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SYBASE CLASSIC

May 20, 2006

Annika Sorenstam

NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK

PAUL ROVNAK: Annika Sorenstam, thanks for coming in. A great round today, a 67 with what started out to be a chilly day. You're at 3 under overall right now tied for second place. Talk about your day.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Obviously I'm very happy. I get to play Sunday so that's a good thing. I've improved from last week. Kidding aside, I'm very happy. I made some putts today on the back nine. I still think I'm hitting the ball pretty good, not as good today as yesterday but converted some opportunities today.

It was tough. The wind is swirling again. The rain has made the course quite tricky. You can fire at the pins, but then again you get a lot of spin. So I don't know if it's easier when the greens are softer or not. I'm very happy with my round.

PAUL ROVNAK: We'll take questions.

Q. Not knowing whether you're going to play 18 or 36 tomorrow, did you play more aggressively today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes. I have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow, but I was thinking we'll probably play 18, so I thought I would continue to play the way I've done. I feel like my game is in me, it just hasn't come out. And today I found it on the back nine today. So I'm happy about that.

I'm more focused on what I have to do rather than thinking what's going to happen tomorrow and where am I result wise, just focus more on the experience rather than focusing so much on the results, because that hasn't shown to prove very much. So I just thought more about how I feel out there and the things I've got to do.

Q. Considering the conditions, the wind and everything, it went well for you today.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I'm very happy. Some of the pins today, they're tricky. The wind is swirling a lot. For example, today on the last hole I hit a 9 iron. It only carried 122. Yesterday, same wind, same club, it carried 136. That's 14 yards difference. It makes it really tough to get it close to the pin. You have to time the wind right. It makes it hard, especially with these greens and undulations on them.

Q. It turns out it was Gloria that came from behind to beat you here in 2002. What are your recollections about that and would you welcome the opportunity to return the favor?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I haven't thought about it. Like I said, I was more focusing on my own game. We just might be halfway or we might be two thirds along the way. Who knows. Tomorrow I want to go out there and continue to play my game and we'll see what happens.

I'm not too worried who I'm going to play with and how far back I am. Right now I'm just happy to shoot a good score and this is what I've been waiting for. So hopefully we'll stay there tomorrow.

Q. You had a pretty good feeling you had a low score within you. You did say the other day you were going to go low.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I've been saying that for about three months. (Laughter). I really feel good about my game, I really do. It's just right now I've hit a certain spot in my career where I'm just not going anywhere. Like I said, I'm just going to work it through.

And today on the back nine, I can't really tell you all of a sudden what happened, but there was something that happened. I hit it close on 9 and something just felt different. I don't know what it was. And all of a sudden I rattled some birdies.

It's funny how this game is. I told my caddie, I feel like I'm going the doing the same thing that I've done for months and now all of a sudden I'm rolling in 15 footers. It's a crazy day.

Q. Did you hit balls yesterday?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I didn't hit balls but I putted for a long time.

Q. Here?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Here.

Q. You said there was nothing specific you were struggling with the past couple of weeks, it was just more of a question of putting everything together at once. There wasn't any need to make any major changes or anything like that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I'm not looking for things that are wrong. I would hit a putt and it would roll faster than I thought, I'd hit a putt that would break more, or I'd hit a putt that won't break, I'd hit a shot and it would come up short, I would hit a shot and it just all feels the same. It's just not turning out the way things used to do.

Today things are turning out the way I expected. I see shots and it happens. It's funny how it is. I feel the same thing, but the results haven't been there. I don't feel any different. On the contrary, I feel really good about everything.

Q. Many players think about changing things, putters. Do you ever think about that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I'm sure it's crossed my mind. Through my career I've changed a few times. But the last few months I didn't feel anything was wrong. I know I'm not going to hit every putt perfect, but then when I do hit some good putts, you expect some to go in. They just haven't gone in. That makes it even tougher to score.

Like I said, I'll just keep on grinding. Like I said, I'm not looking for things that are wrong at the moment. I'm just going to weather through this.

Q. What's the mindset between 18 and 36 tomorrow? Is it a different mindset for you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It will be a little different. To play 36 holes on this course is going to be quite a challenge. This is a difficult golf course by itself. And then to play it twice, especially if we have wind and maybe a little rain, it could be grueling tomorrow. I guess really what I'm going to I have experience, I think I have the stamina and I definitely have the desire. I think I'm going to need them all tomorrow.

Q. You said that you hit a point in your career where things aren't really happening. Because you have had so much success, does that make it more frustrating?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It shouldn't because I've had so many sweet runs. Things have been going my way for maybe the last five, six years. And now when I look back at it, I'm just fortunate it happened. A lot of times you take that for granted and then when you keep doing things and they don't turn out you wonder what am I doing differently. This is golf. I have to remind myself of that every single day.

I can tell myself it's patience. Even though I hit a good shot or a good putt, just be patient, it's got to turn around. I'm happy I had nine good holes. Nine is not much, but at least it's turning and I feel it.

Q. You talked about the birdie putts. Were they all long birdie putts?

PAUL ROVNAK: Let's just go over the scorecard.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes. I birdied the 6th hole. My birdie putt was three feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: What did you hit in there?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hit pitching wedge.

And then I bogeyed No. 8. I hit the driver in the rough and hit it out in the bunker and 2 putted from about 11 feet.

Birdied No. 9, 9 iron to four feet.

Birdied No. 10, 9 iron to 11 feet.

Birdied No. 12, sand wedge to 10 feet.

14, I hit 4 iron and 2 putted from about 13 feet.

PAUL ROVNAK: How far was the birdie putt on 15?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: A tap in.

And then I did make a great save on 17. I hit a pitching wedge into the green side bunker and made a par putt from 18 feet, my longest putt.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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