home

jobs

	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

JOHN Q. HAMMONS HOTEL CLASSIC

September 17, 2005

Annika Sorenstam

TULSA, OKLAHOMA

PAUL ROVNAK: Annika, thanks for coming in. Another fabulous round today, one shot lead right now. Michelle Ellis is still on the course, one back. Just talk about your day and you're going to have another shot to defend your title tomorrow.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, I'm very happy with the way I played today. I thought I hit the ball beautifully, I thought I putted really and I'm very pleased. Only a mistake or two here or there but other than that, I thought it was very solid, lots of fairways and lots of greens. I'm very, very pleased with my round today.

Q. Talk about No. 17, you didn't like your tee shot, what happened off the tee and then just the strategy coming in the rest of the hole?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hit 4 wood off the tee and I pulled it left and ended up in the rough. The lie wasn't that bad, but there's a tricky hole, there's water on the left and bunkers on right. I just didn't really know how the ball was going to come out of the rough so I decided just to lay up and have a sand wedge in and hit it a little bit too hard and 2 putted for bogey.

PAUL ROVNAK: What did you hit with your second shot there?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Another sand wedge.

PAUL ROVNAK: And how far was that first putt from?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: The first putt was about 16 feet.

Q. Up until then, you could have gotten on a roll coming up through the first nine and then once you made the turn, can you talk about that stretch of holes just where you were able to get to 6 , 7 and eventually 8 under par?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, like you said, I think I played really well today, very solid overall, lots of fairway, lots of greens. I was really never in any trouble. I mean, I did make two bogeys, but I mean, I had good par chances at it.

I mean, this is a tough golf course. I thought the pins were tough today. We had some wind, not a lot but just enough to make a difference when it comes to club selection. You know, a tough course. We did not play the ball we just played it as it lies; so no lift, clean and place, which certain holes I had mud. In the afternoon, the greens get a little spiked up, a little beat up. So consider all of that, I'm very, very happy with my round.

Q. Talk about the strategy entering the final round Sunday this year, as opposed to last year where you had a little comfort room.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm just happy the way I'm playing and that's the way I look at it, two, two rounds of solid golf, I'm very happy with my ball striking. I think I'm putting good as well. I don't really look at how many shots I'm ahead or behind tomorrow, I'm going to go out, and obviously I want to continue to hit the ball the way I have. This is a tough golf course. You really have to strike it well. It's really a ball striking type of course and that's my strategy. I want to continue to do what I'm doing.

And anything can happen on this golf course. This grass is tough especially around the greens, the bermuda, it's difficult and you want to try to stay away from that as much as possible. Tomorrow I'll play my own game and we'll see what happens.

Q. Maria was in earlier and she was talking about how except for one hole, she's really played good for two days, and so have you. Going into the final round, if you've played two rounds as well as you have, you've got to feel pretty good about your chances tomorrow, I would think.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I do. I'm just very pleased the way I'm playing. Sometimes you just can't control what other people, what they do on the golf course. Obviously Maria is making a lot of birdies. I think at one point she was minus nine, I believe, and so there's birdies to make and she's making them. You know, tomorrow I've got to make them, as well, but I've got to stay away from bogeys.

I'm happy with the way I'm striking it and that's what you need on this golf course. Again, it's something that I'm in contention, and that's really what my goal is every time I come to a tournament. So I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Your threesome has really shot well the first few days. Have you fed off of each other, the success that you've had, do you think?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think it's always great to play with somebody who is playing well, and you see good shots, you see putts go in, there's always a flow, there's a good momentum and I think that helps the whole group, really. It's tough when a player is struggling or you're looking for balls, etc. We had a good flow both days and we made birdies overall. It's just a good group, I thought.

Q. Would you take us through 14 and 15?

PAUL ROVNAK: Can you just start with No. 1 and we'll pay extra attention to 14 and 15.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hit a pitching wedge to eight feet and made it for birdie.

No. 6 I hit an 8 iron to seven feet and made it.

Then I bogeyed the eighth hole, I hit 6 iron and chipped it up and 2 putted from 12 feet. Then birdie on 9, sand wedge to 22 feet.

10, pitching wedge to four feet.

Then 14 is the par 5, I hit 4 wood just short of the green about 20 yards and chipped it up. Actually the pin, I thought I made it, I just kind of bumped it up and tapped in from a foot or two.

15, I hit 5 iron to 21 feet.

Then on 17, we talked about that. I hit my tee shot with a 4 wood on the left side and just hit it out on the green and 2 putted.

Q. The two holes where you took the lead, did you pay any attention to that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I pay attention to every time I do something. I mean, of course I'm one of those players that look at the leaderboard all the time. I knew what was happening out there. Then Karin made a great putt on top of me there, I believe on 14, to tie with me minus seven. And then she made a great save on, what is it, 15.

So we were feeding back and forth a little bit from each other. She's striking the ball beautifully. You have to continue to make birdies to stay up there.

Q. All of the success you've just had, you mentioned you're one of the players that likes to look at the leaderboard and some would rather not pay attention, do you just glance at it to find out where you stand or do you use it as a motivational tool if you are behind or only up a shot or two to increase the lead?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I like to know what's going on in the golf tournament, whether I'm leading, whether I'm chasing or whether I'm not on the leaderboard at all, it's just fun to see going on. I've always enjoyed watching it. Especially the last day, I think it's very important to pay attention to what's going on, especially if you have a chance to win and it just tells you that you have to play aggressive and conservative, it's just very helpful.

Q. Did you look at the leaderboard before you teed off, I think at that point Maria was at 9 under and shortly thereafter she had her triple bogey at 12 to come back to the package. Did you see that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I saw that she was minus nine. I think I was on putting green and then I was chipping and hitting balls, I didn't see for a while and I looked up and I believe she was at 6. I really didn't know what happened but I saw she fell back a little bit.

Q. At that point you said, okay, hey, it's not as grand a situation as it was at that point for you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I mean, when I got here this morning, I thought, you know, if I can shoot a few under par I'll be very happy.

I find this golf course very hard. It's long, it's tricky. I mean there's a lot of holes where you have doglegs that you've got to work the ball off the tee. I think these greens are tough, difficult pin placements today and you just have to hit the ball well. If you don't hit it well, it's tough to score here, so I was thinking a few under par, I'm happy and then I stay 9 under, I was thinking, wow, I need a really good day today.

But then again, I'm glad we've got a third day to come out here and play, and I'm just happy that I'm hitting it well so it will be fun tomorrow.

Q. Do you have a target score in mind for tomorrow?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I really don't. But, I mean, under par is obviously necessary. I assume the weather will be similar, which is perfect scoring conditions. You know, I have improved a shot every day, so why don't I improve one tomorrow and then I'll be pretty happy.

PAUL ROVNAK: Thanks, Annika.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297