U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 7, 2002

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think I played good again. Very solid. I had some opportunities around, but Juli just played excellent today. Nobody has gone 4-under all weekend. To do it on Sunday, obviously wins Championships when you are right there. I did everything I could. I played really good all week. I am proud the way I played and the way I hit my shots. I did everything I could.

Q. Would you say it was more her coming on; not you playing bad that won her the championship? Is there a point when you kept looking up and seeing her score was getting lower and lower and you were wondering how can this be?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I always look at leaderboards and 18 holes in a tournament and I wasn't going to give up until the last putt was made and you know, like I said, I had my chances, but she really played well today, and there's nobody really close other than Juli today. So I think my round was well above average and I should be very happy about that.

Q. 12, 13 and 14 I think you were 5-over during the week for those three holes. Talk about that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I guess there's always some holes you don't play as well as some other holes. That's just the way golf is. Overall I shot 2-under par. I think we have to look at the whole picture. Only two players under par and I am very proud of that. I came here this week I thought around par is going to do good. I did better than that, so I am happy.

Q. Did you have a strategy for today or were you just going to take what the course was giving you or what?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well I wasn't going to change anything. It was obviously working, and I played what I could, like I said, I hit a lot of good shots, and had a lot of chances. I was never in the thick stuff all week, so pretty proud of that. I wasn't going to change it. Juli outplayed me. That's what happens sometimes, just want to congratulate her. Nothing I'd could have done today. Even though I wish there was, but she played excellent.

Q. Is a two-shot lead less secure on this golf course maybe than others?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think in a major championship a lead is never comfortable. But I did good today. I shot level par. I didn't lose any shots, didn't lose anything to the field other than Juli passed me. I am sure if you would have asked her if she would shoot 1-under she probably would be happy. That probably would have put her in a great position. She played so much better than that today, and like I said, that's the way it goes.

Q. Obviously you heard the cheer with her being in front of you. What was going through your mind every time you heard one of those loud cheers?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I wasn't really listening in at the cheers because you don't know who is hitting -- who was hitting it. I was looking at the leaderboard, though, but you know, I figure I got a few holes left, to keep on trying; I can make the one -- my third shot on No. 17 I can make two on the last, always a chance, and I wasn't going to give up. Juli could have made a mistake as well. Seeing you are in the lead that's got to make you a little nervous. She was rock solid, so it didn't happen.

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