The
LPGA Tour's No. 1 player, Annika Sorenstam, goes into the year's
first major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, having won the last
two majors of 2002 and aiming for her third in a row. Sorenstam
talked to reporters about the tournament, her goals for the year
and her preparation for the PGA Tour's Colonial.
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Obviously,
I'm excited because this is our first major and one of our very prestigious
events. I have a lot of good memories from the last two years.
So, happy to be
back. This major has come up really soon, really, because my first
event was last week. I've got to be playing on top so soon. I'm fine
with that. I'm just excited to be here. It's always a great golf
course, and see what happens this week.
Q.: What
is it about this golf course that suits you -- inaudible?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well,
I think this is a golf course where you have to be precise off the
tee. You have to have good control of your iron shots, which I believe
is my strength. The last three years I've played really well here,
especially my long game has been really good. I've been able to stay
out of the rough, and obviously, that's a key here.
I think, also,
it's a great golf course in many ways. The holes are -- they are
good golf holes. You've got to drive it well. You've got to hit your
irons well. The greens are maybe hidden behind some bunkers. It's
just a true golf course, and I like that, as well.
Q.: Do you
still have your red shoes from last year on Sunday -- inaudible?
ANNIKA
SORENSTAM: After throwing them in the lake they really didn't smell that nice.
But I've still got them.
It's obviously
a trophy for me but I don't really put it in my trophy case.
Q.: You've
mentioned before that you can't control what other players do, but
if other players go really low, is that what happened last week?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Oh,
definitely. Se Ri Pak played really well and also Grace Park. They
each shot 8- or 7-under. I tried my best and actually I think I played
really well. I didn't make too many birdies but I was pleased with
the week. I finished 19-under for my first tournament out. I felt
really good about my game. I controlled the things I could control
and just didn't turn out the way I wanted. There are so many good
players out here that to win tournaments nowadays, everything has
just got to fall into place.
Q.: Because
this major jumped up so soon on the calendar, is there anything different
that you had to do to prepare?
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Well,
I think obviously I would have liked to have played a few more tournaments.
But the way the schedule is, I knew it in December. So I had played
a lot of golf coming into Phoenix. I practiced a lot. It's just a
matter of getting into the tournament mode, which I felt really good
about last week. We'll see if it's enough. I'm hitting the ball where
I want to hit it. I'm putting well. We'll just see if it's going
to click this week or not.
Q.: Winning
three times in a row --
ANNIKA SORENSTAM: Of
course. I mean, I'm very familiar with the history of the LPGA and
so forth. But, you know what, you stand on the first tee. I try not
to think about those things. I just want to focus on my game, hit
one shot at a time, and like I said, just turn to things I can control.
Who knows how the other players are going to play.
I feel like I'm
ready. I feel like I have an opportunity to do something that nobody
has done, so, yeah, I think about it, but I'm not going to let it
be in the way of my game or anything.
Click
here for the complete interview with Annika Sorenstam.
