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LONGS DRUGS CHALLENGE

October 6, 2007

Suzann Pettersen

DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Suzann, you had a season-best 64 today, and you had two eagles in your round, how did it feel to make a move today?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I had a goal actually to make a move after the first round, so it's been two great days. I played with Lorena and Lorena is very hot, so you just have to keep giving yourself chances, and two eagles kind of helps. Just kind of playing what I have and grinding in a few putts.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: The two eagles on the front nine, you're just the sixth player this season to even score two eagles in a round. What does that do for your momentum?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: It helps for sure. This course really sets up for you. You have the par 5s, a good drive and a good second shot; and you have the 17th, a pretty short hole. I mean, this course sets up for, if you get it going, a low score. I'm just glad I kind of kept going today and didn't kind of stop. So see what I can find out tomorrow.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Very quick, if we can go over your score card, starting with the eagle on the 5th.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I had like 200 to the pin and hit rescue four. Then I had an eight-foot eagle putt.
6, I had a wedge shot into the green and had an 8-footer again.
7, 5-iron to 20 feet.
The eagle on 9, I chipped in from green-side.

Q. From how far?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: 35 maybe. I had 3-wood in my hand on the second shot.
Then a birdie on 11, rescue four -- the eagle putt was probably about a 20-footer. That was a tap-in birdie.
And then bogey, 3-putt on 14. I missed a 3-footer, 2-footer.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: How far was that first putt?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: 15-footer I guess.
15 was 3-wood up to the green, second shot, chipped it to two feet and knocked it in.
17, ten-yard chip, pin-high, and knocked it four feet by and knocked it in.

Q. After a first-round 75, coming back with a 65, 64, what changed from Thursday?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know. Golf is a weird game. I mean, the first round, I didn't feel like I hit that many bad shots, but then I putted terribly for my own standards. That's kind of what I've been trying to work on, trying to feel the putts more and find a rhythm.
My long game is okay. I just played with what I had and what the course gave me. It's just nice to be up there again.

Q. Can you recall two rounds like this, to go that low back-to-back; this year, a couple years ago, any time you felt this good back-to-back days?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: No, it's been a while since -- no. I can't, really. It's a great feel and you just kind of go with the flow.

Q. What were you thinking after the first three holes, Lorena comes out birdie, birdie, birdie and you went par, par, par. And I saw you on the last tee, you had a big laugh about something.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: First of all, you don't expect anything else from Lorena. When I was putting on 18, I knew she was going to make that. You just expect it from her.
And it was nice to be paired with her today, she pushed me and it's nice, she helped get me going. It's nice when you get paired with good friends and good players; you can actually push each other.
I mean, you just have to keep hitting your own shot and your own game. I mean, if you hit good shots, you will get opportunities.

Q. Is it playing slow out there?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Is it? (Laughter).
We're getting quite used to it out here. It's ridiculous how long it takes. For us, it doesn't matter if it's two-ball or three-ball; it's way over five hours. You're standing on 16 and there are four groups on the tee. It takes us 40 minutes from when you last hit a shot until you hit your next shot.

Q. How do you keep your momentum going?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Just have to kind of block out golf and just talk and relax and then kind of focus back on when it's your turn to hit. But, I mean, it's hard to keep the flow going. I mean, you hit one shot in 40 minutes and it's a par 3 and it would probably be nice to have a mulligan just to get the body going again.

Q. Staying on an even keel, does that help not only playing with Lorena, but with a huge gallery like that?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: That's the first time I've ever heard that. I usually go -- that's what I've tried to do with my golf this year is be more neutral and focus on what you can do and the first part of the process and just let the rest of the process happen and be neutral. That's all you can do.
I think it's worked to my favor this year, absolutely.

Q. How much more comfortable are you now in the final round with the lead? We talked about it a little bit how you learned from Nabisco and had done well in that situation since then. How much better prepared are you for a day like tomorrow?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I feel very comfortable. This is where you want to be; this is what you practice for; this is what you grind for; the more often you're in this situation, the more comfortable it will be. You feel good about it, and you just want to take advantage of it and try to do your best. I mean, it's just another round of golf.
So I think the entire game is a bit more -- has a bit more relaxed attitude. I mean, you can only do your best each day in the week, and that's what it is. If you have to fight -- no, it's just a lot of fun and it's coming to the end of the year. It's possible to put a few more wins in there. So, I have my chance tomorrow.

Q. After your eagle on 9, do you want to keep the momentum and keep going? It took about ten minutes to kind of figure out the drop and you were just patiently waiting there.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yeah, that's why I wanted to go because I knew it was going to take a while. Things like that happen. That's just fine.

Q. Do you remember the first time you had two eagles in a round?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Not on the front nine but it's been a while. But it was nice to have the chip-in, there haven't been that many this year.

Q. What will you be doing to prepare for tomorrow? Obviously you did something great to prepare yesterday and today, so what are you going to be doing that will be the same or different?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I don't do much, that's probably the same. I'll have a couple of minutes on the green when I'm done here, have dinner, have a good sleep, try to sleep as long as possible, have a short session in the gym tomorrow to get the body going and ready to go whenever I'm teeing off tomorrow.
So, no, I think that's what's nice, you kind of get used to being in the lead and being in the hunt that you relax more and you don't make anything unusual. You do the same thing you do every day and don't make anything special.

Q. Can you tell us how you got into this sport in a country that's really not known for golf right now? How did that happen and what did you grow up -- what sports were you into?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know, I'm probably more into skiing than into golf. But golf is a big sport back home and probably helps that I'm playing good and we have a couple of good guys that play on the PGA last year and this year.
It's just gone from being a very kind of snobbish sport. When I first started to now it's more a public sport. It's more open for everybody. There are open practice facilities where you can go in a tee shirt and jeans; those dress codes and kind of limitations you have before doesn't exist anymore.
But, I mean, golf needs a four-season climate and our summer is not that long. It limits the season but at least people appreciate great when it's finally there.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Thank you and good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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