Annika Sorenstam Interview - Safeway International
IN: News | LPGA | Safeway International (2005) | Final Round | 21 Mar 2005
Q: Congratulations. This is win No. 58. It's your fourth win in a row and you've won six of the last eight LPGA events you've competed in. You've just now crossed the US$16 million mark in career earnings. Just your thoughts, with three holes to go you were four down, what were you thinking?
Annika Sorenstam: Well, there was just a little part of me thinking I was sitting here or standing on the 18th green holding a trophy. I mean, I've learned the lesson the hard way not to ever give up, but it wasn't really looking good.
I mean, I saw Lorena climbing up the leader board with more birdies and more birdies, and I was trying really hard, but I just couldn't make any birdies. And it wasn't until the 16th when I heard that she double bogeyed, and then 18, or 17 and I was on 18, I realized there's a big chance here. And, you know, the 4-wood I hit in regulation is probably one of the better shots I've hit in a long, long time. I was so pumped and come up there and have a great opportunity to win. I mean, it's really cool. That's why I practice, that's why I love this so much. You know, you're always not going to win, but when you do, it just makes it so much sweeter. I'm still a little bit overwhelmed, but I would say I'm loving it.
Q: Annika, this course, I mean, you've won twice in two times on this course. You had your 59 down in Moon Valley, but what about playing up here? That's got to be a joy for you.
Annika Sorenstam: Oh, it seems like it's working here, too. No, I mean, I've always, I loved Phoenix. It's always a great place to come, and a lot of important things in my life have happened in Phoenix. So, you know, to come here and play well this week meant a lot, and the course I thought was in excellent shape, tough greens, fast greens. You know, I could not have asked for a better start to the season, could not have asked for a better start before the first major. So I would say I'm very pleased the way things are setting up.
Q: Annika, when you're in the fairway on 18 in regulation, are you thinking if I make birdie I put a lot of pressure on her, she's got to make a birdie to win it outright?
Annika Sorenstam: Yeah. I knew I was one shot behind. I had to make birdie or even eagle to even have a chance.
That's really what I was thinking, and that's where I played aggressive, you know, I had nothing to lose, and
I hit that shot and I knew I set up for a good opportunity. And, you know, but then again, I think Lorena had eight feet I think in regulation to win it outright, so, you know, she had the chance, as well.
Q: Do you think you intimidate players out here when you're close to them on the leader board?
Annika Sorenstam: It's tough for me to answer that question. I guess you have to ask all the other ones how they feel about it. I mean, I do watch the leader board every single time I see one. I love the thrill of coming down the stretch, knowing that you have to hit a certain shot at a certain time, and, you know, that's really what gets me going. You know, I try not to, unless I'm playing really bad and I'm struggling to make par, but if I feel like I'm playing good, I want to make birdies and climb up that board. I'm not going to give up very easily.
Q: I'm thinking about how you play. I mean, I was watching you on 7, and Brittany I think was 20 yards ahead of you on the par 5. You told her to go ahead, and she laid up. You were thinking at that point I need to do something dramatic to get back in it, I would assume?
Annika Sorenstam: Yeah, exactly. It was actually 231 to carry over that little creek, which is totally borderline for me. I had a 4-wood. The wind was helping a little bit. I took a risk, there's no doubt about it, but I felt like I had to. You know, it was only a few holes out here where you can do that, and I didn't want to wait till the end, but then again, that's really what happened. I made a great birdie on 7, but then nothing really happened after that. And I saw Lorena make I think three in a row, 7, 8 -- no, was it 7, 8, 9, and 10 or something, she made a few birdies in a row, so all of a sudden I was four behind again, so I had to play aggressive. And that's one of the reasons why I hit a drive on I believe it's 14, and, you know, I had to make something happen.
Q: You've obviously had comeback victories before, but where does this rank in terms of the improbability of it, being four down and three to play?
Annika Sorenstam: Well, it really sounds unlikely, and like I said, there's only a slight part of me that thought it would be possible. But it does rank up here, of the things I've achieved, I mean, especially the shot in regulation, that 4 wood, I'm going to remember that for a long time. You know, I've come from 10 behind, but then again, I had 18 holes to do it. You know, three holes is not a lot, but then again, you know, I think today proved that you should never give up, just keep on grinding.
Q: Are you going to Palm Springs tonight?
Annika Sorenstam: Yes, I am.
Q: Can you just talk about your feelings for that?
Annika Sorenstam: Well, yeah, I'm going to fly up. Actually, my plane leaves in 10 minutes, so I don't think I'll make it. But no, I'm going to head up there and I'm staying at Big Horn where, you know, where I belong and just going to try and feel like home and have a good night, get rested for a big week next week, and I love that place, and hopefully the course is playing as good as this week. I love to see some fast greens, some firm greens, and some rough.
Q: Annika, from Lorena's perspective, from what you know of playing golf with her, is she the kind of person who will bounce back from something like this?
Annika Sorenstam: Oh, definitely. I mean, I think there are several reasons why she's going to do that. Well, just her personality is No. 1. I mean, right now she probably feels like, you know, this couldn't be any worse, but then, you know, she's young, she has a lot of talent, and, you know, she's going to get so many chances to win and she is going to win. It would be different knowing that this might be her only chance, but, you know, she's going to have a chance to win next week, and she's probably going to get more pumped up and want to get it back, so that's something positive, and that's how you learn, you really do. I mean, as long as you know you gave it all, then sometimes that's the only thing you can do, lean back and say, "Well, I did what I could."
Q: When you were talking with your caddie as you were walking up to the 18th in regulation, what did your conversation involve? The shot, or when you were back there, what you need?
Annika Sorenstam: You mean after the drive or after --
Q: After the drive.
Annika Sorenstam: Well, he told me that I was only one shot behind, so I was asking him probably, you know, "Do I have a chance to reach it in two?" And, you know, it was just mental talk probably, just pump me up and get me going, even though I didn't need much at the time, but it's just keep reinforcing that in my mind. And then we came up and we had 217 to the front and it was just perfect yardage.
Q: When do you remember hitting a shot like that 4-wood at 18? When is the last time you hit a shot that was just as good as you could vision it?
Annika Sorenstam: On the 18th hole, I mean, at McDonald's championship, it wasn't as great of a shot, but when I played against Grace Park and I won the LPGA championship, I was in the rough on the right, it was a little dark, it was a little rainy, it was really just kind of miserable weather, and I hit a 7 wood up on the green, I was able to two-putt and win, but that really didn't put me in a playoff in the same situation. When I hit the sand wedge over the trees in McDonald's, that was a good shot, but that wasn't the 18th but that's one of the true shots I've ever hit.
Q: So would this one rank right up there with --
Annika Sorenstam: Yeah, I mean, this is top three for sure.
Q: Did you know as soon as you hit it how good it was? You ran up a little bit.
Annika Sorenstam: Yeah, I mean, it felt really good, and obviously the wind was blowing a little bit, and I just, it felt good, but again, it carried 217 with the wind little into it. Again, it was just on the edge, and I had to take the chance, I really did, and I think it just carried by a few inches, but it just turned out to be great.
Source - Safeway International
