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KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

March 31, 2007

Suzann Pettersen

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA

DANA GROSS-RHODE: We're going to go over your score card.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Second, I hit a 3-wood from 250, 240 or something to 20 feet and 2-putted.
Bogey on 13. I was in the rough on the right. I had a pretty nasty lie. So I hit my second shot to the rough left and chipped short of the green and 2-putted. So I had a 3-footer for bogey.
18, I had about 210 to the pin. I hit a four rescue, I don't know, to 30 feet or so and knocked the first putt to a foot and just tapped in for a birdie.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Great round out there. Again, you've put together some impressive rounds. Are you feeling good about everything?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yes, well, I'm just glad to be in this position again. Having reloaded and try to get my energy back being tired at the beginning of the week, it feels nice and feels like I'm in good shape.
I'm a little closer to the lead now than I was last week, so a little different starting point. But I just have to go out there tomorrow and try to play my game. I mean, I can't -- today was hard because it was -- I don't know, we played it five hours and 20 minutes. So it felt really slow. So that makes -- that allows a lot more time to think, and thinking is not always a good thing.
But I finish well and I just tried to stay patient. Even though I tapped in for pars and I didn't hit good birdie putts, I was just, okay, it's a par, go ahead. Par is never going to damage you on this course; that's my strategy. And tomorrow, it's hit fairways and hit greens.

Q. Given the condition and the greens and the rough, how good is a 71 out there today?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I think anything under par; par or better, you did a good job.

Q. Were you surprised that a 71 got you a share of the lead today?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know, I didn't think so. I haven't thought about it. It's a course where you really have to play a lot of course management. You just get the ball in play and get yourself in good position. Everyone is going to make mistakes. As I said yesterday, the one who makes the fewest will win.
If you are in trouble, play the percentage shot and take whatever chance you have to get up-and-down. That's how I played and I had a few decent lies in the rough that gave me some good shots into the green. I had one nasty lie and that cost me a bogey. But if you hit the fairway, you can go low. Paula shot 5-under yesterday.
I don't know, don't make it harder than it is. I mean, try to hit good shots like you do, and hopefully you'll make some putts.

Q. With all of that extra time to think out there, did you change clubs because of waits or did it get you into any trouble because you had time to think?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: No, but it felt like I was never in a rhythm today. It was like I didn't kind of get it going. It was like I was always playing with a hand brake on.
I don't know if that hurt me or if it helps me, but it gives you a lot more time to think. Like I told my caddie: "Wow, this has been a long day." But if you stay patient and don't waste your energy, you will be right there when it really matters.

Q. Watching what Lorena was going through on 17, are you standing there thinking, "Thank God it's not me?" What was going through your mind?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean, she's been playing great all day. And we had like bets on the back nine, like a birdie race, and none of us seemed to get any birdies. We were like, maybe we should change the best. (Laughter).
What happened on 17, it can happen. I feel really sorry for Lorena and I hope she will come back tomorrow. She played great today.

Q. I think we were all told that they were playing back tees on 18 today and I guess they played the forward tees, right?
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Yeah, they played the 485.

Q. And you reached the green in two with a rescue club, you said?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: On 18, I had like 200 front. It was like perfect club really but it's hard because that pin, you're never going to get the ball to stop. So I tried to play a bit more to the right to have more green to help me keep the ball in play.
I think it's an easier approach if you want to go for the green if the pin is back right so you can play with the greens. Here you play to the front pin, and coming in with a 200-yard shot on these greens, it's never going to stop.

Q. You had a very good putt down.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yeah, that was probably the best putt of the day, so that was good timing.

Q. Just curious, maybe you were asked this before, but Se Ri obviously has majors on her resume. What kind of practical impact does that make tomorrow when you guys are in the final round and going against someone who has been in this situation and come through it before; how do you think that influences tomorrow?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know. I can't tell because I haven't been there. So I don't know how she's going to feel.
But I know how I felt last week, and that's pretty close. My emotions are probably going to be the same. That was a great test for my last week to come in and feel at least got a chance this time.
I don't know, I mean, no wonder Se Ri is up there. She is a great player and she seems to like majors. But there are a lot of other players who seem to like majors as well. I think it's going to be a tough race tomorrow, but patience is going to win.

Q. Do you feel that five hours and 20 minutes is acceptable for a round of golf?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: No.

Q. WHAT do you think should be done about that?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean, the way we played the first two rounds, we played two balls and we played in four hours and ten. We played nine holes; we did the turn in two hours, it almost felt like you hardly have time to eat, like you're running around the golf course.
But five hours, that's too much. In this heat, you don't want to do that.

Q. Some of the putts were taking two minutes for 20 feet.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know, seems to take a little time always when we play. But I think -- I thought two balls was the way to go and I was a bit surprised when I looked at the three balls like last night. But what can you do about it? If it takes time, you have to -- I mean, I don't know. I don't feel slow but of course, in a major, everyone is going to take their time.

Q. Do you fear for the women's game, this is a major championship, so it's important that players take their time and they have a good chance to actually make the putts that they wish to make. But in terms of entertainment, five hours, ten minutes, or five minutes on the green for three-ball seems a little unacceptable?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know, I'm just trying to do my routine. What everyone else is doing, I can't really do anything about. But if I had the option, I would go for two-ball.
DANA GROSS-RHODE: Thank you very much and good luck tomorrow.

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