Annika Sorenstam provides an interview fats the Hilton Grand Holidays Match of Champions.
Q. Clearly you’re a resident right here and have performed this event a number of occasions. Inform us about this week and what you’re wanting ahead to most
Yeah, thanks. It’s nice to be right here. It’s spotlight for all of us. Once I say we, for the household clearly and for Mike and the children. To have the ability to compete at our residence course and are available right here and apply and see the LPGA and meet a few of our pals on the movie star facet, it’s a great way to form of kick begin the season.
I’ve been practising the final two weeks making an attempt to work on my sport by way of the winter spell that we had. Jogs my memory of my youthful days rising up in Sweden. It’s nice to be right here. Sit up for a beautiful week.
Q. That is the beginning of the LPGA’s seventy fifth season. Are you able to speak about wanting again at 75 years. Clearly you weren’t right here all these years. You performed such an instrumental position within the Founders position. Are you able to speak about 75 being a quantity?
Yeah, such as you mentioned, I’m outdated however not that outdated. Nevertheless it’s wonderful to see the expansion of girls’s sports activities and particularly golf. You look again and you consider the path blazers, Founders, what they did with their imaginative and prescient.
Right here we’re in 2025 and definitely totally different degree on each side I’d say. Tremendous proud our of the group, what I’m seeing and listening to and what I’m experiencing. However that’s why I believe it’s enjoyable for me to nonetheless have the ability to considerably compete. I do know we’re not in the identical competitors as them however I might be enjoying with some LPGA gamers. Simply to have a foot within the sport, I like that. As I actually nonetheless benefit from the sport.
Yeah, one thing I’m tremendous happy with once I consider a corporation and I’m a part of that to have the historical past that the LPGA does.
Q. Do you assume at these moments with 75, are you far sufficient from retirement to look again and see the legacy you left on the sport?
I imply, I believe I when — , I don’t actually have a look at the issues that I did from that perspective. I believe it’s simpler if different individuals choose your contributions. I have a look at my years on the LPGA and makes me smile. I’m definitely happy with what I achieved, , reaching my targets and having an opportunity to actually pursue my profession.
However I’m glad that you simply talked about it. I believe everyone who has contributed feels good about seeing one thing develop and one thing getting higher yearly.
Q. While you have a look at this golf event which brings collectively the LPGA professionals with the celebrities, discuss concerning the impression it’s had when it comes to bringing new followers and viewers to the game of golf.
I believe it positively does. You recognize, should you’re a golf fan you’d in all probability watch something while you usher in baseball gamers, actors, no matter, singers and dancers which might be right here, it brings in a distinct demographic. Folks can relate to possibly their video games greater than the LPGA professionals. Oh, I can hit that shot. I do know what that’s like.
See a few of their idols contained in the ropes and see them pursue one other sport, I believe it’s nice to have all of them come collectively. The friendships which were constructed right here the previous few years I believe will final a very long time.
Q. Any explicit celebrities you’re wanting ahead to assembly this week?
I believe I met most of them. I’ve been enjoying on this occasion and in addition the Lake Tahoe occasion a couple of occasions. It’s additionally good to rekindle the friendship and speak about it.
You recognize, effectively, Jack Wagner, we at all times play. Presupposed to play with Mardy Fish. I believe he chickened out or did one thing. Then performed with the defending champion, Jeff. I haven’t performed with him earlier than. He was very, very good and he can play. I imply, he’s a terrific athlete and he was hitting some pictures on the market that was simply form of enjoyable to observe.
Who is aware of? While you play in these occasions it’s enjoyable to play with totally different gamers. I do know Joe Pavelski, the hockey participant. He’s tremendous good. However he’s additionally good. I acquired to regulate him.
Q. You’ve been engaged on some swing adjustment I see in your social media. Are you able to discuss a little bit bit about that?
It by no means ends. Simply by no means ends.
Q. That’s my query: How a lot do you alter and simply at this stage in your profession, what’s your coaching like? What’s your method like? Does that consistently change?
Yeah. I imply — effectively, to begin with, my coach, Henry that I used since I used to be 14, 15, he got here and he mentioned, I’m coming so I’m going to hang around. I mentioned nice. He got here for 12 days. I mentioned, that’s plenty of work. I don’t apply that a lot anymore.
We actually simply dissected my swing and my placing particularly. I believe the previous few years I simply been getting in some dangerous habits and possibly haven’t actually paid an excessive amount of consideration. Simply form of performed with it and tried to compensate what I used to be doing.
Now we acquired again to actually the fundamentals. Wow, I really feel like I felt like a newbie, reconstructing my golf swing. Now I’m hitting good pictures, getting the ball up within the air and getting a few of my distance again, which has been very irritating.
I believe I’ve been making an attempt to muscle it, and once we muscle one thing we get the alternative impact, which you assume you’d know by now. You recognize, it’s been good to refresh my ideas concerning the swing and actually the way in which the golfers are swinging right this moment in comparison with once I began.
It’s good to be taught a little bit bit about that as effectively. I suppose I get a little bit additional vitality simply having one thing to work on and see if it really works in competitors.
Q. The psychological side, is that also in place? Do you return to what you had in your profession or work on that as effectively?
Henry mentioned, you used to do that and also you used to do that. I’m like, effectively, I’m not doing that anymore. What do I acquired to do? I believe plenty of it has been the flip, flexibility and energy, all of these issues mixed. My membership head velocity and ball sped have simply actually much less and fewer and fewer. It’s actually irritating when what it’s purported to seem like and really feel like.
To have the ability to flip a little bit bit extra and being extra environment friendly in my swing. So it was simpler then and tougher now.
Q. Does your son, Will, have extra recommendation for you while you play right here?
It’s attending to that time, yeah. No, he has plenty of opinions about my sport, which I take pleasure in that. Simply listening to him. However generally he must have a filter.
Nevertheless it’s been enjoyable to have novice out right here and watching. He desires to know the place I’m hitting it and what my plan is. He was negotiating to return out right here on Thursday, after which I mentioned, effectively, you bought college. I mentioned effectively I actually wish to watch you play.
Talked to Mike about how effectively I used to be hitting it. Then in fact he was being — I really want to see the way you hit it on Thursday, mommy. While you’re enjoying so effectively now, I really want to see all these birdies you’re going to make.
Q. Does the competitor in you begin to ask your self, what’s it going to take to win this occasion alone course?
Yeah, each time. You recognize, I performed in possibly 12 of those movie star occasions. I completed the whole lot I consider from second to fifth. I’ve had the prospect and I simply haven’t been in a position to put 4 rounds collectively.
That’s what I like about this event right here. That is 4 rounds and Tahoe is three. I really feel just like the extra rounds possibly I’ve a much bigger probability. We’ll see. Then this yr, the climate is a little bit nicer. I’m hoping that the heat will make my ball fly a little bit additional and shorter golf equipment in is usually a little bit extra aggressive.
And I do have residence benefit. You’ll assume I’d have the ability to capitalize on that a little bit extra. Consider these guys are good. I really want to play solidly for 4 days. I believe that’s one the explanations I come again right here. Not simply because Hilton Grand Holidays is a sponsor of mine, however I wish to know what it feels prefer to beat them not less than as soon as.
Q. Going again to while you have been simply popping out on Tour, even had gone to school at UofA, what was form of the European efficiency on the LPGA like? I believe Laura Davies was in all probability the large title on the time. Who else was on the market?
We had a couple of fellow Swedes. Liselotte Neumann was any person I appeared as much as. She was so widespread lumbar. She gained the U.S. Ladies’s Open in 1988. I believe many younger ladies simply — when she gained, all of us began dreaming. Possibly there’s a probability for us to do this.
Helen Alfredsson was one other participant, Trish Johnson, Alison Nicholas, simply to call a couple of out right here. These are the gamers that I had form of watched from the sidelines both they represented Europe in Solheim Cup or simply performed in a couple of LET occasions in Sweden.
So I form of watched them rising up and never essentially adopted of their footsteps since you by no means know, however they have been a couple of years forward. Like I at all times stored an eye fixed on them.
Q. And did you’ve any notably particular relationship with any of the Founders as you bought an opportunity to know them over time?
You recognize, I by no means actually — I imply, I’ve met those that have been — that I met on tour once they got here out and simply visited sure occasions.
I imply, Patty Berg was fairly a personality. She had wonderful humor I keep in mind. I imply, Louise Suggs I acquired the pleasure to satisfy. Kathy Whitworth in fact.
Marlene Hagge I met additionally. And I’m making an attempt to consider among the names. They’re blanking me in the meanwhile.
It was very — I imply, it was simply once they confirmed up, it was simply — I believe plenty of us had a lot respect for them that we didn’t actually wish to strategy them. Particularly as a rookie I used to be in all probability the final one — I’d be the final one in a row to say hello.
I at all times stored an eye fixed and appeared over and thought, thanks. So, yeah, it was fairly neat.
Q. You are feeling such as you’re form of of their footwear a little bit bit now? I imply, none the unique Founders are left. You, Juli Inkster, that technology that these professionals are wanting as much as.
I by no means actually considered that. I don’t know. They began the Tour so I believe that places them in a distinct degree and totally different class.
I suppose you’ve generations that form of do their half, , hopefully to maneuver it ahead. With my technology, such as you talked about, Karrie and Seri and Lorena, that was form of my group, I believe we contributed with a couple of issues, yeah.
Q. Clearly proper now the LPGA goes by way of a management transition on the prime. I’m curious to listen to your ideas, A, on the present state of the LPGA, and, B, should you have been commissioner what modifications would you make?
Yeah, no, superb query. Such as you mentioned it’s an attention-grabbing time for the LPGA. I imply, I don’t wish to be the commissioner so I’m not — however I imply, you probably have a crystal ball all of us wish to be seen and heard, whether or not that’s TV or any form of publicity. The extra the higher.
I believe while you look it’s vital to have any person that may talk. You must talk with lots of people. I imply, you bought the gamers, media, companions, the followers.
It’s a fancy job I believe for lots of causes, however I’ve little question they’re going to take their time and discover the suitable individual. I believe girls’s sport is a tremendous place proper now. A whole lot of alternative. A whole lot of upside in so some ways.
You discuss to plenty of the gamers week after week, you see what sort of nice athletes they’re and people. Yeah, I believe will probably be an thrilling job for any person that’s prepared to take that on.
Yeah, it’s straightforward to be a commissioner for a day and simply level and level and level after which go. However, yeah, hopefully they’ve a search committee. They’ve employed some group, an organization, is search agency. Fingers crossed that the suitable individual will step on the proper time.
