U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 2008

Annika Sorenstam

FULLAUDIOINTERVIEW

Q. Some general thoughts as you head into the weekend.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I'm excited about playing. I love the course. I think I'm hitting the ball as good as I can. I'm just, you know, going to work a few things with my putter and I'm really looking forward to the weekend.

Q. What things are you going to work on?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Just the same thing I've been working on. It has to do with tempo, it has to do with the length of my back swing, it just takes awhile to get that. Playing fast greens like this. You need, more importantly, you stick to your routine, but it also makes it tougher when it's just so tricky out there.

Q. You made a birdie early coming here. That swing there, you just moved in, on nine.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: On nine, yeah that was a great putt. I am going to try and visualize that this weekend. It's kind of what I'm looking for.

Q. The putting things were those what you worked with Dave Stockton on?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yes.

Q. Did you change anything in your strategy today?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, I hit a driver a few more times because the wind, I felt the wind was changing or they moved the tees. But other than that I didn't change anything I was just trying to play smart. Fairways and greens. And go from there.

Q. A couple of putts that would be short there, is part of you not wanting to be too stupidly aggressive because it's Friday or is pace a problem?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I wouldn't say it's a problem. It's just I'm working on things.

I have a tendency to have a short back swing and then I hit it rather than taking it slower, longer and then just kind of let the putter go through. So it's short and jabby and then the ball sometimes jumps and you don't get the roll you want.

Q. Those colors a coincidence or did you wear them --

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Do you think I'm always, do you think it's luck? No. It has --

(Laughter.)

There's a reason why I'm wearing it. Other than it is my Annika Collection.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: On nine? About 10, 11 feet.

Q. Do you find that the galleries are treating you any differently now that you announced your retirement?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I think they're being great. They're very, very supportive. There's so many of them here. They're just very golf knowledgeable. They're just so supportive of everybody.

It's just so much fun. It really is. It's very encouraging and inspiring and everybody's just cheering all of us on, so it's fun.

Q. What happened on 17? The trees there?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I played aggressive off the tee, hit the driver, pulled it, and then I tried to hit it out and it hate branch and then I had to get on the green in three.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Which shot? I was trying to go -- I was trying to go under, it was sitting really really deep and I played very conservative on the right between the bunkers, but then I didn't -- yeah, I didn't expect that at all.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No, there wasn't much in it.

Q. U.S. Open tournaments have a way of, whatever the score is today, of coming back. Do you expect that to happen as well?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Yeah, I expect it to happen even more this weekend. That's what the U.S. Open's are all about. This golf course is set up very well I think and then yesterday a lot of people might say there was lots of red numbers. Well, I think that it will change by the end of Sunday.

It's just, it's very, very fair, but you have to hit the ball well and there are a lot of tees out there where it's, there's so many different strategies. I mean, I've hit 4-irons off the tee, I hit 5-irons, I hit 5-woods, 4-wood, driver. I mean that's five different clubs off the tee other than par-3s. I can't think of any other golf course like that. And it's just strategy and it's just there's not a right way to play it, it's just depending how feel and how you want to approach the greens and with which clubs.

Q. How many tees out there surprised you?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well, 17. That's just a tough hole in general. And then here a little bit. And I think those are the two main ones.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well I didn't hit here or 17. But my caddie can walk 20 yards and tell me the difference. I didn't think it would make a difference.

Q. Does the tee shot kind of prevents you from hitting a cut or is there something about that tee shots that gives different people problems?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well when the tee is in the back it's, nobody can carry the bunker on the left. You can play it straight out to the right and try and hook it around depending upon the bounce but then you put the bunker on the right into play. I don't know if you saw the pin today, but it's tucked way back there on the left. And if you are not way out to the right, which then you put the bunker and the rough into play, you don't have a good angle in.

So it's one of those holes you have to be smart, but conservative. And I would say Paula played it pretty good today. She was conservative and had a great opportunity there.

Q. Not to go off topic, but any significance to the belt buckle and shouldn't the number be about 10 lower?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It's 59, actually.

Q. It looks like a 6.

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: It is 59. The A is, I don't know. But, it's 59 belt. Yeah. Suzann has the same and Lorena has the same. It's the Annika brand. And this is the thing that I use in my corporate stuff, so. I don't have to explain that, I guess.

(Laughter.)

Q. Is there a 59 out here?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I hope so, yeah. Why not. You got to think positive.

Q. This is your last U.S. Open, are you trying to take a minute to commit it to memory or are you too busy trying to play well?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm trying to play well, but I always walk away with great memories. The better you play the more memories you have. But it's great to be here. Like I said, the fans make it special, the course makes it special, the U.S. Open makes it special. It's just a wonderful week, really.

Q. Your driving average since you came back after the injury, how has that developed?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: I'm not sure what I average. I'm shorter than I used to be, but it's better than since the injury. It's gradually like this (Indicating), but I think that this week it's not necessarily how long you hit it. I try just to focus on accuracy and it's been working very well, I think. Other than 17.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Here?

Q. (Inaudible.)

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Oh, come on. Good question, Doug. Yeah.

(Too bad nobody heard it.)