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RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPENJuly 29, 2008Annika SorenstamASCOT, ENGLAND COLIN CALLANDER: We have Annika Sorenstam here. Annika, your last experience in a major championship I believe for you. Must be an emotional week for you. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I believe you're right, it is my last one, and it's going to be emotional. I think it's mixed emotions because I'm happy to be here. I've always liked make in the British Open and I've always liked Sunningdale, so I'm looking forward to the week. COLIN CALLANDER: What is it you like about Sunningdale? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I think it's a true golf course. You know, it puts a premium on your driving. I would say it puts a premium really on all your shots. It's a long golf course. You know, it has a mixture of a links feel the way it plays, but when conditions are the way they are after a little rain, you can still be a little aggressive and attack the pin. Q. What are some of your fond memories of playing in the British Open? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: What memories I have? I have a lot of great memories. This has been a great tournament to me. I finished in the Top-10 a lot of times. I finished second several times and I've won it. I've always enjoyed it here. Like I said, I love this golf course and I love links in general, and being a European, I've always looked up to the British Open with the history and so forth, so tons of memories. Q. Does it feel any different coming to Europe -- ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I don't really feel any different. Everybody has been treating me well since I joined the Tour. I'm just here to play and I'm here to play as good as I can, and with that said, this is not a farewell tour by any means. This is my last season and I'm going to give 100 per cent and have a good year and hope to finish at the top. My mind-set is the same of course, talking about it is different, but the way I look at it is it's another golf tournament and I want to focus on it and I want to do well. Q. When you say you are going to give 100 per cent -- ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It is a little tougher to get motivated nowadays. That's one of the reasons why I'm stepping away, because it doesn't come as naturally, and the desire and hunger is not there as it used to be. I mean, when I was a rookie, I just couldn't wait to play, and now I have to drag myself out to practise and to get going. But having said that, it's different when it's majors, tournaments that I really care about, and I get excited to play. Q. Do you think you'll come back in two or three years? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I wouldn't say in two to three years, no. I'm not really sure. I want to finish this year first. I want to start the next chapter in my life and we'll see what happens. If I get the urge, then I know I can come back -- Q. Inaudible? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, the door is not closed, and that's why I didn't use the r word. I said I'm stepping away, and all of my sponsors are staying with me. Maybe they are hoping that I'm going to come back. So I'm going to continue to be involved with golf, either through the ANNIKA Academy, or, you know, these golf tournaments I'll be hosting and so forth. So I'll be keeping my game alive. Maybe not to the extent where it is today, but I will be still swinging and doing clinics and so forth. Q. As the one woman -- ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, it wasn't one particular day or one particular moment. I think it's been coming on for a little while, and I felt this winter that it was very obvious that my focus wasn't there. You know, the motivation wasn't there, and it was very hard to set up goals. Setting up goals is very easy for me, I can do short-term goals, and I can do long-term goals. But it got to a point to where it's one thing to say I want to win majors and tournaments, but how do you really feel about it, and does it drive you as much as it used to, and I realised it doesn't. Q. Was this a gradual realisation or -- ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I would say that, I mean, it's mixed. Really the key is to be realistic with yourself and listen to what your needs are and what you want. I've tried to push myself very, very hard the last few years, and now it's very tough to put in another gear. It's like there's no other gear for me to put in. I used to have one or even two extra gears when I needed to, and I just don't have that anymore. It's sad in a way because I enjoy the competition, but the reality is what it is, and you know, I have a desire to do some other things, and I feel like I have extra gears there and it's time to put them into work. So I'm excited about that, and I think there's some fun challenges ahead, and I really can't think of a better timing, because you know, I'm leaving on my terms. I'm leaving on a really healthy stage for the LPGA, and it feels good. Q. Looking into the future 15 years ago, would you have believed what you have accomplished? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I would not. There's so many things I wouldn't believe. Looking at the LPGA book right there, and I have several pages. I would have been happy with a photo and a bio of, you know, kind of -- some of my stats, but I've got five pages. So, no, I never would have believed you, no. Q. Are there any particular projects you can tell us about? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I can talk about what I'm going to do in the future for a long time. Like I said I'm excited about that. I'm going to start with the ANNIKA Academy which is my place and I'm going to share my passion for golf and fitness with my coaches. And really excited about the ANNIKA Foundation, which is all about creating dreams for kids either through scholarships or golf tournaments, designing courses. I'm on my fifth project right now, and I have a few others lurking around the corner that I hope to be able to get. Hosting events, clothing lines, and you know, the Web site that we've continued to improve, and then also I've just been announced the Ambassador for the USGA. It's a great honour for me and I'm looking forward to working with them in different ways to grow the game and so forth. So, you know, like I said, I'm not using the "R" word because I will not be sitting still. I will be going in different directions and I think it will be fun. Q. Inaudible? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, I doubt that I can go out and play social golf just for fun for a while. The reason I didn't say that is I competed in tennis for eight years and it took ten years for me to get over that. I've been a professional golfer for 15 years, so I mean, I hope by the time I'm 50, I can go out and shoot under 80. I guess that would be nice. Q. Did you discuss with Tiger in any way your plans for the future? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I didn't discuss with him, but I called him before I made the announcement and shared with him my plans and what I was going to do. Q. And what did he say? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: He said: "I'm glad that you're at peace with your decision and wish you all the best." He did tell me that I beat him to this and I said, "Well, it's the only thing I beat you at," but on the other hand, he's kind of stepped away already, so I have another five more months. Q. Have you been very emotional at tournaments this year? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I haven't been that emotional. There have been a few tournaments where I've kind of choked up coming down the stretch, but I think it's easy when you make the decision on your own, you know, when you feel content about something and you know it's the right reason. I really don't get that emotional. You would think that I would be showing maybe more sadness of leaving, but you know, I am going to leave, but on the other hand, I feel like I'm not really leaving. So therefore, you know, this is the last major, and I would love to play well here, but you know, it's not the end of the world. I think I will come back here and play some golf some other time. Q. How high are your expectations this week? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, my expectations are always high. I believe in myself and I know I can play this golf course, but the competition is tough and you just don't know. But I mean, I'm going to try and stay as competitive as possible. I mean, I would love to win here. It's the only major that I haven't won two or three times, so you know, this could be -- if I could win here this week, and then I would say I've pretty much achieved everything that I possibly can. Q. Do you feel any pressure? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't feel any pressure. I would love to win. I'm in a different state today than I was a few years ago for that reason because I'm content with myself and I practise hard and I know the course and all these things, but I'm not going to go out there and pressure myself. That's another reason why I'm stepping away, is it's very hard to wake up every day and go to every tournament and put pressure on yourself every single day. That's very hard. What's the. Q. What's the most common question you've heard throughout the years? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: "What do majors mean to you," that's probably one. I know the answer well: I care a lot about them. Q. What will you miss the most? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I am a very competitive person. I love coming down the stretch when you have to hit that perfect 7-iron or you have to make birdie to force a playoff or hole a putt to win. You know, there's a special adrenaline that pumps, and I think I will miss that. You know, I will miss all of the friends out here. I will miss some of the courses, but I'm planning on taking my competitive drive into the business world and I think I'm going to need it. Q. It's very well documented that as a young girl you were very -- do you find it very intrusive -- ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, I think I've been lucky in the sense that I'm well-known within the golf industry, and when I wear a hat or my Oakley's, people recognise me. But when I kind of dress up or when I'm more casual and let my hair down, not a lot of people recognise me, so I've always felt like I've got a good mix. If I want to be recognised, I just put a hat on. If not, I take it off pretty much. Q. What Tiger has to go through -- ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I do, yes. He's in a different world there. I don't envy that at all. Like I said, I have a good mix. Q. Have any players or has anyone tried to talk you out of your decision? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Not a player, but I've had family members, sponsor, caddie, everybody else, a lot of fans have just said, you know, do you want to do one more year, we're going to miss you. It's been very nice that way. But I'm set on my decision, and I've said it before, this is not something I came up with during a little coffee break. This is something that's been coming on for a little while, and I think for me coming back through injury just reinstated that I can do it. I'm playing good golf again, I'm back, and to me that just means a lot. Q. The announcement about stepping away, Brett Farve -- ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think we were all a little surprised about his mixed move. What's funny, though, is when I went to -- I was going to say Leadbetter, but it was Letterman -- I said I was going to spend some time with his family; I'm not really sure what I'm going to do now because he won't be there. You know, this is a decision I've made and normally when I make a decision, I stick with it, and again, like I said, I have no plans of coming back in the near future; if I ever will, then time will tell. Q. Inaudible? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know what I have to be honest, it's a mix actually. There are four sponsors that are renewing knowing I'm quitting, which I'm very, very proud of that. We have found different ways for me to be involved with them and to continue the partnership, and it's not just about being seen on TV. There's so much more, and I'm very, very proud of that, because we have built this partnership that's more than just a logo on the chest or the sleeve. We really have built a bond, and it's going to be customer entertaining and them sending their customers to my academy or them being involved in my foundation or them being involved with the AJGA which is a tournament I'm going to host in January. There's so many connections and so much synergy between my sponsors that we are all really looking forward to the next chapter, and actually I have two sponsors that are delighted because now they can use me more. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but there is a lot more than golf, and it's a lot more about the lifestyle and what I do and me as a person, and we're finding that connection. So I think it's pretty cool. Q. How long were the contracts? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Oh, they all varied, but they go from two to four. And Rolex is five years, so there you go. Q. How is the cooking coming? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm still cooking, cooking away, but it's fun. I'm going to keep it that way for a while. Q. How is the course playing? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think the course is in absolute fantastic condition. You will agree it's probably as green as we've ever seen it, with all of the rain, and especially last night, there was actually some puddles out there and normally you don't see that here. Normally it's as rock-hard as this table. The approach will be a little different. You will carry the ball into the green and you can even carry it to the pin on a lot of holes, but I think the setup is good and some of the holes have been lengthened and it's playing really well. I think it's fun. Q. (Regarding Michelle Wie). ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, we all have different agendas in life. I had a wonderful experience and when I look back on my career; I will always think about that. I think that was really a turning point in my career, and as a person. You know, I really don't know why Michelle continues to do this. I mean, we have a major this week, and if you can't qualify for a major, I don't see any reason why you should play with the men. Q. What's your proudest moment in golf? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The proudest moment? You know, I'm so lucky, I felt like I've achieved a lot more than I ever thought I could and it's tough to single a moment out, but the first one would be the U.S. Open in '95. That kick-started my career, but then I also won what I think is one of the biggest tournaments in women's golf. Shooting 59, to be the first woman to break 60. You know, I'm so proud of a lot of things, and again, that's why I'm stepping away. I'm very proud of my career, and you know, one or two more things is not going to change is. I have memories and that will carry me for a lifetime. I have a lot to be happy about. COLIN CALLANDER: Annika, thank you very much indeed and good luck this week. End of FastScripts |
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