U.S SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 4, 2024

Annika Sorenstam

Fox Chapel Golf Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Annika Sorenstam after the fourth round of the U.S. Senior Women's Open championship. We welcome you to the flash area. Even par-71, 2-under for the championship. How did you feel things went today for you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, first of all, it's great to be here. Sad that the championship is over, but I'd like to congratulate Leta Lindley on an amazing performance today. I had front-row seats, as you know. She played incredible, especially around the front, and then just kept the momentum going.

It was a beautiful showing. I'm super happy for her.

I'm disappointed in myself, but having said that, she played extremely well today. It just wasn't enough, and missed some short putts out there, which is always disappointing, but I tried to fight until the end. It was one of those days that didn't really go my way.

Q. When you made I'd say it was about 60 feet from the front of the green off 12, did you think that would jump start your back side?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I was hoping, yeah. I never give up. I keep trying. As long as I have holes to play, I know there's always a chance, but I needed a lot more than that. Obviously that was fun, fun for the crowd, and a little excitement for a little bit, but I left a few out there. Just never really close, unfortunately.

Q. Was there any particular part of your game that you thought could have helped you more today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, overall the week, 72 holes, I thought I drove the ball well, hit a lot of good iron shots. Looking back I would say I didn't really execute on par-5s as well as you should, and then around the greens just wasn't really my strong suit. I take some highs and I take some lows, but I just want to say thank you to the USGA and Fox Chapel for having us here. It's been great, and the people coming out, it was nice to see some good crowds.

The weather has been a little dodgy, but we've got some really true fans.

Q. Do you remember ever having a front-row seat to a putting exhibition like that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I've known Leta for a while. As you know, we were roommates at U of A. I've seen her, I know her strength, and I think she played really well. This is her game. Today she just executed very, very well.

Very happy for her and obviously her husband Matt, and Cole, her son, came out. It is a family championship, as you know, and it was nice for them to be able to share that moment today.

Q. The birdie on 9, you kind of gestured to the heavens there after the make. How much fun was it to interact with the crowd and find some fun within yourself and start to figure your game out?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, it's fun. The people come out here to watch and you want to give them something to cheer for and have fun. Birdies are a lot more fun. It was a struggle on the front. I felt I hit some good shots and then didn't make it, but that one I did make, so it was like, okay, take the small highlights and enjoy them.

Q. The yellow shorts, I can't help but ask, was that a Steelers outfit?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's totally a Steelers outfit. Yeah, my husband and our son are die-hard fans, and I think we're in the Steelers area, aren't we? So why not? It didn't pay off, but they've got a good team and want to support them.

Q. Leta has been runner-up the last two years in this event. What does it say about her tenacity to be able to get the result she did today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: She's been working hard at her game, you can tell. Just really a lot of feel around the greens. These greens, you very seldom have a straight putt. There's always a little break in them. When you have a lot of break, you've got to have the right feel and a lot of touch, but she was very composed coming down the stretch. She looks very laser focused on the target.

She just hit the shots when she needed and putted really, really well.

Q. You've been top 5 in this event every year you've played, so what does it say for you to come out and be able to still finish top 5, and I know you've won it, too.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I have. It was great. I've had some good finishes, but I really haven't been able to put four rounds together like I did the first time I played here in '21, and that's really what it takes. But of course it's always fun to go out in the last few groups and be in the hunt for a little bit knowing you have a chance.

But I would love to have done a little better, as I said. But it's golf, you've just got to keep bouncing back, keep working and stay focused.

Q. It's not like you play every week like you used to. How do you see your game right now as kind of a casual player?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, this is my fourth tournament of the year. You're right, it's not that many and I have one more before the end of the year, so every time we play it's like we're starting over. But I have been practicing, I have been playing casual golf and trying to keep up with our son. I really don't feel like I have an excuse other than I just really didn't do it. So it's disappointing because I felt really good coming in here. I love the golf course, and it's just got such a good feel, this place. It's just one of those weeks where it didn't click properly.

Q. When you see her playing the way she was, do you almost go from player to fan a little bit and watch what she's doing?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I kept focus on my thing. Being a competitor, you always want to finish strongly. But watching her and seeing the momentum is fun. Like I said, it's nice for us to be able to put on a show, and she put on a show, and I'm thankful for that. We want to showcase our senior ladies, and I'm proud of her.

Q. How do you see this tournament growing?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I hope it's going to grow, especially with the support. If you look around the 18th green right now, that's quite a few people. We don't have a lot of tournaments. Would be great to see a few more, and you can see with the Japanese contingency here, they do have a tour or several tournaments. It looks like they're a little bit more tournament ready than we are, so it would be great to have a few more so we can maybe elevate our games.