U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 4, 2002

Annika Sorenstam

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: -- it's really difficult, so it's hard to fire straight at the pin sometimes, but it's a great golf course if you play well, like Juli did today. She shot a low score, so it's a fair golf course in that sense.

Q. (Inaudible)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, my pace of putts I don't know what to say. It kind of lost a feel there for a bit and it cost me a few shots. That's something I'm going to work on this afternoon and try to improve tomorrow. I was ramming them by by 10, 12 feet. That's not normally the way I putt. I might be a little short, but I was aggressive today, which is a good sign, but maybe not that aggressive.

Q. Did the green surfaces change that much?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think they got a little faster because it's dried up a little bit. The last hole I had a pitching wedge and it rolled out 8 yards, and the previous days' wedges have been rolling maybe 2 or 3.

Q. Do you, on the first round of the open, make sure you don't do anything that (inaudible)?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It is a long event, and you've got to be really patient in the Open, but I feel so good about my game, I figure I was going to play as well as I can starting early, and I let a few go there in the middle, but luckily I'll hang in there and scramble coming in.

I'm still there, I'm right there. I can't complain. It's probably the best start I've had in awhile, so I can smile about that.

Q. Did you find it helpful that Juli was playing so well today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It is helpful when you're playing with somebody playing well. You're hearing good stuff. You're hearing the ball go in the hole. When you play an Open like this, it's stuff when somebody is scrambling back and forth here, that makes it difficult. Today it was putt, pick up, and go, so that's good.

Q. (Inaudible)?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Number 13, I had a good lie. I had 174 to the hole, and it was way up there, so I figured -- you mean 13 or 14? Yeah, I forgot I was in the bunker on 13.

I had it was a perfect club for the yardage. 14, I had a perfect lie, so -- yeah, I went in there, I felt it was a lot of sand. I said "I'm just going to hit it clean." It wasn't as clean as I wanted it to be.

Q. (Inaudible)?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I like the wind. Again, I didn't take advantage today, but I feel like I'm striking the ball well, so a little wind shouldn't really affect my ball striking.

Q. Do you like the wind now?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, why not. It's easier to stand here and say "Wind blow." A little wind would be fine. I don't mind at all.

Q. What would you guess the scores will do this afternoon, go up on average?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I mean, this seems like a calm day here. Normally it would blow about 20 miles an hour. It doesn't seem like more than 5, 10 at the most. I'm sure scores will be similar to what you saw this morning.

Q. (Inaudible)?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Definitely not, no. I was here Monday. I didn't play Monday, but I can just imagine how the course was playing.

Q. (Inaudible)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Not necessarily. I mean, I missed the tee shot on 13. I shouldn't be there in the first place. Number 12, the first putt was too aggressive. I put myself in places I shouldn't have done. I told my caddy, "Let's stop the bleeding and try to get back on par and make a few birdies," so at least I stopped making bogeys. Thanks.

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