SYBASE CLASSIC

May 17, 2006

Annika Sorenstam

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for coming in. It's been a couple years since you played this tournament. Just talk about your decision to come back and then we'll take questions.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I mean, I like it here. I think I've played well here in the past. It fit in the schedule, really. I have good memories of here. I've won here and I like this type of golf course. It fits my style, so I'm happy to be back.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about why you've had success here in the past, winning the tournament two years, and why you feel good about this year?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, this is one of the tree lined golf courses I like. They've taken a lot of trees away, but it puts a big premium on ball striking, small greens, tough par 3s. That's what I like. I think that's why I've played well in the past and it's one of the reasons why I'm back.

Q. It's a top flight field with a lot of world's top golfers here, you being one of them. Kind of interesting that everybody is chasing a 19 year old and Paula Creamer is defending her title. Would you talk a little bit about her?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, great player. I believe it was her first win last year, impressive win as a rookie. A great future obviously ahead of herself. She's a good ball striker. I think her strength is really putting, and I think this course really fits her.

Q. The next six weeks or so you're going to be playing a lot of tournaments. Do you think you'll be able to get into a rhythm?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm hoping I will. I'm playing some big tournaments coming in, and I'm defending a few of them. You know, I'm just going to play and hopefully find a rhythm and get back to where I want to be.

Q. Can you talk about what you did on your weekend off?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I spent it with friends.

Q. Was it on odd feeling for you, not having had something like that in a few years?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, it wasn't really something that I enjoyed. I mean, I'm glad I went home. It was the second best thing I could have done, get to go home instead of play the weekend. But it happens. It's golf. You play the game and you know what it's all about. I'm just lucky it hasn't happened to me too often, and I hope it doesn't happen again. It got my attention and I'm back.

Q. Have two days off sort of restored you? You said find your game or a way to bounce back, even this week. Is that enough to sort of offer a springboard?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, that's all I have. You can't do much better than that. Like I said, I'm not worried about my game. I feel like I'm playing really good golf obviously. It might not seem like it result wise, but I'm happy the way I'm hitting it, I've just got to get myself to score, and I'm just waiting to come out with a big bang. It should be a fun rest of the part of the season if you know what I mean.

Q. When you missed the cut I think at the British Masters, I think you came back and won a couple, two, three in a row and you bounced back. Is this a motivating thing for you? You have always been a very focused player. Do you think you look at this thing to motivate is missing a cut going to motivate you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I was motivated before that week. Like I said, I think I'm playing good golf. I mean, I'm striking the ball as good as I have in a long time, it's just not happening. Nothing is really going my way. Right now I just have to work through this. There's nothing else I can do. I'm doing the same thing I've done for years. It's just golf. I'm not going to find any faults, I'm just going to keep on playing and going to find a rhythm. That's what I'm looking for.

Q. If I could relate this to baseball, Randy Jones, everybody is saying that he's lost something that (inaudible). There's still good golf, people expect you to win every week. Is that a tough pressure to be under every week?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I have high expectations for myself. I know what I'm capable of. I got one win this year, so I'm not going to be too hard on myself. Like I said, sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don't. At the moment, my golf is not going my way, but outside the golf course, everything else is going my way. I'm not going to trade anything for it, I'm just going to wait, be patient and everything will turn around.

Q. What are your feelings about Michelle Wie qualifying for the U.S. Open?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I wish her all the best.

Q. You described this as a tree lined golf course. They've removed a lot of trees since you were last here. Was it pretty striking seeing it for the first time?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I mean, there are a lot of changes, a lot of trees came out. There are big changes on 16 and 17; they've cleared out I guess just big spaces, really. But it's a good course, the greens are in great shape and it's good. They've made some good changes here.

Q. You guys have played a lot of different courses, some of the newer courses on the west coast and now you're coming back to the east coast. Do you prefer these style of golf courses or what do you like about them?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I like old style golf courses. That's one of the things I like here. I love tree lined, small greens. That's always been my favorite, so I'm happy to be back here.

End of FastScripts.