U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 5, 2002

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Today the conditions were a little tougher. The wind was blowing much harder today. Same direction as all week but still a little tougher than we have had the previous days, so overall I am very happy that I shot under par in these conditions; that's obviously good. However I think I played much better. Left a few out there. Couldn't really get the speed of the greens again and had two 3-putts then missed one on the last hole but overall, 1-under par it's a good score.

Q. (Inaudible)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I was playing inside right and it seemed like it hit something and just jumped to the left right off the face.

Q. Question about putting (inaudible)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I like to putt a little better. I made some more birdie putts today. I made some good putts and good saves but once in a while it's not as clean as I'd like it to be. Luckily I am hitting it really well. I had a lot of opportunities, and hit a lot of fairways, so it's very, very close. I am not complaining. First two days and normally I play better by the weekend so look forward to that.

Q. Are you feeling more comfortable on the course with these rounds?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think it is a course you have got to play a lot and especially with these greens, the more you putt on them, I remember some of the breaks I had the practice rounds and then yesterday and I think that really helps. It is local knowledge, these greens. There are some breaks that you don't see and some time after you hit them, you say okay, I will try and remember those and we'll see if I hit there again and have a learn from that.

Q. Talk about 7, looked like you may be able to reach the green, and then you came up short.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I was expecting it to roll a little bit more. I had 7-iron in and rolled about less than 10 yards. Juli, I don't know what she hit, but she rolled I want to say 60 yards so it is tough to club sometimes, so it was the right club. I didn't want to be past the hole. Left myself with a great chip and chipped it about two feet. So it was the right strategy for sure.

Q. You and Juli going to feed off each other?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's good to play with someone who is playing well because you have got the momentum in the group. Whether it's Juli or somebody else. But I do get a long with Juli. She is very friendly and easy to play with.

Q. Are you finding it harder than the front, the back?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think the back is a little tougher. 17 is really a tough par 5, a lot of times we have par 5s we can reach, like No. 7 - here you stand within 80 yards and the green is small -- my caddie said, you got to hit it, I think today, you know, carry it 76 but not more than 79 and you have this wind. Well, it's like wish me good luck because it's so tough. These greens are very small, and I think on the back nine, I think they are a little trickier.

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