|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE INSURANCEMay 28, 2014Annika SorenstamDUBLIN, OHIO THE MODERATOR: It's a pleasure to welcome the 2014 Memorial Tournament honoree Annika Sorenstam. Maybe you could open up with some comments on what it means to be added to this distinguished list of honorees, and then we'll have questions. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'll be happy to do that. First of all, good morning, everybody. It's great to be here. This is certainly an honor for me to come here and be part of this event. And just the things that Jack stands for is something I admire very much. And this tournament, I've been following, I would say mostly on TV the past few years. I had a chance to play Muirfield in 1998 for the Solheim Cup, which was a great experience. So to come back now as an honoree is very, very special. I've got the family with me. We're making it a family affair. So I look forward to this afternoon and the next few days. THE MODERATOR: And also you had some exciting news last week. You'll be returning to competitive golf at the American Century Championship Celebrity tournament in Lake Tahoe, if you want to talk a little bit about that and your thoughts about playing again. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes. I am going to play with the men again, in a different setting. But it's going to be fun, with the American Century Championship out in Lake Tahoe. This is our kind of second home. We spend several months in Tahoe every year. We've been going to the tournament. I'm very aware what the tournament is all about. A few years ago I even played a few nine holes with some of the celebrities. And the tournament called me said, Do you have an interest in playing again? And I thought I'm not going to play competitive, but this is Stableford, and so it is competition with the men from the same tees. I really look forward to it. I'm still very competitive person. I would say that doesn't go away. So I know that once I get inside the ropes, the adrenalin will be pumping a little extra. And talk about extra, yes, I'm practicing a little bit again. So when I stepped away, I would shake hands with people and they would say, Well, this is not a golf hand, because I would have the soft hands. Now getting some calluses again, getting back in the grind. So it's kind of fun. I look forward to it. It's a competition, but I'm also having the approach I look forward to playing, having some good time. THE MODERATOR: Questions? Q. Do you expect to compete with the celebrities at that Tahoe event? Do you expect to win? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I always do, yes. I know they can play. They have a variety of I would say skill level, as we know. But, you know, I'm familiar with what the winning score has been in the past, so I kind of know what kind of score I'm looking for and what kind of points, I should say, I'm looking for. But that's why I'm practicing. I always target to win. So that's my focus. Q. And these days do you consider yourself, as far as this tournament's concerned, more a celebrity or a professional golfer? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I'm always a golfer, yeah. I don't consider myself a celebrity. I'm a golfer. Q. Jack's honoree list, it's like a Hall of Fame, rite of passage for some players. Can you explain what it means to be honored by he and his group? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, I remember getting the call and I was so honored and flattered because I'm familiar with the past honorees and what they've done for the game. And through these 39 years of tournament, it just ‑‑ sometimes it's like how am I even mentioned in the same sentence as some of these, especially if you look at the women that have paved the way for myself and the other LPGA players, Mickey Wright and Nancy Lopez and Kathy Whitworth. It's a very distinguished list and obviously on the men's side as well. So I am flattered. My kids took a photo of the little plaque yesterday, and it feels a little bit unreal to see me there and with them. But I welcome it. It gets me fired up to do more work off the course, which I'm doing now as far as giving back to the game. And I admire Jack tremendously for what he has done, not just on the course but the things that he does with his charity work and of course as a family. I respect him. So, like I said, it's a great honor to be here. Q. Do you remember what the circumstances were when you met Jack Nicklaus, and over the years did you have conversations when you were at the peak of your career? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You mean the very first time I met him? Q. Yes. ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't recall that. I do remember playing with him at the Wendy's 3‑Tour Challenge in Las Vegas. I remember playing with him. That was my first time. I'm not exactly sure what year that was. But that was a special moment. I mean, he's the greatest golfer that ever lived. And growing up in Sweden, you see them on TV, you read about them, I mean, it's golf, and also I'm paired with him. I remember that was special. And then the last few years I've gotten to spend some time with him and a little bit with Barbara. We both collaborated to get the golf course design opportunity for the Olympics in Rio. So I worked very hard with him for three months and his team, and I learned a lot about him. Again, it wasn't about golf, per se, it was more about his family, the way he approaches business. And I was impressed with how much he knows about golf course design. We were in Rio and he was telling me the name of this tree and the name of this bush. And I had never been to Rio. I was part looking at other things, but he would educate me along the way. And that was refreshing, as well as sitting on the plane and talking a little business how, you know, I admire him. And I would say that the things that we do to‑‑ I wouldn't use the word "copy," but when you see somebody who is successful, you look at them say: What do they do? What can I learn from this? He's a role model in many ways. Q. In a few months' time the R&A is going to be voting on the female membership issue. What is your sense of what will happen and how important do you think this vote is given where we're at in golf and culture, society, et cetera? ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think it's going to be‑‑ it's a vote that's going to come through. I think it's a good step from the R&A. So I'm certainly an advocate for it. So it's good for the game. I think it's a good time to do it, especially considering we've hosted the British Open there. And I think it's a very natural thing. THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|