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EVIAN MASTERS PRESENTED BY SOCIETE GENERALE

July 23, 2010

Suzann Pettersen

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE

MODERATOR: Congratulations on a good round today Suzann. You're at 5-under par, standing one off the lead. Talk your round and the conditions today.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: You know it's gonna be a pretty rainy day throughout like yesterday afternoon, and today the forecast was just rain all day. So you kind of prepare mentally for that.
Had a little break there around the 9th for us, and ended up three-putting just before they blew the horn. Had to sit and wait on that 10th tee for like 40 minutes, and that's not the funnest tee shot to start a break off.
But I'm playing solid. Giving myself a lot of chances. Missed couple greens today and got it up-and-down. I'm in a good position.
MODERATOR: You have a good opportunity for eagle on the 18th hole, and there are some other eagle opportunities out there. Do you feel that plays to your strengths.
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Sure. But, I mean, on 18 you have really have to hit a really good drive to even have a chance to be in the fairway. Then you've just got to pull it off, and I didn't really give it a go. It was pretty bad drive.
I'll take 2-under today, 2-under par in a little bit tougher conditions. The speed of greens is a little slower. With the lake here, sometimes they're fast; sometimes they're slow. Overall pretty good.
MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Your quite close to the world No. 1. Is it a realistic goal? Do you think about that?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Oh, I know I'm very close. Probably as close as I've ever been. But there are some great players I'm fighting with for that one spot.
Everyone has been playing really well this year. I just think everyone makes each other better. It's just good to have some rivalries and make the best out of it.

Q. How much would it mean to be to be world No. 1?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Not that much. What I've been trying to do my entire life is to become the best golfer in the world.
I'm very close, but it's not something I think about standing on the first tee. I mean, I have all these small goals, and if everything clicks it might happen.

Q. And you're very healthy at the moment?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I wouldn't say "healthy" is the word to describe, my body at the moment, but I'm hanging in there.

Q. Do you feel disadvantaged compared to the others who are playing now?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: No. I think these guys have had nine holes with a pretty nice weather of the afternoon draw. I'm hoping that they're gonna get some breaks and the storm is gonna come in so it gets pretty fair for everybody. It's just a shame when one side of the draw gets everything.
So I think some of the players yesterday got very unlucky. Looked like we got it again. I think overall it's gonna be tough. It's a little bit more windy, a little bit gusty.
Overall I think it'll be pretty much the same for everybody.

Q. You said your body is not very healthy. What's wrong with it? Is there anything wrong with it?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Earlier in the year I had a problem with my hip. I don't know how much longer this will hold, but I'm playing right on the limit of what I can do.
To be honest, it's not good. But I just want to make it through these few weeks first. Hopefully I can get to Irish. I want to just make it through Canada, because then we have a four-week break. It's only getting worse.
But I've been -- I have a lot of experience playing through pain, so as long as I don't make it a lot worse so it won't heal.

Q. How do you play through pain?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know. There's just some of these shots out here where the ball is so below your feet, you just got it ignore it and take the aftershock of it.
But this is definitely not the course for me right now.

Q. Do you feel like you're fighting a bit?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I'm hitting a lot of the great swings. But when the body is just say no, it's hard to commit 100%.

Q. Do you think you might need an operation?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: No, I hope not. It's just chronical tendonitis, and now I'm just afraid I ripped it off. We'll see.

Q. You had back operation, didn't you?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: No, I never had -- I pretty much had everything except my head.

Q. What do you think about the Evian Masters becoming a major championship?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: Um, I think the course needs a little bit of an improvement to become a major course. I think every other aspect of this tournament is a major tournament. I still think the course is not quite there for defining a major champion.
But like I said, it's our favorite stop on tour. It's the biggest tournament in Europe. They're doing a fantastic job for the players, for the fans, for everybody.
I don't think it matters if it's a major or not, because they will have the best field throughout the year anyhow.

Q. What did you think they can do to the golf course to make it tougher?
SUZANN PETTERSEN: I don't know. The course is what it is. It's just right on the hill. Obviously they can grow the rough and make it more penalizing.
But it's just hard. We play a lot of great tournaments and great golf courses. Just hard to find what is a major golf course. This has its own character. Everybody comes back, so I guess we all love it.
MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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