NEW ALBANY GOLF CLASSIC

September 28, 2000

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I birdied the third hole. Sand wedge to three feet. Birdied No. 6. Hit a 4-wood on the green, 2-putt. Birdied No. 8. I hit a sand wedge to four feet. Birdied No. 14. 9-iron to five feet. Bogeyed No. 16. Sand wedge on the green, 3-putt.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: My first putt was probably 28 feet, and then I putted to about four feet and missed it.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Like I said yesterday, I love this golf course. So teeing it up this morning, I was really looking forward to playing. And the conditions were a little breezy, not too much, but we had a little breeze; it was probably half a club on a few holes. It had dried out a little bit from yesterday, but not much, mostly on the greens, they were a little firmer. So that counts for a little more roll. But other than that, it is still really wet in the fairways. But overall, my round, I'm very pleased. I think I hit every fairway, 16 fairways and 16 greens and I had 30 putts. It was very solid golf from the tee to the green. I was really never in trouble. I left a putt on 16 and then I had probably a 6-, 5-footer on 17 for birdie. If I had made those two, I would be really smiling. But it's a good first round, it's a good start. I'm just going to try and continue what I did today. It's so nice to know that you're hitting the ball well and that's going to give you a lot of chances for birdie. So that's my goal, just to be able to make them the next few days.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I just think if it dries out, it makes the course a lot trickier in the sense that you will get some roll in the fairways. Now, on 17, I hooked my drive a little bit, it rolled two feet. It didn't go in the rough. If it dried out, it would be in the rough and make it a little more difficult. Therefore, I'd like to see it dry out, put a little more premium on ball-striking. If the greens firm up a little bit, you've got to plan your shots a little bit. And these greens are not flat; they are quite undulated, and with some of the pin placements you've got to plan your shots more because you know it's going to roll. So therefore, I'd like to see it dry out.