NEW ALBANY GOLF CLASSIC

September 30, 2000

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Birdied No. 7. Pitching wedge to six feet. I birdied No. 8. Sand wedge to 12 feet. Birdied No. 11. 6-iron to 25 feet. Birdied 18. Hit a pitching wedge to seven feet.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. I'm a leaderboard watcher. I think I looked at every leaderboard out there. You know, I saw that they were all starting to move, but I felt like I was playing some good golf. I just couldn't -- couldn't really make it -- had a lot of chances in the front. And then I rolled in one on 7 and then on 8. And I felt really comfortable coming into the back. I hit 16 greens. I was very solid off the tee. Hit a lot of greens. I just felt like if I keep doing this, they have got to drop. And I did this -- I did make a nice birdie on 8, and then again, made a nice one on No. 11. So, you know, you look at the leaderboard and you see that they are all moving. You've just got to keep doing what you're doing, and I felt like I was doing the right thing. You know, having a lot of patience, they have got to drop eventually.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I'm going to go out tomorrow with the attitude of just shooting the lowest score I can, which pretty much is the attitude that I have every day. You know, just again, try and hit every fairway, giving you a chance to hit the green and give myself a lot of birdie opportunities, which I have done the last three days, and it seems like it's working. I just want to drop a lot of putts. I don't want to feel the pressure coming down the stretch tomorrow knowing I have to make birdie every hole. But I'm putting it well and hitting it well. I mean, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, definitely. We'll see. I mean, the scores have been really low today, and I expect the same thing tomorrow. But, you know, once we come down the stretch, there are some players that have won and I think some -- you know -- most of us will play well tomorrow, because tomorrow is deciding who is going to win.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. And she said she looked nervous. But there was no trace of that. She hit some great shots. She hit a lot of greens. A shot that I would not forget is No. 5. I think she had a 6-iron, I mean, the pin is way tucked on the right-hand side. She aimed towards the flag and ended up about five, six feet and made the putt. Same thing on No. 13. I think she played really smart on the par 5. She laid up short of the first water and then just hit a wedge to about three or four feet, I can't remember, and she made that putt. That was an excellent play. You know, to say that you're nervous and hit those shots, I think she really controlled herself really well. And she did shoot 66. So, that was a very impressive round. She played really, really solid.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Some other courses? First of all, the course is in great shape, which is much better than a lot of courses we play. The greens are very smooth and if you're rolling it well, you can make a lot of putts here, which I think makes the scores low here. When it comes to distance, I think it's an average length, but the fairways are very forgiving. They are very wide. But other than that, the greens are very similar to what we have. I think actually they might be a little tougher around the greens. But the fairways are so wide that you always have chance to hit the greens. I think that makes the difference, why the scores are so low here.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, maybe. I know that experience helps. I've been in this situation many times and I love it. I strive to play under pressure. I think it is a lot of fun. That's what it is all about. So, I mean, I'm in a position where I like to be. You know, you know how it is when you win a first time or you haven't won in a while, it gets a little nerve-wracking. But that's what it is all about. It's about controlling your nerves. That's what is so much fun about this game. It's such a thrill. I love playing Thursday, Friday, but Saturday, Sunday, it's a little bit extra. It means a little bit more. We'll see. I'm happy with the experience, I am. I'm going to have a few butterflies in my stomach, but hopefully I can control them.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I guess there's just certain places that you like and feel more comfortable than others. When I came here last year, I told my husband on Monday, "I love this place," and I ended up winning the tournament. And I feel the same way this year. I love coming here. I love the golf course. I love everything about it. This tournament is so well organized. Everything is run so well. It makes you feel so comfortable, and I think coming to a place like that, it's like, hey, they want us here, and that helps. There's some places where we don't feel that. It's the same thing with St. Louis. They are so happy to see you and they make a great event, and I guess I play well, there, too. I wish I had the same feeling every week.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I don't think anybody really expects me to win again. But, you know, I think whoever is playing well coming into a tournament, I think those are the people that I think are going to win. I have played well. I played well last week and I've been playing well the last three days. So maybe they look at that and say, hey, she has a chance to win. But just because you're defending, it's been a whole year since then and a lot of things can happen. But when you do come to a place where you have won, you feel comfortable with the course. You have wonderful memories. I know I can play this golf course. I know where some of the pins are. I know the greens. And I think that helps, too. So there for I think if you're defending champion, I think a lot of times, you do well again next year.