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STANFORD INTERNATIONAL PRO-AM

April 27, 2008

Annika Sorenstam

AVENTURA, FLORIDA

ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Annika, congratulations on your 71st victory on the LPGA Tour, your second of the year. You improved your playoff record to 16-6, which is really quite solid. Can you just talk about your round and that playoff hole?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I mean, first of all, obviously I'm very relieved and happy and, you know, excited at the same time.
It was -- I thought it was a good day today. I thought I played very well, and so did Paula. She played excellent. I know it came down to the last, well, it took 19 holes to separate us. It could have gone really any way.
I'm just fortunate that this time it was my turn, and I'm going cherish this moment. Like I said, I felt like I played well the whole week. This is a big tournament on our schedule, and it meant a lot to me to come down the stretch there and hit some really crucial shots and finish strong.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: And it looks like you'll be back in the area this November. You punched your ticket to the ADT Championship, this being a winter event. Can you talk about having that confirmed and not having to do it on the points list?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. No, it's great. It's obviously a bonus, I would say. It wasn't anything I was thinking about, but I'm in. I'll be there, of course.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Let's go over your scorecard and start with question.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Okay. I birdie the 6th hole. I hit a 5-iron over the green and chipped it to three feet.
I birdied No. 10. Pitching wedge to four feet.
I bogey No. 13. I hit a 6-iron over the green and chipped and two-putted from four feet.
And the playoff, finished with a par.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: How long was that par putt on the playoff hole?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The par putt, it was just a tap-in.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Questions for Annika?

Q. Talk about what goes through your mind when you win like that and when another player at the end makes a mistake like that?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, by the end the day's, you know, it's a win. Like i said, it could have gone either way. We really played solid throughout the round. I had two great chances, in regulation and in the playoff, and just hit the lip in both of them.
Obviously it was not the finish Paula had in mind, but we fought very hard, both of us, and just gotta take it. Like I said, this time it was my turn.

Q. First of all, when Paula made bogey on 17th and you had a makable birdie. Still, having her come back to you with that one shot, what kind of a boost did that give you?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I've been around a while and I know that anything can happen. Even though I was trailing by one for the last four or five holes, you know, I know anything can happen on this golf course, especially with the wind.
When you're leading and you come down the stretch the wind might change. I just kept telling myself to stay focused and keep on going. I might roll in a putt. Whatever happened on 17 can easily happen.
Of course it's nice to get to 18 knowing that it's -- you know, we're at the same score rather than forcing a birdie. Because it's a tough hole, the 18th. The green is very severe and you got the wind you and don't really know where it's going. One minute it's right to left and the next it's downwind.
You have to be so precise, so just knowing that birdie would probably win, that was obviously more comforting than feeling like you have to force a birdie.

Q. Speaking of those birdie putts on 18, obviously it worked out in the end for you. How did either of them stay out?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Good question. I mean, I've hit a lot of lips this week, and I finished with two. So I felt like I made two good runs at it. You know, it's just great approach shots. Like I said, these greens are not easy to read. You know, I tried.

Q. After the injuries of last year and not being able to win for the first time since you were a rookie, talk about what it means to have already won twice now?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I'm very excited the way the season has started. I feel like I've been very consistent. And actually, if we go back to the end ever last season, pretty much the British Open and on, I've been top 10 I think every tournament except two.
That is as consistent as when I was at my peak. I just had a few more victories. But top 10s and top 5s are probably as many. I feel good about my game. I feel -- I would say it's very, very close.
I mean, this week I hit ball beautifully I thought. Especially my iron shots. I've had good distance control, and that's always been my strength. It's been a while since I really felt that.
I believe my injury is really healing and I'm starting to feel shots again, which is -- that feeling disappeared a little bit when I didn't have the control.
Now I feel like I have control again, and that's what I want to take from this week. I'm hitting my iron shots on the number, and that's what I love and that's how I play golf.

Q. This is Paula's first playoff, and you've obviously played in a lot of them and done well. What would you say if you had to give any advice to Paula or anyone else is the key to playing well in a playoff?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm not going to share my secrets. Well, I mean, it's -- you know, I've been lucky in playoffs. I think really the key is just to focus on your game. You know, it's so easy to get caught up in the other player that you forget to play the course or the hole the way you have to play it.
I just try to play my own game. It's a little bit of luck in the playoff. So, I mean, my advice to her is just keep on playing your game. I mean, we all know she has a fantastic game. She's proven it today and she's proven in the past. She's going to win many times.

Q. In general, what did you think about the tournament and the format? Did you like it?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, first of all, I want to thank Stanford for the support of this tournament. I think they have done a really good job, together with IMG and Turnberry Resort. It's really a first class event start to finish. It's nice to stay on property, and the hospitality has been great here. The course has been in fabulous shape.
The format itself is different. It takes a little while to get used to it. You really have to be patient and play your own game, because there's a lot of distractions and it takes a long time to play.
Overall, I think it's been a great week. Obviously walking away the winner makes it sweeter. I would rank this tournament as one of our premier events on the tour, for sure.

Q. (No microphone.)
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That's a good question. I'm not really sure. I'm sure when there's some big names from TV or other athletes, you know, people that love it watch celebrities play, I'm sure they will be here.
I do think we have a strong following from the LPGA in general, so we knew the fans would be big anyway. I'm sure some of the people have showed up to see what this is all about.

Q. Paula said in her first playoff that her hands were shaking holding the putter at the end. Do you remember your first tour playoff and what happened?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know in if I remember it. I played if a playoff against Laura Davies in the World Cup, I mean World Championship. I don't know if that was my first one.
I mean, you get a little extra adrenaline and maybe a few extra butterflies. That's what I love. I mean, that's why I do this. Not to say I want to have playoffs every week, but it's a lot of drama and you have to hit that certain shot when I it counts.
You know, it's my 15th year and I've experienced a lot of wins from behind. I have run away with certain tournaments. But when you win in playoffs it's special because you have to work extra hard.
You know, it's very memorable for sure.

Q. Are you playing next week?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I'm not.

Q. Will you come back again?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I believe it's King's Mill. Is that the week after?
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Uh-huh.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I'll be there.

Q. What kind of momentum swing did you kind of sense on the 17th when Paula had her trouble and wound up making bogey?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: We just talked about that. I don't remember my answer, but this answer this time is --
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: -- fresh.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, you get a fresh answer. I mean, you know, when you're out there playing, you really just have to keep on grinding because anything can happen on this golf course.
Paula was playing great there. On 15 she had a great chance and on 16 she had a great chance, too. I just kept hang in there hoping I would roll a putt in or something would happen. When I stepped on 18th tee, it's a better feeling knowing -- rather than when you're behind, when you're behind on a Par 5 I always feel like I have to press a little extra. That's not really a hole that you want to press.
The green is very tough and the wind, you know, the approach shots into the wind and the little green makes it tough. I felt really good. I had 5-wood off the tee and I hit 8-iron down there and then 100 yards in. Those are the shots that I live for. I practice those a lot, and I could not have asked for better yardage.

Q. Yesterday someone asked you about the Olympics, and you said you weren't quite sure if the format was suitable for golf. Can you elaborate a little bit on that?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. The format -- I mean, golf in general would work. I think it would be tough to get the best players in the world to play because we have tournaments every week. On the LPGA, I mean, I play 11 months of the year. I know the guys play probably 12 months of the year.
I think it would be tough to get the Summer Olympics in the middle the U.S. Open, LPGA Championship, PGA Championship, you name it, you know, British Open.
I think it would be very hard to get the best players, and when you have the Olympics you should have the best players.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: And this year the 2008 Olympics do run in course with the Canadian Women's Open and the Safeway in Portland, just for reference. One last question.

Q. What would be the only circumstances you would have gone for the green in two?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, I don't know if I ever would. You know, I thought it was a very gutsy play of Paula to hit driver off the tee. I hit 5-wood just to make sure that I'm short of everything.

Q. (No microphone.)
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's tough to speculate. Maybe two back, and then I think I would need a little bit more downwind so that my drive would get out there further. I would probably have no more than a 6-iron in.
I've had some shots -- we can take my second shot on No. 6 today. I hit a 5-iron in and released 30 yards. If you land that ball 30 yards, it might be over the green. You have to be just one or two yards on, and that's very tough to judge.
So I think that's the reason why I wouldn't go for it, because the green is so firm. Unless you land in the bunker, but what are the chances you're going to be that precise when the wind is swirling everywhere. So tough to speculate.
But I did hit the green in the Pro-Am, not the Pro-Am, but the practice round. But that's a little different.
ASHLEY CUSHMAN: Annika, thanks for your time this week. Congratulations on your win. We'll see you at King's Mill.

End of FastScripts

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