way for all of us. We can do it too. She did it; we can do it too.

THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you so much.

MADELENE SAGSTROM: Perfect.