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RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPENAugust 3, 2007Annika SorenstamST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND COLIN CALLANDER: Ladies and gentlemen, we have Annika Sorenstam. She's just returned a 71 for's 3-under par total of 143. Congratulations, Annika. That's a very good round of golf today. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you. That's funny that you say good morning, because I've been up forever. But no, obviously I'm very happy and obviously the conditions were a little easier this morning. I don't think we had a breath of air really. You know, just very smooth greens, so I tried to take advantage of it and was really able to early but I played really steady and got off -- I would say the finish was quite strong. COLIN CALLANDER: What time did you have to get up this morning? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Around 4.00. COLIN CALLANDER: When the last time you had one of those tee times, a long time ago? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think so, I can't remember. It's not one of those things you want to remember. I love to sleep and normally that's when I sleep the best. It's tough to go to bed so early knowing I have to get up because I was so wound up after the first round and was thinking about all of the different shots. I tried to tell myself, 'You've got to sleep, you've got to get up in about six hours.' Q. What holes were playing downwind? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Downwind, let's see -- the first seven holes, we didn't really have any wind. Then actually we had downwind on 11, and then it was into on the back nine. So it was really the opposite of yesterday. Q. You mentioned thinking about shots; does this course make you do that more than most? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so. It's such a different golf course, and, you know, when it's downwind and a few bunkers come into play, and when it's into the win, other bunkers come into play. I was just trying to think my way around the golf course and then I can show that I have the right strategy. But what's so difficult here, even though you might plan ahead, you never know what you're going to get, even though in the morning there might be no wind and that might change. You really have to be able to adapt very quickly and you know, especially now on the back nine, there was 14, that was the only reachable par 5; not today. I hit 5-iron in on 15 and 5-iron on 16, and those are tough greens to have long clubs in. You have to be patient and go for the centre of the green and see what happens. Q. Can you talk about 17? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, if par was 4, I would say would be a very tough hole. We were lucky to have a par 5. But the end of the day it doesn't really matter what the par is. I just tried to play smart there and today I hit driver a little bit more left off the tee because it was into, and then I hit a 4-iron just short of the green and just tried to make an up-and-down for a four. Today it wasn't a pin that you can be aggressive with, and you just have to play smart on that hole. It's so easy to want to finish strong with birdie and get too aggressive. You really have to control yourself. Q. You haven't been in any bunkers? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I try not to. Q. Happy with the way you're playing? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The way I felt, yeah, I thought I hit the ball beautifully today. I had a lot of chances. I thought I putted well but didn't make as many putts. Not those crucial par putts I had on the 9th hole and 12th hole. Those two would have been nice -- but other than that, I was staying to my game plan. I was trying to be patient, and if I made a mistake, my goal was to go to the next tee with a fresh mind, and I think I did pretty well there. So that's my strategy for the next few days. Things are going to happen on this golf course, but you have to let them go. Q. Has it been helpful having Tiger's yardage book? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I would say so. I normally don't carry a yardage book, so for me to have one is a big change. But I do think on this golf course, you really need to know exactly where the bunkers are and what direction to play. It's not so easy sometimes because it's a lot of blind shots. Just by having the book there looking at it -- that yardage book has some experience, and I think it's helping me. Q. Yesterday, some rounds were taking 6 hours. Did you talk about that on the course today? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, we talked a little about it -- well, Morgan and I. We said it would be nice to get as many holes in as possible with no wind, so the faster we play, the better the chance. I thought the pace was great on front nine and then we had to wait on the 11th when everybody was crossing all of the different directions. But, I mean, I'm a fast player. The rhythm is so important, and yesterday is tough in the wind, but it's even tougher when you just have to stand and wait all the time. Q. Do you wish play was a little bit faster? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I don't think anybody enjoys it; not the players, not the fans, and I'm sure you don't enjoy it. It is a tough golf course, though. There's so many shots that's crisscrossing. And when the wind is blowing, you have these big greens and then you end up maybe even closer to the pin that you made nine holes ago. It's a tough golf course to play fast when there's a lot of players around. Q. Did you deliberately play out of turn on the 3rd hole to speed up play or was it just a mistake? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I don't really remember, it was so long ago. You'd have to find that out, I don't know. I don't know what it was -- no. If we did it that way, then it was something that I had no idea of. Maybe Morgan did it intentionally. COLIN CALLANDER: Can we get the details of the birdies? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, absolutely. The 5th hole I hit 7-wood just right of the green and chipped it up and just tapped it in for birdie. No. 8, I hit 8-iron to three feet. No. 9, I hit 9-iron over the green, chipped it up and 2-putted from seven feet. No. 12, sand wedge, 3-putts from 25 feet. The par putt was four feet. And then birdie No. 14. I hit sand wedge to 15 feet. And then 17, I chipped with a sand wedge to three feet. Q. Can you comment on the performance of the young Swede Anna Norddquist? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: By who? I don't know how she did. Q. She shot 76, three over par? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, that's a good score. The conditions were tough yesterday. I mean, I know she's a very talented young lady. I've met her a few times. Obviously I didn't see her play. Q. What will you do between now and the third round? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I think I'm going to get some lunch and practise a little bit, and then I'm going to go to the ladies clubhouse and receive my membership from this golf club, which is a great honour. I'm excited about that. Q. What will you work on on the range? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I just want to continue to work on the things I've been working on, which is mostly setting the club in the right position at the back and just releasing it. You know, I feel very good about these changes and I've done really well. I just want to keep on doing them, because I mean, on the weekend, the last thing I want to do is worry about my swing. It's going to be too many other things to keep track of. Just winding down a little bit, hit a few putts and I'll call it a day. Q. How many drivers did you hit? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I can't give you an exact number. I'm not really sure, but I know it's over ten. Q. Are you pretty much exactly where you would like to be at the moment? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Let's put it this way; I'm very pleased. I'm happy to be done. I'm happy to be under par. I feel good about my game. You know, who knows where I finish by the end of the day, and it's really irrelevant. I just feel good the way I'm playing. And I think the key for me is to continue to be steady the next two days, keep my nerves calm and be patient. You know, I'm looking forward to a great weekend. I mean, this is a weekend I think a lot of the players are looking forward to. It's just you don't get many chances like this. Q. Have you thought about winning or is that something you definitely don't want to think about yet? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I try not to think about it. You know, I'm thrilled that I'm playing well. I'm thrilled that I'm starting to play some golf, and you know, whether it's two rounds, three, or four rounds, you know, so far I think I've done as good as I can. So you know, that's just -- I'm climbing slowly, and that's a good sign. Q. Do you feel you are getting some of your length off the tee back? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so. I'm starting to get my natural draw back. I haven't really seen a draw in about 19 months. That's something you need on this course, so I'm welcoming it. Q. (About injury). ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Today was good. I feel really good and my strength is getting better. You know, that really -- that matters to me. COLIN CALLANDER: Thank you very much, Annika. Good luck over the weekend. End of FastScripts |
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