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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY COCA-COLAJune 3, 2008Annika SorenstamHAVRE DE GRACE, MARYLAND DANA GROSS-RHODE: Thank you, everyone, for joining us. Annika Sorenstam, three-time champion here, second major of the year and you went out and played the Pro-Am. How is the course playing for you, and what are your thoughts for the week. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, the course is in great shape, I must say. Probably as good as I've ever seen it. They have lengthened a few holes. The rough is thick, and the greens are good. It's for this championship. So, I'm excited to be back. Like you said, I've done well here in the past, and I'm looking forward to a great week. Q. What's it been like the last few weeks since you've announced your intentions and has it changed in any way, what you have going on, from a normal basis? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Nothing has really changed. I feel like I've been very busy since New York doing a little bit of that and doing a little bit of this. But, it's been good. I'm just trying to enjoy the last few months out here, and do the best I can, and hopefully continue to play the way I have. Last week, being the hostess of a tournament, that was a busy week. I would say that I haven't had time to just sit and reflect, which in a way I don't really need because I know what I'm doing, but it has been just kind of go, go, go. Q. Do you feel like it's a farewell tour? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Do you feel like it's a farewell tour? No, it was never meant to be that way. I felt the responsibility to announce my stepping-away decision, because I think I owe that to everybody. But it's not meant to be something else than that. I'm focusing on playing golf. I want to finish well and you know, I have a chance to win the Money List and Player of the Year, so that's kind of what's my focus and nothing else. Q. I was just going to ask if you've had any second thoughts at all about this being the last year. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I haven't. Like I said, I've been go, go, go, so I haven't really thought about it. No, I know this is the right thing. This wasn't a decision that I just decided over a cup of coffee. I mean, this is something that has come to me the last few months, and you know, I'm excited about the future and what that will bring. I have achieved so much more on the golf course, and I'm happy. I don't need to do this anymore. I'm very much content, and I'm looking forward to spending my energy on other things that has to do with golf. You know, continue to build golf courses, working at the ANNIKA Academy a little bit more and with my foundation which is about helping kids. I have a lot of passion for what I do and it's time to change my priorities, and it's going to be fun, different challenges. Q. Part of being No. 1 player in the world is learning to deal with all of the off the course demands and responsibilities that you have with sponsors and media, and that's a role you've grown into over the years. Now Lorena is learning to kind of cope with that. If you could give her any advice about that, about how to learn to deal with the off-the-course demands on her time what, would that be? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't think she needs any help, and she's playing pretty good golf. To be honest, I don't know if I've learned in addition yet. I'm still learning. Everything is about balance. Everything is about scheduling and everything is about time management. You have to continue to be strong with your priorities. I think that's what I learned. Q. Lorena was in here a couple of minutes ago talking about sort of her friendship with you. Can you talk about how you've tried to help her over the years; do you consider her a good friend? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I definitely consider her a friend. I mean, obviously we've had our battles on the golf course. I've been to México a few times. She came to Sweden to support my tournament. I know her family just from being out here. I do feel a special bond with her. I respect her tremendously, and it's been a lot of fun to see her grow. She has developed a lot as a person and as a player, and she's a great asset to the Tour. It's just fun to see. That's another reason why I feel like my timing of stepping away is good, is that the Tour is in great hands. The LPGA I think is at its top right now, and that makes it easy, too. Q. Knowing you only have three majors left and that this is your last McDonald's how much more motivation does that give you, how great would it be to go out with one or two more majors? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Or three? Yeah, that would be great. (Laughter). I know I can do it. I've done it in the past. Of course, my focus is to play well and I want to do the best I can. But I try not to think about, you know, this is my last LPGA McDonald's Championship. If I start thinking like that, I think it would be very tough. I mean, the pressure would be there. I feel good about my game and I'm excited to be here and I just want to play the best I can, and just knowing that I've won this before, that gives me a little extra. It will be fun and I'm going to smell the roses this week and I'm just going to absorb a little bit more, and go from there. Q. Last week, Tiger insinuated after talking with you multiple times over the last few months that he had got from you that it was your desire to have a family as one of your primary reasons for stepping away; is that legitimate? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's a big part, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I'm 37 years old and I want to change my priorities to getting married and starting a family. But it is something that's important to me, also is building the ANNIKA brand. I think the timing is perfect and I'm ready to do this. I've had my excitement and I've had my success on the course, and it's time to move on. So, it was a lot of factors that's behind this. Q. You just said a minute ago that the Tour is in great hands with Lorena doing as well as she is now. What do you think about the next generation, the group that's coming up maybe behind her and the ones who have broken out the last couple of years; how long do you think it will be before they start to rise up to the level -- or if you think they can? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I think every five or six years, you see a little bit of a new generation. I think the Tour is as good as it's ever been. The depth is there. The top is definitely there. I mean, just seeing the progress that Paula has made and Morgan Pressel, a lot of the young American players have done well. And then also the growth from overseas; there are a lot of Asian players that are playing very good golf. Obviously it's tough to pick who is going to be the next No. 1, and, you know, when Lorena kind of moves on, but I have no doubt the Tour is in good hands and that you'll see the level of play, it will continue to get better and better, and it's wonderful to see. Q. What will you miss the most about the LPGA Tour? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: What I will miss the most on the LPGA Tour? I would say the people and the competition. You know, I was very competitive and I think I will miss coming down the stretch, being in contention. But there are certain things I will not miss. I mean, the travel and I would say all of the packing and all of that, I've done that. I've been to some wonderful places and I'm looking forward to being home a little bit and have some routines and just catch up on things that you have kind of sacrificed the years in college, or maybe the last 15 years, everything has been golf, it's been -- I've been living golf, eating golf, sleeping golf and now it's time to do something else. So it will be fun. Q. When you look back, how do you reflect on the majors versus the Colonial? How does playing in the Colonial stack up to some of your majors? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, the Colonial was obviously an amazing experience. I mean, everything leading up to the tournament itself, just the preparation and really pushing myself, was great, and the memories I have from Colonial. But I definitely think that it helped me. I mean, after that, I played some good golf, won majors after that. It just felt like the pressure that I felt through the Colonial, nothing will ever compare to that. So, I remember stepping up to a tournament after the Colonial and feeling like it was a piece of cake; I can handle this. So it was very good for me not just professionally, but I would say personally, too. I really felt like I could be myself and when I look back at my career, I always think of the Colonial as definitely a highlight, but also a turning point in my life. Q. Early in Carolyn Bivens' tenure, you were among players that were critical; do you feel that she's grown into the job? Update your observations. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, my observations have changed. I believe it was two years ago that I commented on her in her job, but I've changed my mind and I've seen some great changes. I've seen things turn around and I think she's just -- like you said, she's grown into the role. I think she's doing a great job. I actually meet with her frequently about things, and I get more updates on what's going on on the Tour. So I have a better understanding really what they are thinking and where they are coming from and their approach and what their goals are, and I think that helps. I'm a big supporter of Carolyn and what she does. Q. Is television commentary in your future? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Probably not. Do you have an opening spot for me? Q. For you, yes. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you. No, I haven't really thought about it to be honest. Q. Just jumping ahead a little bit, looking at the U.S. Open at Interlachen in Minnesota, you played there in the 2002 Solheim Cup. Your recollections of that course, knowing it's going to be the longest ever, what do you anticipate? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I love the golf course. I love old, traditional courses, and this is a typical one where you have small greens. You have to work the ball off the tee. It's just a beautiful place. I think it's going to be a perfect venue for the Open. I mean, it's going to be great. I'm really looking forward to it. DANA GRASSRHODE: Thank you all very much for coming in. Annika, good luck this week. Thank you. End of FastScripts |
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