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EVIAN MASTERS

July 27, 2008

Helen Alfredsson

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE

THE MODERATOR: I'd like to welcome Helen Alfredsson. Helen, absolutely fantastic day for you. Did you ever expect that would happen at the end of this week?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: No, I played with Angela yesterday, and she played so well. She didn't look like she was making any mistakes at all. I knew it would take a very low round for me -- I was 4 behind -- to catch her. Then I saw Na and she was really playing well as well. It wasn't until probably like 15, 16 that I realized I might have a chance.

Q. Do you think you will be playing in the Solheim Cup next year now?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: That's a long ways away. But you should never say never. But I don't know if that's something that I aspire to. It's too early.

Q. How satisfied are you with all the things that have happened?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: I can't even describe it in words. Like I said so many times this week, this tournament is so special for me. Being here in '94, and sort of helping it get along.
It was a new tournament and we didn't know where it was going to go. We were trying to bring players. We were trying to invite some American players. Look where it's been. It's an amazing golf tournament.
To be able to do it 10 years after my last win, it's hard. I mean, I've been very emotional. I've seen Antoine, which is Franck's father who was here with us in the first one.
It's a very emotional event for me. I've had nothing but great memories here. I just love this place. Somebody's looking after me for this to be my next win.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: I don't know. I mean, every day is different in that sense. I felt comfortable. You never know when you're going to make those kind of putts. This is your day, and, obviously, it was my day to day. I made putts coming in.

Q. Were you nervous?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: Of course you're nervous. That is part of the game. It would be crazy if you're not nervous. It is really how you handle it. I was very nervous on my first shot in the regular before I finished my 18th hole, so to speak. I was very nervous on that second shot.
But, you know, you know that's how it is. You're going to have to deal with it. When you feel better with your game, it's easier to deal with your nerves. I mean, of course you have the nerves.

Q. Na Yeon was playing with you, and she's not as experienced as you are, right?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: Well, experience, you also want it so much more. I think some of the times the easiest one is the first one when you really don't know what it's all about.
For me, this is obviously a very special event that I love to win, because my friends are here. I've been a part of it to grow.
But it's nice. It's terrifying when you're out there. But it's such a relief and such a great feeling when you're done.

Q. On the 18th green, that long look out there, was that the moment you thought you could win?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: Well, I just got a little bit of feeling that it was within the reach. She played amazingly well. I thought my course record was going to fly out the window today, because she was just making birdies and they were going so well. And, you know, she was 17 under very quickly.
I think after I finished my 13th or something, 14th. No, 13, she had made a birdie. I three-putted, and she was 17. I think I was 12, five shots at that point. It seemed to be an awful lot. She makes two, and I make a birdie.
You know, she made a couple bogies, I guess, and I made a birdie so I managed to get it tied. So, yeah. But it wasn't until the very end when she was back down to 15 that I felt like, in a way, I felt like I was putting for second place when she was at 17.

Q. When you play 18 over and over do you approach it any differently?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: No, to keep making birdies, I think it's a pretty good approach. No, you're just trying to hit the driver in the right place so can you go for it in two and so on. You know, I didn't do it on my third time around.
But, you know, I really don't have much to say. I'm very tired now. It was fun. It's a fun hole to have a playoff on, because it's not totally easy. You have to hit some good shots. I thought it was a great performance of women's golf showing at the end what can be done.
Obviously, we see these young girls, you know, Angela and Na Yeon, they're fantastic players.

Q. What did you hit on the last two playoff holes on 18?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: Rescue, rescue, rescue. It was the same shot. No, what did I hit? I hit a wedge. I laid up on my fourth. It was four playoff holes, wasn't it? Wasn't it four?

Q. Three.
HELEN ALFREDSSON: No. Did Angela go out on the first and then we had two more? Oh, okay. Okay, I had rescue, and then I had lay-up with the wedge. Then I had a rescue again.

Q. The last one?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: Rescue. Rescue.

Q. (Asking about her last nine holes.)
HELEN ALFREDSSON: No. I started with a bogey on the first hole. Then I birdied the hole straight back. I don't remember, don't you know? No? I know I birdied 17 and 18. That kind of got me in the playoffs. Then I birdied 14, bogeyed 13, birdied 12. And I had a 6-iron in on 12. No, I cannot.

Q. You were quoted as saying one for the old bags.
HELEN ALFREDSSON: What do you think it was today? They were 19 and 20. You know, it's still one for the bags.
You know, it's fun. I think that's what golf is. It shows what golf is all about. How far you can go. I played with Inkster today, which was tremendous. I played with Angela Park. Youth and age has no different.
Perhaps we have a little more experience, perhaps. But when you have a game, you have a common interest. You know, age doesn't seem to be that big of a deal.

Q. (Indiscernible).
HELEN ALFREDSSON: I worked so hard especially last winter I worked out. Every day I had a coach, I was trying to get fit. I was working very hard on my golf game, and I absolutely got nothing out of it.
This year, obviously because of my injuries they found what it was. I didn't work out as hard. I mean, I work out five days a week, so it's not like I'm not working out, but it was a different way. I saw progress. I started getting my feeling back in my right arm. Then I had to figure out the swing to work with that.
You know, you never know if you're going to win, obviously. Especially, time is running out a little bit. But I knew I was playing really well. I was third in greens regulation in the States almost all year. So I knew I was hitting the right shots. It was really about connecting to make the putt.
THE MODERATOR: Helen, now you've qualified for the ADT Championship.
HELEN ALFREDSSON: I did? Isn't that nice not to know things and just have things.

Q. How does it feel to win the money and now to have a chance to play in the ADT Championship?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: You know what, seriously, it's like at the Open, that was my biggest check ever. But I never played for the money. I think maybe in the beginning I played for the money, because I didn't have any, you know, and you're fighting to pay your bills and you're fighting.
But at this point the satisfaction of winning and making your putt or making some putts that I made today, there is nothing, there is no money in the world that can pay for that, you know?
Money can just buy things, and having memories and having to go what I've gone through and sort of come out on top at the end, there is really nothing that, you know -- I think my husband is probably more happy about the money than I am.

Q. Money aside, the feeling of winning championships?
HELEN ALFREDSSON: No, no, of course. That's an amazing thing. I haven't played well enough to be anywhere in it. It's going to be very exciting. I haven't been there and played in that tournament. I always love to play new tournaments. So, yeah, I'm super excited to be part of that event.

Q. Congratulations, Helen.
HELEN ALFREDSSON: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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