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MICHELOB ULTRA OPEN AT KINGSMILL

May 11, 2008

Annika Sorenstam

WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

MIKE SCANLAN: Well, Annika, congratulations. Your 72nd win. Your first win here at Kingsmill.
We'll do your scorecard at the end because we might have some guys on deadline here.
If you would, just talk about how it feels to win here in Virginia and how you played today.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, it feels great, amazing, really. Like I've said all week, I like this place and love the golf course and just always wanted to play well here.
I always felt like it was a big tournament on our schedule and the best players are always here. Kind of our Players' Championship. And to come back after last year when I didn't play here, I missed out last year. Now I'm here and winning this tournament is just a wonderful feeling.
I think I feel just relieved, I feel peace at myself knowing I can play this golf course. So it's great.
MIKE SCANLAN: You looked relieved. We'll turn it over for questions. Any questions?

Q. The back 9 your best ball striking of the season?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was very close. I mean I hit -- I started on the 9th hole, hit a 5-iron just right over the pin and then, you know, the last 9 holes it was just dialed it in.
The yardage was right, the clubs were right, the direction was right. Just felt really good, very solid, very much in control and, you know, that's the way I felt last week -- not last week but in Miami and in the first two days here, just feel so comfortable with my iron shots.
That's how I hit the greens with my career, control my irons. To do it today was obviously a good timing. You know, tough conditions and, you know, tough competitors. You really want to be able to trust your approach shots and I could do that. It was fun. I was enjoying it very much.

Q. As good as you were with your irons, did you miss a fairway today?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm not really sure if I did.

Q. Only one I didn't see I think was 11.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: 11? That was a fairway. I guess not.

Q. What did Mike say when he came and said, informed you he was going to get you with the beer?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I said, "Pour it on." No. We talked about it. That's a tradition they have here and I can smell it now, actually (laughter). I think it's going to taste better in the mouth than on the clothes.

Q. How much do you compare yourself to before your injury?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm sorry?

Q. How much do you compare your game and yourself to before your injury?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, it's just -- I mean I remember how I played and I remember how it felt and I obviously know how I performed but a few years have passed and I've gone through changes with injuries and losing something strength and focusing on other things.
I'm a different person today than I was three years ago when I was just focusing on golf and, you know, that's all I did. Now, it's -- I feel like I'm a more rounded person and have a better perspective on things and appreciate things a little bit more.
Golfwise today on the back 9, that is probably as good as I can hit my iron shots. Make a few more putts and get some distance with my driver. I'm going to tell you, that is as good as I can play.
I mean that's obviously what I'm working towards but it's so gratifying to get out there and feeling in control after the last year, I've been fighting to get back.
So, more of -- like I said earlier, inner peace to me knowing I can do it and this is the way I play at the top.

Q. Annika, how much do you sort of relish coming back at this from sort of -- coming back up instead of life at the top as it was, you know, for so many years but now you've got another challenge and you're coming up trying to get back up?
Is that a really --
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's very different. I mean a few years ago when I was No. 1 player and I was winning several tournaments a year, you just take certain things for granted. Come to a tournament and I felt very comfortable. I was expecting myself to perform or even winning. Top-3 wasn't good enough.
The last year, you know, going through what I did and you appreciate making cuts, you appreciate being Top-10 and having a chance to win and there's so many players out there and I think when you step away for a little while you see it from another light and I know it's tough to win out here so now I cherish the wins more because I know that anything can happen overnight.
When you do look back it's very special. It's almost -- I wouldn't say more rewarding, but it's really worth the hard work.

Q. You're in a situation there where you could have just shot pars and closed this thing out. Can you kind of talk about the mentality? I think you had five birdies on the back 9, I believe.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: When you're out there playing, I was only trying to hit the best shots that I could at the time and trying to make putts.
I think a lot of times you get caught up looking at the other players and what they're doing and what I do need to do to protect the lead.
I started that way and it wasn't a good start. I said, "I'm going to just play my game, hit some good shots and score and we'll see what happens."
I find it very difficult to play defensive the round because I'm counting strokes, I'm counting their putts and when you really should just play your game and that's what I did on the back 9. I said, "Forget it, let's just play."
Then I felt a lot more relaxed. I hit the ball closer. So it worked.

Q. Would you call that a halftime speech that you gave yourself?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I talk to myself a lot. Lot of people say that you look so cool out there but it's so much more going on inside the head and the things I say to Terry and the things Terry tells me and the things I battle within myself.
Just to stand on the first tee and have a 3-shot lead is what we all dream about. You have to finish it. It's what matters after 72 holes.
So you really got to stay focused and actually got to continue to play and it's so easy to get caught up in things.

Q. Annika, I think your lead early on in the first 10 holes, you got down to two and then three times and each time you answered that on the very next hole by pushing it back out to three.
How much was that a coincidence and how much was that "By, God, I'm going to turn it around once again"?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know if it was a coincidence this week. I felt like I've been answering somebody everyday, the first two days Lorena and then today was JJ so, it just -- I felt like I was playing good enough and every time I felt like I needed to do it, I did it and, you know, that's a great feeling.

Q. You said Thursday it was too early to make a statement. Do you feel like now that you've made a statement?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, let's put it this way: I mean I'm very proud the way I played this week and I'm very happy the way I've been hitting especially my iron shots and I've been making a lot of the putts. I'm scoring and I'm playing.
This is what I've been waiting for. This is what I've been wanting to do. So I just hope to continue this momentum. I got some breaks this week. There's no doubt. The last few months I've not had any breaks.
I'm feeling it. It's turning around and so I can't wait for the next month or so to come with big tournaments and I'm excited.

Q. What do you think the chances are looking out that you'll be back here to defend?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm sorry?

Q. I said what do you think the chances are right now that you'll be back here in a year to defend?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hope so.

Q. I didn't know what your plans were, whether to play again.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm going to continue this year the way I started it and at the end of the year I always assess it like I have the last few years. At this point I feel great about what I'm doing.

Q. Next April, a month long honeymoon would put you right here, correct?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know if Kingsmill is on our honeymoon list yet. It's been good to us. We have to consider it.

Q. You talked about your mental approach earlier. Sort of the 54 mindset that you worked on throughout your career.
Is that a major asset as you play tournament golf?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I believe in thinking positive. I believe in making the most out of each round and I really feel like 54 is a great vision to have.
I'm not sure if you know really where that comes from but I believe it's possible to birdie every hole out here and so therefore if you think you can do it in your head, I think it's easier to do it in person.
MIKE SCANLAN: Anything else? Before we do your card, I just want to congratulate you. The first Tour player to ever cross $22 million in earnings. Congratulations.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you on that.

End of FastScripts

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