Q. You talked yesterday that your short game would be the key can you talk about your putting, what you thought about your putting today?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well I was a little tentative all day long. I think when I got it to the hole I made it. So I should get it to the hole more often. But some of these pins I thought were a little tricky. And when I get a little nervous I get a little tentative. And that's what happened. I kept telling myself hit it and then I would hit it and suddenly I would have a long putt coming back. And that's not really what you want on this course as well. So I got to work on the speed, especially my lag putts, and I will figure it out.
Q. I know you want to make the cut tomorrow but does tomorrow matter? Did you already prove it to yourself today?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I would love to make the cut. But if I play like I did today, then I really, then it really doesn't matter. I don't I don't know what the scores are today. I hardly looked at the leaderboard. I don't know what position I'm in. I just played really good today, I thought. And coming in here I thought the course would be firm and bouncy and shorter. Now it's wet and long and narrower. So the way I played today I'm very, very pleased with that.
Q. What does the score feel like?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well it's tough to say. But I didn't miss really a single shot today. The putts, yeah, I missed some putts. But most of it was speed. This probably would be, I would have to say in the 60s on my tour.
Q. You just mentioned that you didn't hit a bad shot today. With the course drying out a little bit tomorrow how much better do you think you can play?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well we'll see. I know it's going to dry out. But then the greens will be firmer, so then I have to alter my plan a little bit there. Today I could fire at the flag because I knew the ball wasn't going to roll any. But if it drys out I guess I'll use my driver and hit shorter irons in. So we'll see. It will be fun to see.
Q. There was a report that David could not come down with you because he was quarantined for SARS. Is there any truth to that? And it was reported and printed in a newspaper.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah. He wasn't quarantined, but he had the flu and he still has the flu. And we had to go to the hospital on Monday morning before I was going to leave. And I dropped him off at the emergency room and then when I came back he had a mask over his mouth and they said that they're treating me like it's SARS. So it wasn't the best beginning of the week I could have had. But he's all fine. He's just got the flu. And he arrived last night and he's here.
Q. You said you played conservative. Will you play more offensive game tomorrow?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Probably not. I'm going to stick to my game plan and if I have shorter irons in, then maybe I can fire a little bit more at the flag. Still this long of a course is longer than I'm used to and I'm hitting longer irons than normal and I have to be conservative. If I stay out of trouble, that's going to be my plan this week. And if I roll in a few more putts tomorrow, then that will be great.
Q. Would it be fair to say that today you played your game plan was to play par golf and then you would take birdies if they come and tomorrow you would probably be more aggressive?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: That's true, sir, yeah, I will. I am going to play conservative tomorrow as well. But if I have shorter clubs in I might go for more the flag.
Q. Was there a point in your round that nerves aside you began to feel like it was just another round of golf and you were playing shot to shot and did you ever just kind of lose yourself in your round?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I never felt that way. It was always been a special round in every, every hole felt like U S open on Sunday. I was hoping I would feel a little more relaxed and that I would calm down a little bit. I talked to Aaron and Dean a little bit and we were laughing, but once I was over the ball, once I was looking at the flag, I was nervous again. But that's what it's all about. And that's one of the reasons I'm here again is to learn how to handle pressure and be under these this extreme test for me. When I come to my U. S. Open, I hope to learn from this and handle it better next time.
Q. Did you have any fears before today that the nervousness would overwhelm you maybe and keep you from playing the way you wanted to play?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes. Everything is so much bigger and so many more people and the course is so much longer. And I feel like it's almost over my head a little bit. Yeah, I've been nervous that I wasn't going to perform. In the back of my mind though I know I can play. The question is can I play when everybody is looking, when everybody is analyzing every little thing. And that's what made me nervous.
Q. You said you would work on something this afternoon, can you tell us what that is?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I need to find the speed on the greens a little bit. I'm going to putt some long putts and just get a feel for lagging the putts. Not be to tentative. I feel really good about my swing. I hit some great shots today. I'm just going to put everything together. And that's what I got to work on.
Q. How much money do you think the book makers in Vegas made today?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I don't know. I should have bet on myself.
(Laughter.)
Q. Could you for historical purposes take us through the day from about midnight on. How did you sleep, breakfast, your practice regular men, everything.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Everything? Well I slept pretty good, believe it or not. I woke up early. 6 o'clock. I had some breakfast and then I got here at 7. I met my caddy at 7:15 and just got organized a little bit. A then I did my normal routine I show up an hour 15 minutes before I chip and putt first and then I hit balls. And then everything was pretty similar to what I normally do. Then I putted some more. But then I was ready and the time was going so slow. I stood and waited and waited and it was never my turn to hit. But then once I got to the tee it was incredible feeling, really. I signed a bunch of score cards on the first hole. Because of this historical moment and I normally don't do that. I'll never forget the amount of people on the first tee and how positive they have been all day. It's so much fun to play in front of crowds like this. And I'll never forget this day in my life.
Q. You said you were going to center of the greens a lot. But two of your best approaches on the front nine your front nine, 16 and 18 were just on the proper side of the sand trap and then they rolled toward the hole. Did you feel that the golf gods were kind of on your side with shots like that?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Definitely. The force was behind me today totally. I'm thankful for both those shots. I hit them pretty solid but they were off line. I got great bounces and we were kidding in the group and the guys said, you know where all the mounds are, I said exactly. So it was just fun.
Q. Certainly you played a great day today as far as fairways and greens, but there were a few birdie opportunities you didn't make. Do you feel like you left a couple strokes out there as far as your putter's concerned?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm very content with my round. Yeah, in a perfect world, I left a few putts out there but under these circumstances I knew I was going to make some mistakes and if these are the mistakes I make I'll take them.
Q. On the pairings sheets you're listed as being from Lake Nona, Florida but on the tee were you introduced as being from Stockholm. Can you talk about just the pressure you feel representing your country and what it must feel like?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm obviously very proud where I'm from an I have -- I know in all the Swedish people are behind me. But I also know that I'm here to play for myself and I'm on my own and I got to do it. And when I came here I'm not afraid for the challenge, I'm nervous, and I knew I was going to be nervous but I'm not afraid. Because at the end of the day it's just a game. I'm very thankful and I feel lucky that I do what I love to do.
Q. Given all the build-up and all the emotion of today, does it make it easier or harder to go out tomorrow and play well?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I really don't know. Now I'm glad I got a good round in. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. I hop I got a good night's rest. Obviously I would like to play the way I did today again. And we'll see what happens. But this has been much tougher than I thought it would be with everything around it and with the weather it made the course much longer than I expected, so I'm just happy the way I played today. Tomorrow's a new day. I got to go out there and hit new shots and hopefully they're all good.
Q. You keep talking about this being a day you'll never forget and how special it was. How does it rank with the day you shot 59?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well you can't compare. Obviously shooting 59 is something I'm very proud of. But today the circumstances the competitors that I'm competing against, the golf course, this is the next level. And obviously shooting 59 prepared me more for something like this. I was nervous then, but nothing like I was today and the way I felt during the round.
Q. You told us last Tuesday that the Colonial would be your Mount Everest. At the end of the day on Sunday what in your mind would be considered a successful climb?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I haven't reached the top, but I feel like I'm on my way. Again, the way I played today is confirmed it. That this has been a wonderful week in so many ways and we'll see what the outcome will be. I know all the guys here, they're out here to compete and everything. And I'm here to test myself. And whether I play the weekend or not, if I play like I did today, then I have tested myself in so many ways and I've learned so much and I'm thankful for that.
Q. Two quick ones for you. And that is, you've talked about appreciating the size of the crowds here. Do you wonder, did you wonder at all today why these people don't come out and watch you week in and week out when you play on the LPGA TOUR and do you think at any point today, tonight when you go back to the locker room that the emotions of today will really hit you?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, it will probably hit me, all the emotions. Sure. This week is demanding for me in many ways, like you said especially emotionally because I'm thinking a lot, planning a lot and everything around it. I'm not used to this. When it comes to the crowd, I think it's great that they're all here. And I have a lot of friends that have flown thousands of miles to come here and support me. And that means a lot. And I know they support me wherever I play. So I just think this particular week is different and that's why there are so many people here. But I've never seen so many people cheer for me and push me. And it's been wonderful.
Q. When you were able to look around coming up the fairway, whatnot, did you get an idea for the social significance of this there were more little girls than I go I've ever seen in a gallery.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well it's great to see the little girls. I hope that they feel like when they grow up that they can play golf, but also to follow their dream and follow their heart. That's what I'm doing. So it's wonderful to see every little one here. Either the little boys or the girls or the ladies or the men that are out here. That I'm living my dream and that's what it's all about.
Q. You said Aaron and Dean were really supportive of you today. Can you remember some of the things that you said to them or they said to you to help ease the tension?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: We said a lot of things but one thing that I will always remember is Aaron came up to me on the putting green today and he said, remember we're doing this together. And I said you're right. So he was as nervous as I was. And he asked me, when is this going to go away and I said, I don't know. It's the same on every hole. I thought that was pretty sweet of him. But also I mean we talked a lot and he said that this is a great preparation for him for future tournaments. And I told him this is what you'll see when you go in the last group at the Masters. And he laughed and I laughed and it was fun.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Annika, thank you very much. Good luck the rest of the week.
End of FastScripts....
