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LORENA OCHOA INVITATIONAL BY BANAMEX AND CORONA LIGHT

November 15, 2008

Annika Sorenstam

GUADALAJARA, JALISCO

MIKE SCANLAN: Let's get started with your card.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Okay. I birdied the fourth hole and hit a 7-iron to four feet.
5, 8-iron to six feet.
7, 9-iron to ten feet.
Bogey No. 9. I hit my tee shot in the bunker on the right and then I was in the green-side bunker again and 2-putted from six feet.
Eagled No. 10. 5-wood on the green and made a putt that was 28 feet.
Birdied No. 12. 8-iron to 13 feet.
14, pitching wedge to 12 feet.
Bogeyed 16. Tee shot in the right amongst the trees and chipped out and hit on the green and 2-putted seven feet.
Then 17, 5-wood on the green, 3-putt.
18, sand wedge to about two feet.
MIKE SCANLAN: Annika, thanks for coming in. If you would, just talk a little bit about your day, and just being right up there on the top of the leaderboard entering tomorrow.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, obviously I'm very pleased with my round. I thought I played very well, and hit a lot of good shots. Rolled in some nice putts today, and you know, it was kind of fun to make eagle on 10 and make some nice putts, 12 and 14, and again, to finish with birdie on 18 in front of the crowd was special.

Q. Nice round today. What is the difference in today's round from the other days?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you. I would say the biggest difference today is I made some putts, especially early on, and I hit a few shots a little closer today. When you get the birdies going, it's easier to get the momentum, and you know, the putt on 10 was huge. So I would really say it's just a matter of inches; some go in and some today didn't.

Q. A lot of people were following you; did you have any problems?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: About the crowds? Oh, I love the crowds. I think they have been fabulous all week. I was impressed with how many we saw on Thursday and I would say yesterday, it was a little bit more and today even more.
So you know, that's a lot of fun when you're a professional playing in front of a crowd that really understands golf and is cheering for good shots. You know, I feel the support and it's been fun.

Q. A couple of months ago, you were out of the field and now you are looking for a tournament victory; how do you feel about it?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm not sure what you mean out of the field but I'm happy to be here and playing some good golf and striking the ball well in the first few rounds and today, making some putts. It's fun to be in the red numbers and really have a chance; and therefore, I'm excited about tomorrow, and I look forward to tomorrow, and you know, I'm just going to go out there and play best I can and make some putts and we'll go from there.

Q. In this tournament, it is tough finishing holes; can you talk about it?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, there's really not much to say. You look at the scorecard and that's something I'm determined tomorrow to change. I love the finish and it's tough but a great finish to a great golf course. Tomorrow I hope to get off to a good start and finish solid coming in and really not think much about it.
Again, I love the holes, but I just haven't played them as well as I can and the way I should.

Q. Of course you have a great shot of winning tomorrow; if you do, will this have a special meaning for you as a former No. 1 in the world, being at the home of the new No. 1 in the world? Will it be something special for you?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, I'm just going to take it one day and one shot at a time. There's such a long way to go, I don't want to think about it.
I'm excited to have a chance to win tomorrow, and you know, looking at the field, this is the best of the best of women's golf. So when you have a chance to win against the best, you know that you're playing good golf. I'm just going to go out there and play my best tomorrow. I trust myself and I've done it before.
I'm not going to think about anything else. It's just another Sunday and hopefully hit some great shots, sunny weather, and that's what I look forward to.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your role as ambassador for the position of the Olympic Games and the inclusion of golf for 2016? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I was approached a few months ago by the LPGA and Ty Votaw who is now working for the PGA Tour but also he's in charge of the Olympic -- our power suit to get the Olympics and to get golf in the Olympics. I was thrilled to be asked and I think it would be a wonderful thing for the game of golf.
You know, next year, I'm going to be a little more active and really helping them to get golf in the Olympics in 2016. So you know, whatever role I can do, whatever vision I can take to help, I'm going to do so, but I'm honored to be asked and I think the timing could not be any better for me. Since I'm stepping away, I'm going to have time to, again, really help the game of golf in different ways.

Q. Now that Lorena Ochoa is eight strokes behind the leader, in 2001, you set a record for coming from behind win with ten strokes, so you showed that that is possible. So in that moment how do you go out in the field and play with that kind of disadvantage? How does Lorena have to play tomorrow for something like that to be possible?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, as you said, it is possible. I always keep telling myself, it's never over until it's over.
So a player of the calibre that Lorena has, she can do it. She just has to get off to a very good start. Sometimes you need a little help from the leaders. But again, it's never over until it's over.
Same thing for me tomorrow. I most likely will be chasing, so, you know, again, I'm going to go out there with an attack-type of attitude and we'll see what happens.
MIKE SCANLAN: Gracias.

End of FastScripts

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