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SWINGING SKIRTS LPGA CLASSICApril 22, 2014Suzann PettersenSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA MODERATOR: I would like to welcome Suzann Pettersen, the Rolex rankings World No. 2 player to the interview room today. Suzann, before we get started, we need to address the fact that you're back and you're scheduled to make your first start since you had to pull out of Kia Classic a few events ago. How is the back? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, I'm here, which is a good sign. I would never have been here if I wasn't feeling good. Unfortunately I injured my back Monday after Phoenix to the point where playing golf was just out of the question. So unfortunately I missed Carlsbad; very unfortunate I missed Kraft, definitely one of my favorite tournaments out of the year; and a shame not to be able to defend in Hawaii last week. Sometimes you just got to address the challenges you're facing. For me, it was just to kind of get my back as close to normal as soon as possible so I don't miss too much of the season. MODERATOR: Before we move on, did you happen to see Michelle's hula? Out of you and Michelle, who do you think did it better? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I actually missed it. I've seen some clips of it, and I thought she would be much better. After she said she felt probably as awkward as I felt ‑ even though I felt really awkward. I know there has been people posting several stuff on Twitter comparing the two of us. But just really happy to see Michelle play well. She played fantastic at Kraft; great to see her win in Hawaii. She's a great friend and very good competitor. MODERATOR: Back to the back, what was the official diagnosis? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I have a history of a ruptured back 10 years ago. Since then I've been as strong and as healthy as I've ever been. I've never looked at myself as a person with a back issue. Really came out of the blue. I happened to bend over, and I felt bending over it was ‑‑ it snapped. It's more of a movement pattern more so than disc related. I think a lot of people thought it was just disc. That's not the case. Probably a little aggravated disc, but mostly muscular and having the right joints moving at the right time pretty much. MODERATOR: As far as treatment goes going forward, does it effect the way you work out or the way that you prep for an event? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, obviously up until now I've just been resting. Resting has done me really well. I've been playing and practicing. I haven't quite gone after it in the gym yet. I don't really want to push that limit. I want to play. If I can play with no pain and play well, I would rather do that than push every cylinder at the same time. Moving forward, think just being aware of small changes at the time. It's so simple. Like even when I sit down, just got to sit down the right way and not try to protect something that could go wrong ‑ which I've done for so many years I don't think about it. It's more subconsciously what I got to change. MODERATOR: And then as far as hitting balls, when did you get back to golf‑related activities? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I was in a lot of pain for probably almost three weeks to the point where flat out horizontal was the only thing I did. I tried to move around 20 minutes at a time and just really rest. Once the pain disappeared, which actually did quite quickly, I started moving. I was told to start moving like normal so you don't try to overload and compensate for the normal movements that you have in your body. So, I don't know, first time I went out to try and hit a few balls, started with putting, chipping. Once I started with my wedges I felt like I wasn't hesitating and afraid of the pain coming back. I knew this was a good sign. If I had been hesitating to go after the ball, it would have been a long way back. MODERATOR:  Finally, you traveled to Palm Springs. Did you get stuck there for a while because of the back issue? SUZANN PETTERSEN: No, I was floating in the area for a while because I got injured in Phoenix, and then all my ‑‑ the physios that we travel with, they had already gone down to Carlsbad for Kia. I knew there are several good doctors in Carlsbad area I could go see, so I got down there‑‑ unfortunately had to withdraw from the tournament ‑‑ but had MRIs, all the scans taken down there. Went to see the therapist up in Palm Springs Saturday the Carlsbad. Then I actually had to stay there for four days before I could get on a plane. It was such a long flight, and sitting was the worst thing I could do. MODERATOR: Did you have to fly commercial? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Fortunately I didn't have to fly that. I had a very dear friend who came and picked me up in a jet and made the trip very smooth. MODERATOR: So you're returning to this event. How excited are you to come here? SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yeah, first of all, it's great to come here and play the Swinging Skirts on American soil. Great to see the Swinging Skirt people. A lot of them I've gotten to know over the years playing in Taiwan. I love the Bay Area. Definitely one of my favorite spots in America after New York. So very happy to be here. Just really happy in general to be out playing. I was trying to make it for Hawaii, but at the same time, I can't rush something that I can't control. I mean, I've been in this position before. It's amazing how quick you kind of forget once you get going and things just are going your way. Really makes you appreciate what you can do. It's nice to get dressed yourself. MODERATOR: Let's open it up for questions. Q. You've been around a decade or more. Talk about some of the changes you've seen. Three different commissioners. But particularly in the turnover of players. Almost two‑thirds of the players are different in the media guide now. SUZANN PETTERSEN: I think in general the LPGA is in a very good state, in a very good position right now. We're healthy. The product, I mean, the players, the depth of the players is probably better than it's ever been. They're younger; they're better; they push the older ones to work even harder. I think it's a great combination. It's been a tough road up until here. Mike has done a fantastic job managing to turn the ship from going south. I mean, it was a lot of work that had to be done when he first got in his position. He did what he had to do, and managed to re‑establish a lot of the great relationships we've had with great partners and sponsors of the LPGA through the years. I think now we're in a very good spot. We have 32 events during a calendar year; purses are up; new events in America, which is great. I think we're in a very good position. Q. Talk a little bit about the course setup here. You also have the element of the fog and wind. Could be tough on your back. SUZANN PETTERSEN: Well, it's a great course. It's an old traditional tree‑lined course. Wasn't actually expecting it to be this windy. Almost glad I missed Hawaii from what I heard. I think we're going to face all the same conditions wind‑wise during the week. It's narrow; the rough is up; really firm greens. If you really miss the fairways, you're going to have a hard time holding the balls on the greens. It's in great shape, so I'm prepared. I have layers for every condition that could possibly face us. Q. Did you have Cortisone injections for the pain? SUZANN PETTERSEN: No. I was fortunate enough not to have any injections, but it was on the list of if things don't progress, if the pain doesn't ease up, it was definitely on the list of what we could possibly do. When it comes to the back, I mean, you got to be really careful. Even though you go to these clinics and they do these injections day and day out, there are so many nerves. It's a very narrow spot you're trying to hit. I'm very happy I didn't have to this time. I know other people who has done it probably with the same pain symptoms. But for me it was more to rest, let whatever was aggravated just be, and try and do the right things when I started back up. Q. Talk a little bit about more about Michelle and her story. Are you friends with her? She's having a great year. Coming off a big win coming into the Bay Area where she played at Stanford. Put it all together for her. Can you talk about that. SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean, Michelle is a smart girl. Not that many girls out here that have completed four solid years at Stanford while playing golf on the LPGA. That takes a huge effort. I think for her to finally be able to concentrate on golf full time has helped her golf for sure. If you ask me, Michelle is underachieved. She's way better than what she's performed up to this date, since she joined the tour. She has every shot in the bag. She's very talented. She seems to be comfortable with her putting these days, which has kind of been her hurdle for years. Great to see her succeed. She is a hard worker and she's dedicated and an awesome girl off the golf course. Q. As a follow‑up, it seems like what people say about you and what you do as performer‑‑ you know, in golf's a such a mental game where you have to kind of block out. She gets criticized and things. Sometimes unfairly. SUZANN PETTERSEN: Yeah, first of all, I think the most important path is the one you choose yourself, and then you can surround yourself with your team. Whatever your team is up to, that is what you stick with. You can't sit and listen to this and that from every angle. It's going to make you crazy. Even though people mean it well, sometimes it's just politely say, Thanks, but no thanks. This game is complicated enough. You're not going to mess it up even more. Q. I understand last time you were in town you hit Tiffany's with your mother and they thought you were a tennis player. SUZANN PETTERSEN: That must be years ago because I can't remember that. I'm getting old. Yeah, maybe. That could be. Well, I'm a huge tennis fan, so I wish I was tennis player. I've always said that a lot of times if I could swap my level of golf to tennis I might be a tennis player. Who knows if I would have been that good. Q. You have a good background in athleticism. You ride bikes and play other sports as well. What part of golf, other than trying to keep up with the youngsters, made you get into that position where you were having trouble with your back? SUZANN PETTERSEN: I mean, originally I think it was a combination of everything. If someone asked me to run around the house 10 times, I would run 15. If someone said you can't overdo this ‑‑ I mean, there was no limit where I would take whatever I did. Obviously a little bit of too much of everything and the combination of golf, working out, hanging with the guys, pushing your limits, it was probably the combination of all of it from a fairly young age. I thought about it the other day. I wouldn't have missed those moments for a second because they also made me who I am. I'm sure I wouldn't have been where I am if I hadn't gone through all the different hurdles, if I can call it that, over the last 20 years. So I think it's a combination of everything. The competitiveness really drives me. When you get injured, really sucks not to be able to play. Then you really get in like a revenge mode. Like, okay, I'm going to beat this and come back even stronger. That's kind of my mentality in everything you face. Sometimes it's easy to when everything rolls your way and life is easy all the putts, they go in. At the same time, you don't learn as much as when you're kind of facing the wall and you have other challenges ahead of you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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