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MCDONALD'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY AIG


June 6, 2003


Annika Sorenstam


WILMINGTON, DELAWARE

MODERATOR: Thank you for joining us, Annika. Great round.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Thank you.

Q. You have a two-shot lead over Hee-Won Han, and a 64 today, one shot off the tournament record (set by Meg Mallon in 1999), very nice, if you want to talk about the round first.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Sure. Obviously, I am very, very pleased, the way I played today, and I am in the home run, I hit a lot of good shots today, made some putts early on, and kind of got the momentum running, so it felt great to play like this in a major and setting up for a great weekend.

Q. Where does this rank in strictly major championship quality round?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was totally quality round. I mean, the only bad shot I hit was the tee shot on 18. But, you know, it was flawless, I thought. I could have rolled in a putt here or there, but I hit a lot of good putts, as well, that didn't go in, so I rank it up there. I can't exactly put a number on it, but it's definitely top 10 performance for me at a major.

Q. Annika, you had mentioned all year part of the Colonial thing was to kind of raise your level. That seems to be taking hold so far. How do you feel about that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, so far so good, but, you know, it's long-term and, you know, obviously, I am very excited the way I played the last two days, and I worked really hard this year to improve certain parts of my game, and that was in preparation for the Colonial, but mostly for the majors, and some of it was my short game. And today I thought I displayed some great bunker shots, which is an improvement for me, so also, I think deal with the pressure, the expectations at Colonial, you know, here I come, and even though I feel not pressure, but I want to perform, you know, I have done it another time a little more, so I just think I am getting used to it and can handle it a little better.

Q. Annika, speaking of Colonial, are you aware of the challenge that's been issued?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes. I read it in the paper.

Q. This morning?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes.

Q. Do you have a response to what he said?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I thought it was quite funny, but I am not interested to do that.

Q. Do you think that's going to -- that issue will keep following you a little bit longer? I mean, something will pop up, someone else will say something to keep that men versus women thing going?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I guess. I mean, I didn't expect this at all, so -- but it's quite an interesting topic, it seems like, and everybody is coming up with some ideas, but, you know, I did what I wanted to do and I had a great time doing it, and it was the biggest challenge of my life and that's where I want to leave it at.

Q. Do you think you would have won a million today if he would have been out there with you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I have no idea, but I played as good as I can today, so --

Q. Annika, not to dwell on the negative, but what happened on 18?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hit my tee shot forward in the rough to the right and decided to lay up and hit on the green and 2-putted.

Q. Anything on that shot -- was there something that happened leading up to your tee shot that set you off?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I got no excuse, it was just a bad shot.

Q. Can you feel a round like this coming on, maybe, when you start making a couple putts early in the round?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I think so. I actually thought it started yesterday, I felt like I played very solid, hit a lot of good tee shots, I think I missed one fairway yesterday, and I kept hitting good tee shots today, a lot of good approach shots, my distance control has been very good this week, and I felt like if I could just get going, roll a few putts in, then you get a momentum, a feel for the greens, especially the speed, which I think was my problem yesterday. Today I started off really good, three in a row on the front, and then again on the back 9, so, you know, it seems to me if I make one birdie, I make a few in a row, and that's just what I needed today.

Q. Have you ever had a round where you have had three blocks of three birdies in a row? You birdied 9, 10 and 11, 2, 3 and 4 --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I see that. No, I don't think so. Good observation.

Q. Is that unprecedented for you? Have you ever done that before?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I don't think I have done that before. At least I haven't noticed it. But I have noticed if I make one, it seems like I do make birdies in bunches, so that I have noticed.

Q. Was there one that really got you going here today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Number 2. I hit a pitching wedge to 15 feet, maybe a little longer, and rolled that in. And then I had some short ones both on 3 and 4, so I think that started the whole thing.

Q. Did you think you got a break on 16, the par 5 that did go in the bunker? Was it headed to the bunker? Was it headed toward the bunker the whole way?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hit it forward, and I knew with the lie ahead I was trying to fade the ball a little bit, and I aimed at the bunker hoping it would fade, and it just kept going straight, but I was happy it was in the bunker rather than in the rough.

Q. Annika, on 11, your eagle putt was 6, 8 feet?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, something like that.

Q. Was it just a miss for you or --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: A little bit of both.

Q. On 13 in the bunker, was it lodged in the bunker? Were you able to get that out pretty easily?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I had a good lie in the bunker, I hit to about a foot, so the line was good, I hit a 5 -iron in the bunker.

Q. Annika, you are playing well, any part of you thinking, if I play really well tomorrow, I could put myself -- really make it hard for somebody to catch me?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, there is a little part of me that thinks so, but I think tomorrow is -- I got to go out there with a fresh mind and try and play the best I can. Hopefully, I can play the way I did today and make some putts, and try not to look back, just try and look forward, what I got to do, hit one shot at a time. I am in the position I want to be, but now I got to be able to handle it and take care of business.

Q. Can you just talk about comparing how good you feel about your game right now, Colonial, to winning last week to this round, compared to how you felt last year when you won 13 events.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. I think I am hitting the ball as good as I have all year the last three weeks. I believe that Colonial, being in the past now, that I am kind of relieved, in a way, and I am playing better golf, and I noticed that last week, and I feel the same this week. You know, last year I had some good moments, I played some good golf throughout the season, but I think right now I am striking the ball as good as I have.

Q. And tomorrow, going off early in threesomes, does that have any effect either way compared to a normal Saturday?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think that's what we normally do, threesomes. I don't know what the tee times are.

Q. They are moving up the tee times tomorrow because of rain in the afternoon.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That's not going to affect me. I mean, normally in the morning the greens are smoother, so I think that's a positive.

Q. You talk about being mentally drained at the Colonial, yet you came back, won last week, playing well this week, do you think your physical workout routine helps you through draining times?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think so. I mean, physically I feel fine, and I haven't noticed on the course that I have gotten tired or anything. I think I am just so geared up for this week. I mean, this is the week that I wanted to be here, and now it's here, so I got to make the most out of it. I think if I am tired, I can't feel it right now. I probably will Sunday, but right now I am living in the moment and I want to do the best I can.

Q. Do you want to win this tournament as much as you have ever wanted to win any tournament because you haven't won this major before?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It ranks up there. The majors have been my priority all year, actually, the last two years have been my priority, and I believe I can play this golf course, and I showed it last year on Sunday and I think today I showed it as well for myself, that, you know, I can play here.

So, yeah, this tournament means a lot, it's a major, it's one that I haven't won. I have been close, but the goal is to put in four good rounds. So far, so good.

MODERATOR: Okay. Any other questions?

Q. You seem to be much more animated out on the course. Actually, since Colonial. I am not saying this is a bad thing, it's a good thing. Is there any reason for that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I love what I do, and especially when I play well, this week means so much, and no, I don't really know why, I am just being me.

Q. This challenge, did you read about it or hear about it on TV?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I actually heard it last night from Mark Steinberg, my agent, at IMG, and then this morning I saw it in the paper.

Q. Annika, until you got to Colonial, had you ever been afraid of giving autographs?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Being afraid?

Q. Being crushed by all the people.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I have never experienced it like that before. I mean, we would have crowds, but not everybody was wanting my autograph, but now it seems like a little more people.

Q. A little nervous out there with the crowds?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I think I got a good team of policemen here this week, so I think I will be fine.

Q. Obviously, I don't want to beat that challenge issue to death, but I don't remember hearing or seeing anything about that from you that day at Colonial in the media. Did you say that in public forum or did you say --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Say what?

Q. About the top 100.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was a statement -- I should say it's a question that I answered last week in Chicago, and it was, you know, just a personal speculation, well, from my side. I mean, I didn't mean to offend anybody, and I believe I said it -- you know, maybe I am just dreaming, so I didn't mean to offend any of the guys out there. I respect them all, and I said it before, that I have no intention of playing again, and it was just a thought of mine that I had personally, it doesn't mean it's right or anything, it was just what I thought, so --

Q. Did you say it in a public setting or did you say it among --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was just like this.

Q. Oh, it was?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah.

MODERATOR: Thank you. Anything else? Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts....

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