KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

March 27, 2003

Annika Sorenstam

Q.: Obviously you had a good day out there today. Can you talk about the conditions, if the wind played a part, and how you feel to be 4-under after one day?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I feel very pleased to be 4-under, sitting here. When we teed off this morning, it was very, very windy. I read the weather forecast, and I thought it was going to get worse. You know, I was really looking at par as a great score today.

I got off to a great start, had a lot of good shots, starting rolling some birdies. When I came back to the back-nine, it seemed like the wind died down a little bit. The conditions were much better in the end.

But, you know, the course is in great shape, especially the greens are being so smooth. If you see the line, you start rolling it, I mean, it's just tracking to the hole. I was fortunate to finish up with two birdies.

Q.: How tough was that wind at first? Was it just tough for the first five or six holes, or the entire front-nine?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, once you start playing in the wind, you forget how strong it is. It did feel very strong the Front 9, for sure. When I warmed up on the range, I was hitting 9-iron probably 110 yards. Normally I hit it 135.

You know, I thought it was going to be a really long day. Standing on the first tee, the fairway looked so narrow because the wind was just howling from right to left. But after I hit the fairway, I felt pretty good about my game. I was confident. Then when the wind died down, I was playing the way I'm used to playing a golf course.

Q.: It seems as if the rough isn't as deep this year as in year's past, but the greens look a little slicker. What do you think?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: They felt very slick today, especially with the wind. It's almost like you have to pay attention to the wind when you were putting. Downhill, it was just going away from you. When you putted into the wind, it felt like you had to hit it a little harder.

I was in the rough twice. I was hitting out of my shoes to go anywhere. Might not be as high, but it feels very healthy and very thick (laughter).

Q.: Is this the kind of round you were looking for when you got here this morning?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, it's always great to shoot under par in a major the first day, get off to a good start. You know, now I feel comfortable. Getting off to a good start is important. I know you can't win tournaments like this in the first day, but you can lose them. Therefore, I feel happy with a good start.

You know, I'll get a little rest, little later tee time tomorrow, let this round settle. But I feel very, very good.

Q.: Se Ri Pak and Grace Park finished first and second last week and this year's rookie class includes seven more Koreans. Can you talk about the new blood on Tour coming from Korea?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's amazing. I mean, a few years ago it was a lot of golfers from Sweden. Now you see them from Korea. I want to say there's about 20 or something from Korea. If you think of 144 players, that's pretty impressive.

I mean, I want to say that Se Ri Pak, Grace Park, Mi-Hyun Kim, great role models at home. You see all these players. They're all very, very good. It's great to see. It's really become a world tour. You have the best ladies in the world here.

Q.: You were paired with Patricia Meunier-Lebouc again today and played with her last week on the weekend. What do you think about playing with her so much lately?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's funny. I played with her in the Tour Championship, which is my last LPGA tournament. My first was last week I played with her. Now to be paired with her again, I think I've seen her the last six rounds out of eight or something like that.

No, it's really nice to see. I think she has really stepped up her game over the winter. Playing with her last week, she played some great shots. Today, as well. Very, very solid. Today she putted extremely well.

Q.: Talk about Michelle Wie. What sort of advice would you give a 13-year-old player in her first major?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Have fun. That's all I can say. She's obviously talented. She knows how to play. But, you know, she's so young, just come out, have a good time, look at the other players, learn a little bit, get the experience. She has so many years ahead of her. She should enjoy every moment.

Q.: Talk about your approach on 16.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hit two bad shots. I hit them on the same hole, No. 16. I had an 8-iron in my hand. If you were there, you saw it. There's not much to explain. Luckily it was in-bounds, I played it from there.

Q.: How close was that to going out-of-bounds?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Four or five feet probably.

Q.: Did you think you were going to make it through the press conference without having to talk about Colonial?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, am I (laughter)?

Q.: Would you like to?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's up to you guys.

Q.: What kind of lie did you have on your approach shot on 18?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, I only had 115 to get to the front of the green. With the wind in the face, and the rough, you know, I took a 9-iron, just tried to hit it as hard as I could. Actually, I thought it was going to be over the green. It was flying really high. I came up there, it was just short of the flag.

You know, that's one of those shots that either you pull off or you don't. First Thursday, you know, wanted to give it a go.

End of FastScripts....