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LPGA CORNING CLASSIC

May 29, 2004

Annika Sorenstam

CORNING, NEW YORK

PAUL ROVNAK: Annika, thanks for coming in and talking with us again. We're right where we were yesterday, one stroke off the load with 18 holes to play. Give us your thoughts and we'll go from there.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: If I look on the positive side, I'm in contention for tomorrow, I have a chance to win another tournament, so overall, this is going to make me feel happy, but the round itself, not really too proud of it, one of those where I had to fight a lot. I felt like I was in between clubs, and the wind was swirling, and I couldn't get comfortable, and I managed to make a few birdies, and an eagle, and unfortunately, a few bogeys, but I have a chance to win tomorrow, that's all that matters.

Q. Coming into the day you were one stroke off, but you had pretty good separation, you and Michelle, from the rest of the field. Are you at all surprised, or maybe disappointed, not to be in the lead at this point?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: If you had asked me that question before I teed off, I would say yes, but the way I was playing today, I couldn't expect anything else. It was not one of those rounds where I was very solid. I was in the rough a few times, I missed greens, I missed putts, it was one of those days where you just want to get it over with and move on, so, I mean, hopefully I'm done with my bad round for the week, and hopefully I'll have a good one tomorrow.

Q. Yesterday we talked about your putting, and at the time you were, overall, happy with it. Putting out there today was not as solid as yesterday's round?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Got that right. Seemed like it couldn't get the speed going, it felt a little faster, I think, with the wind, some of the pin placements were harder, I don't know what it was, I didn't really have good putts where I could be aggressive. There were a lot of putts where there was a lot of break and I had to be conservative, I was either above or to the left of it, and I didn't have a good line on any of them, really.

Q. Number 9 where Michelle, at the movement, before she got to number 7, was opening up a sizable lead. She got into trouble with a triple bogey on 9. You had a chance with a bogey yourself. What was going through your mind, now the door is open, I can make my move?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I was trying to focus on my own game. At the time I was par for the front 9, and I felt that should be 2 or 3 under, so I as more disgusted about myself than anything, and to walk away with a 3 putt when I had a 9 iron in my hand from the second shot was disappointing.

I didn't pay attention. I know she had a 7, but it's not like I stand there on each tee and count, I'm so many behind or ahead. You've got to play your own game, and hit one shot at a time. I was more upset with myself.

Q. Do you think it's a mental game more than a physical game that you need to work on tomorrow, put today behind you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm going to try to put today behind me, that's for sure. I have to be positive. I have a chance to win, that's all that matters to me. I'm still 14 under par, and I felt good about the golf course i feel good about the way I played. It's just one of these days where it just didn't feel right and, unfortunately, you have one of those days once in awhile.

Q. It seemed important the other day, to some of us anyway, that you didn't have a practice round coming in. Now that you played three rounds, are you playing any differently? Are you approaching the course differently at all?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't think so. I do think that the conditions have been much tougher the last two days. The first day when I played here there was hardly any wind, what you see is what you get. Now you get wind, and it's not a little wind it gusts at times, and I think it's very difficult to figure out where it's coming from. One hole you'll be straight, into another hole, similar direction, it was hard that way. When the course is short, I hit a lot of wedges, 9 irons, and the ball gets in the air, and the wind takes it. That's the difference the last two days compared to the first.

Q. Same position as far as you and Michelle going into tomorrow as it was today, but it's the final round instead of the third round. Do you feel since you've been here in this situation so many times, as opposed to Michelle, is there any sort of mental edge you think you might have coming into tomorrow?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I guess we'll find out, but from my side, I can tell you, I felt comfortable being there. I come here hoping to have a chance to win, I'm right there, and I feel good about my game. I know how I react when I get nervous, and when you come down the stretch, and in a tournament, so I can't speak for Michelle, but that's all that matters to me is to be right there, and then I got a chance tomorrow, so some days it turns out to be yours, and some days it doesn't. I'm just glad that with a day like today, that I didn't throw away the tournament because I'm right in there still.

(Scorecard read.)

Q. I am from Rochester, Annika, I wasn't here yesterday, so I would appreciate your answering that question again, as far as how Rochester shapes up as a good warm up to a US Open?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: We talked about it, like I said yesterday, it's a longer course, it's tight, small greens, an old traditional golf course, so in that sense it shapes up good for a preparation for the Open. You got rough, which you find in the Open, so there is a lot of similarities.

Q. In '94 you tied and it was pouring rain, one time it was searing heat up there, and I'm wondering if it's not fair to compare the years over so many years, and what is your comfort level playing Rochester?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Like you said, I've played well there, and I also haven't played well. It's one of those courses you got to hit the ball straight, and it's pretty long, take advantage of the par 5s. I like the place, I like the golf course, I like old traditional golf courses, they are my favorites, and that's what you see up there.

Q. One more thing about the US Open, regarding Hillary, you and her and different golfers won their first LPGA victory with the Open.

She's struggling a little bit. You solved that problem, I think, by winning a couple more times after you did it. She's still seeking her first win. She's not looking for advice, but if you wanted to if you could give her some advice about how to get back on track on that.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I haven't played with her since Australia, which was in February, 17 months ago, so it's hard for me to comment on her game, but she knows how to win the big ones, she's did it, so I think what she needs to do is go back and look at that and figure out what she did good that week because that was a tough golf course.

Q. I know you said you were focused on your own game. Can you tell us about Michelle's round and how she played today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think she played really steady. She putted well, she had one bad hole, the 9th, that was about it, but she came back really strong with a birdie on the 10th, and then finishing with a birdie on 18 is always nice, so I thought she played solid, she was in there all day.

End of FastScripts.

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