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HSBC WOMEN'S WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 5, 2006

Annika Sorenstam

VIRGINIA WATERS, ENGLAND

PAM WARNER: Thank you very much for coming in. You've had quite the past week. Why don't you talk about winning the Open and then coming straight here right after that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Sure, it's been fantastic the last few days, and to come off a win of such a big event, I couldn't feel any better. Obviously I'm very, very pleased with the results and read now I think I'm still walking on clouds. Been enjoying the whole thing. So, you know, trying to get my mind set on this week, it's a little difficult because now we've got the weather we've got and tough to get into the mode. But I'm sure I will be ready tomorrow and give it all I've got.

Q. Just wondering how you feel physically after a pretty hard week?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I feel pretty good. I got some rest yesterday and rested a little bit on Monday afternoon. I think, you know, when you go through something like this, it's just so much energy and so much adrenaline still that I don't really think about how I feel, if I'm tired or not. I just feel great. So it hasn't really crossed my mind. Just happy I guess and that will carry you a long ways.

Q. Since you didn't get to play the course in the Pro-Am today, how much of it do you remember from last year?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I remember quite a bit. I'm not sure if I would have time. I would like to walk the course maybe outside the ropes just to refresh my memory a little bit. My caddie has been out so he's been able to maneuver me through a lot of different courses. I'm not too worried about that. I think the key is trying to be rested tomorrow, hit some good shots and we'll see what happens.

Q. Match-play, I was talking to Marisa before, the men seem to want to admit to some gamesmanship when they play match-play, playing a little slower if a player likes to play fast, play fast if the other likes to play slower, chat a little bit if they are not much of a talker. Talk about maybe your experiences in the Solheim Cup and how that comes to bear in this sort of situation?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, as you know match-play is very different and we don't get a chance to play it very often. Thanks to this event we get to do it at least once a year and every other year we get the Solheim Cup. And then also with the Lexus Cup that just started last year.

So we don't get a lot of opportunities to play, but it's fun. It's so different than any other thing that we do. It's really all about playing your own game but then on the other hand, kind of keep an eye on your opponent a little bit. I think the key is to play aggressive when you need to, play conservative when you can. Anything can happen in a match-play. It's really about making a lot of birdies. You can be a little bit up-and-down in the match, count all the scores, you see some people that make high numbers, you only lose a hole but you come back with a birdie, you can gain that back. It's fun.

There's a lot of excitement in match-play. It's funny, when you talk about gamesmanship and stuff like that, I mean, that's not really something that is part of my routine. I'm just trying to play my own game. I think by the end of the day whoever is the best player will win, and that's kind of what I try to focus on.

Q. When you were talking about the adjustments you make going to match-play, does that make the first day out in a match-play format a little different for you trying to feel, you know, changes in strategy, and also how, if so, how is having played essentially 18 holes match play on Monday effect that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I really don't think my 18 holes against Pat on Monday is a warmup for this because it was still stroke-play format. I think you know The Match Play, to all of a sudden play match-play, it's not a big deal. You still have to hit the shots. You can't forget about that.

The thing is, if you go out, like as I say, with the stroke-play tomorrow, then I will go out and then I would know that I have 72 holes to make up ground or whatever it is, just kind of find the rhythm. And now you've got 18 holes and you might not have 18 holes, you might just have 14 holes, so you really have to get off to a good start, try to put pressure on early, and then see what happens. It really depends on who you're playing. You've seen upsets in match-play and that's probably just something we're going to see this week as well. But you have to be patient and you have to just focus on that particular match and not really get ahead of yourself because like I said, it could just be that day and nothing else.

Q. How much momentum are you feeling right now and because it's match-play and the excitement that goes along with that, is it easier to recharge your batteries for this tournament, as opposed to a regular stroke-play tournament?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so. I definitely think. So like I said I'm still so excited about last week, I think the adrenaline is still there. You know, golf is all about momentum. It's kind of about the flow and I've got some from last week, so I'm just going to try and carry that over and go from there.

Q. When you look at last year was it a disappointment, when you look back on getting out in the third round last year, how do you feel about your performance then?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I was disappointed. I played Candie Kung and I was up I think most of the match and made some mistakes coming down the stretch. I don't think anybody is happy about that whether it's stroke-play or match-play. I 3-putted 18 and that was like, that was it. So you know I left -- I was disappointed, that was for sure. This is such a great place, I want to stay here, they take such good care of us, it's a good golf course, it's a fun format. You want to try to stay around as long as possible.

Q. I'd like to get your analysis of the South Koreans and why you think they have been so successful on Tour and even more importantly, what kind of impact have they had on Tour? What has it done to the tour to change it at all?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I mean, obviously they are very, very good players. There's a lot of them out here. They are very consistent. I think they have won more than half of the tournaments so far, and I think they displayed some incredible work ethic, very technical oriented. You come out here in the morning, they all just work very hard on short game and hit a lot of balls. They want to be very good at each part of the game. I think they display a lot of discipline. They are very focused on the golf course. A lot of great attributes for sure. They really raised the level up here because it's bringing everybody from around the world to this tour and it's fun to see. They are bringing a lot of new fans, a lot of new sponsors. I think it's good for the game.

Q. Henry was telling us at Newport that you strengthened your grip during the week. How much of a factor was that in your play?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Who did?

Q. Henry, your coach.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: What did he say? He says a lot of things.

Q. He said you made a change in your grip, strengthened it; you were losing it at the top a little bit and he thought it was key to your play that week?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, it was a key change for me. My left hand has gotten a little weak and by having weak week left grip, I would do some funny things at the top of my swing. One of them is to lose the grip a little bit more and then I would drop the club inside, and then when you come inside I was trying to get square to the ball. So at impact I would come in differently every time and sometimes I have to adjust by quick release and sometimes I have to just hold onto it and therefore I was just not hitting it straight. I had lost some distance, my power was gone because of that.

So the grip was a major change for me. I'm still working on it. It feels a lot better and now at the top I'm gripping the club, I'm coming better into the ball more consistently. It might sound very simple, but a lot of things can change, a lot of things can happen just by minor changes. The last time I saw him I just gradually had gotten weaker and weaker and all of a sudden I didn't realize it and was wondering why I was hitting it everywhere.

Q. When did you --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I saw him -- so that's April. So that's probably six weeks or so. Especially when you play a lot and when you practice a lot, you know, I was hitting a lot of balls at home and really working, I wouldn't say on the wrong things, but I couldn't find the right things to do. My muscle memory, it was not good because it was the wrong thing. So it takes a lot of days to change that.

Q. On the men's tour, I think only one of the Top-30 players played the first week after the U.S. Open. Is it difficult to play so quickly after such a draining tournament?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, this is an important tournament on our schedule. This is a tournament I don't think anybody wants to miss. Whether you come from the Open or whether you come from maybe a week off, this is an important tournament. I was lucky, I had two weeks off before the Open. My batteries are totally recharged. I still have some in me to play this week. So I'm excited to be here, it really doesn't matter that I played in the Open; I'm still on such a high that it's fun to be out.

Q. I think when you had won six or seven majors, you said ten was a goal and now you've won ten, is that another step to the career to be complete?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I have definitely achieved another goal, and, you know, I said I wanted to win ten majors, and here I am. So I think me personally, I have to start looking at my career and start looking at the goal, what's important to me and what do I want to achieve and how much more can I push myself. It's a very good question that you raise because it's something that I'll have to think about. I had achieved so much more than I ever thought I could. To me it's very important to have goals, because that's what keeps me motivated and keeps me going out to the driving range and practice every day.

But I also want to have goals that come naturally. I don't want to just sit here and make things up. I think goals need to come from the heart. If they don't come from there, I think it would be tough to still have that fire burning within you.

Q. Where has some of that congratulations come in from since Newport, and have you had a chance to text message that guy with the ten majors?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I have text messaged Tiger back and that was one of the first things I did. But, no, I mean, I've got so many e-mails, so many calls, it's just amazing, really. I didn't know so many people would tune in to golf. A lot of people I haven't seen in a while, I haven't heard from in a while. It's really, really neat.

I think those are one of the things that make me just be so excited and happy that people really care and it's been wonderful, really. It ranges from everywhere. Obviously from home, my parents, from friends, from sponsors, from people that I've met overseas. Pretty much everyone who has my e-mail address or my phone number has given me a call or a note one way or another.

Q. You talked a little bit before about reassessing your goals and things like that. I was talking to Juli Inkster yesterday and she said she noticed maybe a change in you that you would start to look at that sort of thing and she thought maybe for you then the majors would become more important; that you really stopped the grind, grind, grind of every tournament, trying to win every tournament and focused more on the majors because of what you've accomplished in your career. How do you feel about that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, maybe Juli has thought more about it than I have. But, I mean, I think the last two years, I've talked about how much the majors mean to me and I think how they really define your career and so forth.

But I mean, having said that, I think every tournament that we play in now are important, especially if you want to try and keep up with some people on the Money List that play a lot more than you; if you want to try and become Player of the Year; if you want to be part of the World Ranking. There's a lot of things out there that to me that means a lot, and that kind of judges you as a player and puts you in perspective to other players. It's tough if you just play a few or focus on a few because, you know, the Vare Trophy is another one, and that's something that I haven't been able to win -- well, I did last year but not the year before because I didn't play enough tournaments.

I think it's tough to find a balance of playing enough and being competitive and also enjoy the life of maybe choosing a little bit of what tournaments you want to play and maybe peak your game for certain events. It's a very fine balance, and I'm not really sure if I've found that or if I've accepted that myself; that it's tough to compete with players who play 30 events or more. I'm one of those players that have always played around 18, 22, 24 maybe at the most and I do have a life outside the golf course and I like to keep it that way and probably even more so there's probably more things I would like to do now than when I came out as a rookie.

Q. An inevitable question, now that you've knocked another one off the list on Monday with another win, is 88 in the mind?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, you know, there are a lot of records out there. Obviously I care about that. But it's also very tough to be in the situation and always push yourself and it might sound like now it's only 20 or 21. But if you think about the players that are playing every week, the competition gets tougher and tougher and I have to keep on pushing myself. And at the moment, it seems like so many events. But I think the key is if I am enjoying myself and I feel like I'm motivated to go out there and practice and I've found those extra goals, maybe that's something I could achieve.

But Kathy's record of 88 has never really been one of those, and I think I've expressed that before. But I've also said that maybe if I get to 85 or 87, then maybe I will push myself. So we'll see what happens.

Q. Every player is playing so hard to practice to win, but what is the strongness of your golf game? How come you've been playing so wonderful the past few years, and also what is the strongness of your golf game, I'd like to know if you don't mind?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think to be a winner out here, there's a lot of things that need to work. It's not just about how long you hit it, how straight you hit it. It's all about putting it together. I think one of my strengths is that I have a strong will and I'm very determined and when I decide to do something, I try to do the best I can.

You know, it's all about performing when you need to. It's about finding a balance of practice and competition and it's a little bit of an art I think to be able to find that balance. It's taken me a few years, I'm still learning when are the times I play well and when are the times I don't play well what do I need to do. I think everybody has to find their own little recipe to what works. I listen to my body; I think that's important. When I'm ready to play, I play. When I'm not ready, I don't play. For me it's all about performance and not about quantity and not just to show up and be seen. I want to come and I want to compete and therefore, again, I don't play as many tournaments as other people but when I do play, I want to play well.

End of FastScripts.

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