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DU MAURIER CLASSIC


August 10, 2000


Annika Sorenstam


AYLMER, QUEBEC

LAURA NEAL: Would you go over your score card first.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Okay. Let's see, I birdied the first hole. I hit a sand wedge to 10 feet. Birdied No. 4, sand wedge to about 12 feet. Bogeyed No. 6, I hit a 7-iron left of the green, had a flop shot, missed it, but then chipped it to about 2 inches. Birdied No. 7, sand wedge to about 7 feet. Bogeyed No. 8, the par-3. Hit a 7-wood short of the green, chipped it up; 2-putt. Birdied No. 11, 7-iron to 20 feet. And then birdied No. 14, hit a 4-wood short of the green, chipped it up to about 9 feet.

Q. Yesterday, you commented about the weather, how the weather was, how you needed every shot in the bag to play this golf course. You kind of had every kind of weather out there today: Wind, rain, everything else. Would you comment on that?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You're right. There was a lot of changes out there. I mean when we came out the second time, the weather was perfect. There was no wind, the conditions were as good as they get. But when we teed off, the wind picked up a little bit, not as much as yesterday, but you still had to be kind of cautious with your shots. The greens are so small, you want to make sure you're not long, if the pin is in the back. If the pin is short, you want to make sure you don't go past it. I feel tired. I've been thinking a lot, planning about all the shots, depending on the weather, because it changed so much.

Q. I heard something -- how many birdies did you make in the Pro Am yesterday?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Nine.

Q. Does that increase your expectation level?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No. I think I played well the last four months. I know I can play. I know I can make a lot of birdies. But yesterday I did make a lot, especially in that wind. I've been putting really well. Today I made 5, and I'm very pleased with that. So I'm grabbing opportunities when I get them, which is fun, which is what I need to do this week. You are going to make bogeys, because there are tricky holes out there. If I make the birdies, that's all I'm asking for. I don't have to worry if I miss the green, I'll make a birdie here and there, and that will save me.

Q. It seemed like the rain delay helped you down the stretch. The last two holes, the case of a couple of inches either way, and you could have been 5-under?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It was very close. I played very good in the last few holes. I started out with a birdie on the 14th, and I had chances. And like you said, it was really close. Maybe with the rain, the greens were slightly slower. And especially on 17 and 16, they just kind of died a little more than they had earlier in the day. But on 18, I rammed it too hard, but it was a good putt. It could have been a little more, but I'm very pleased. It's a great first round. It's the best first round in a major that I've had in a long time. And I'm going to take that and come out tomorrow and keep going.

Q. When there's a delay like the one today, basically you're looking at a 6 1/2 hour round, 7 hour round. You mentioned the concentration level before. How much more difficult is it? Normally, it's a four-something hour round. You're concentrating the whole way through. But how much more difficult is it to extend that another three hours?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, you're out there for a long time, and you're focusing a lot. But I think the key is to only focus when you need to focus, is when you hit the shot or when you have preparation time. But when you go in the clubhouse, it's important to just -- you can goof off, relax, don't think about what you've done out there or the shot you're going to hit when you come out. I cannot concentrate that long. So therefore, just focus when you need to.

Q. What kind of goofing off did you do in the locker room?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, we were talking about stocks. We were just talking numbers. We were talking -- we were just talking, I guess, other things than golf. We did not talk about any shots or anything.

Q. Did you check out what the market was doing today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I didn't. But some of the other girls did, so I got my updates.

Q. So you were saying it's been a long time since you had a good first round in a major. Can you recall the last time? Would you remember offhand?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, it was a long time ago. I'm actually really -- in my tournament, I'm a slow starter. It seems like the times I've started out well, I've done well in the tournament, that I know. I'm going to have to look that up to let you know.

Q. Did you look at the leaderboard and see that 5 and say, "Well, I've got to post some kind of number today"?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: You know, normally I look at the leaderboard. But today, it's only Thursday, and I figured it doesn't really matter. I just want to get off to a good start and play my own game. I do look at the leaderboards later in the tournament, but today I didn't feel that there was any need. It's too soon.

Q. If someone sits alone at the top of the leaderboard, is all the pressure on them on the next day?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think it's -- it varies, depending on who you ask. I don't feel like if I'm leading after the first round, I feel any pressure. I just get more excited I'm playing well and I'm up on top. Once you come to Saturday, Sunday, yeah, maybe the pressure will build. It's Thursday, it's a major, it's so early. I'm excited about my round, but we have such a long ways to go, that I don't want to get too excited. And I don't think whoever is up at the top at the end of the day should do that, either.

Q. Did you know who that was on the top of the board?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes, I know. I don't know her very well, but I know who it is.

Q. I followed you on the back 9, and it seems that you were a bit exuberant. On 11 and 14, after your birdies, a bit of fist pumping. And on 17, you missed a short birdie putt, you talked to yourself. What were you saying? We had a sense that you thought you were able to make every putt out there on the back 9 today. Is that true? Is that correct?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I had emotions. I don't run around and scream, but I do a little fist pump here and there. Like any other tournament, I get excited once I start playing and once I'm within the ropes. Obviously, I care a lot. You talk about 11 and 14, yeah, I was pumped, because I made birdies. And it came to 17, I missed two chances. But I guess this thing I was doing or whatever, was just trying to keep me going. It's okay, I've got one more hole, keep it going. Again, this was Thursday. So it was more just kind of to get me going for the last hole. It was nothing negative, it was more something to keep holding on to what you're doing.

Q. You said it's your best first round in a long time. How does that bode well for the whole weekend? Do you anticipate a little better? I'm talking anticipation rather than expectation.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, what I told you yesterday is like in the past in the Majors I've kind of --.

Q. That's why I'm asking.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, because it's hurt -- I've hurt myself with a high score in the beginning of the week. And now is the first time I haven't done that. And obviously, I'm excited, but I'm also -- I can't wait to go out tomorrow and continue, because I'm playing well. And so it was a little tough to start in a major. You feel a little nervous, and butterflies -- how am I going to do this week? And especially in the past, I haven't done so well. That was something that was in the back of my mind: Hey, let's get off to a good start. I hope I can go out tomorrow and play like it's Friday and just keep going.

End of FastScripts….

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