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American Morning

Once Again, All Eyes on Annika

Aired May 23, 2003 - 07:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back on the links right now. Once all eyes on Annika today as she attempts to clear a second historic hurdle on the men's PGA Golf Tour. The world's best female golfer teed off with the men Thursday, becoming the first woman to play in an event in 58 years. One over par, 71, first round of the Colonial tournament in Fort Worth.
The big question now is can she make the cut and play through the weekend?

Tara Gravel with "Golf" magazine has written a piece on Annika's quest for the magazine's June issue and spent a lot of time with her a couple of months ago.

Good morning to you.

TARA GRAVEL, "GOLF" MAGAZINE: Hi, Bill.

How are you?

HEMMER: Actually, I'm doing fine, thanks.

How did she do yesterday?

GRAVEL: Amazing. I think she outdid anyone's expectations, except maybe her own. I think she was pretty confident going in there. But she held her own with the big boys.

HEMMER: You write in this piece for "Golf" magazine that this is something she could not have done mentally and physically a few years ago.

Why not? What's different?

GRAVEL: That's right, she is a very shy, reserved person. So even mentally, she couldn't have handled the publicity, the attention that she got yesterday. But physically, she is, by how much she can weight lift, 40 percent stronger now than she was two years ago.

HEMMER: She didn't appear to be very shy yesterday. She showed a lot of emotion.

GRAVEL: It's taken a while. I mean she is someone who, she was so shy as a junior player, she used to lose tournaments so she didn't have to give the victory speech.

HEMMER: How did she overcome that, I wonder, then? This goes back a couple of years, right?

GRAVEL: I think just -- yes. She's been on the LPJ for a little more than 10 years, so I think it's just getting in that comfort zone of dealing with the media over all those years. And she's getting it now, obviously. She's riding this publicity wave so.

HEMMER: I found it interesting, too, in your article, she's married for five years right now. But this past summer, about a year ago, she spent six weeks at a cooking school.

GRAVEL: That's right.

HEMMER: Why did she do that?

GRAVEL: That's right. It's funny, because now that she's at the top of her game, she's finding other interests. But she spent six weeks actually working in the kitchen at the country club where she lives for no pay, just so she could learn how to chop vegetables.

HEMMER: Where does she live?

GRAVEL: She lives at Lake Nona Country Club outside Orlando, Florida.

HEMMER: Got it.

What about her playing partners yesterday, Aaron Barber, Dean Wilson? These guys were pretty good sports, high fives the entire round.

GRAVEL: She really lucked out with her playing partners. They couldn't have been more gracious and supportive of her. So, that was good.

HEMMER: Is it overstated when Barbara said, "I've never played with someone over 18 holes who did not miss a shot?"

GRAVEL: Probably not. She is so accurate. She's not just one of the most accurate players on the LPJ, but in the world of golf.

HEMMER: Yes, and as we try to get into her mentality right now and the emotions she was feeling yesterday, after the round she said every hole was like the U.S. Open on Sunday. It kind of gives us a bit of an opportunity to see how the pressure is coming down on her right now.

GRAVEL: That's right. The usual PGA Tour event has maybe 50 to 100 media people. There were 400 to 500 there. There were cameras following her, huge galleries. She's not used to that and I don't think a lot of the PGA tour players are used to that.

HEMMER: Would you say, though, that today is really the big test?

GRAVEL: Today is a big...

HEMMER: To see if she can do it over 36 holes and not just over 18?

GRAVEL: Sure, today is the big test and who knows what the conditions are going to be like? Though I think at least she won't be as nervous as yesterday and if -- she is on the cusp of making the cut and so she'll be gunning for it. She has a real goal today.

HEMMER: By the way, Rory Sabbatini leads this tournament. No one's even talked about him. He shot a six under 64. He's ahead by a stroke today.

Thanks, Tara.

GRAVEL: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 23, 2003 - 07:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back on the links right now. Once all eyes on Annika today as she attempts to clear a second historic hurdle on the men's PGA Golf Tour. The world's best female golfer teed off with the men Thursday, becoming the first woman to play in an event in 58 years. One over par, 71, first round of the Colonial tournament in Fort Worth.
The big question now is can she make the cut and play through the weekend?

Tara Gravel with "Golf" magazine has written a piece on Annika's quest for the magazine's June issue and spent a lot of time with her a couple of months ago.

Good morning to you.

TARA GRAVEL, "GOLF" MAGAZINE: Hi, Bill.

How are you?

HEMMER: Actually, I'm doing fine, thanks.

How did she do yesterday?

GRAVEL: Amazing. I think she outdid anyone's expectations, except maybe her own. I think she was pretty confident going in there. But she held her own with the big boys.

HEMMER: You write in this piece for "Golf" magazine that this is something she could not have done mentally and physically a few years ago.

Why not? What's different?

GRAVEL: That's right, she is a very shy, reserved person. So even mentally, she couldn't have handled the publicity, the attention that she got yesterday. But physically, she is, by how much she can weight lift, 40 percent stronger now than she was two years ago.

HEMMER: She didn't appear to be very shy yesterday. She showed a lot of emotion.

GRAVEL: It's taken a while. I mean she is someone who, she was so shy as a junior player, she used to lose tournaments so she didn't have to give the victory speech.

HEMMER: How did she overcome that, I wonder, then? This goes back a couple of years, right?

GRAVEL: I think just -- yes. She's been on the LPJ for a little more than 10 years, so I think it's just getting in that comfort zone of dealing with the media over all those years. And she's getting it now, obviously. She's riding this publicity wave so.

HEMMER: I found it interesting, too, in your article, she's married for five years right now. But this past summer, about a year ago, she spent six weeks at a cooking school.

GRAVEL: That's right.

HEMMER: Why did she do that?

GRAVEL: That's right. It's funny, because now that she's at the top of her game, she's finding other interests. But she spent six weeks actually working in the kitchen at the country club where she lives for no pay, just so she could learn how to chop vegetables.

HEMMER: Where does she live?

GRAVEL: She lives at Lake Nona Country Club outside Orlando, Florida.

HEMMER: Got it.

What about her playing partners yesterday, Aaron Barber, Dean Wilson? These guys were pretty good sports, high fives the entire round.

GRAVEL: She really lucked out with her playing partners. They couldn't have been more gracious and supportive of her. So, that was good.

HEMMER: Is it overstated when Barbara said, "I've never played with someone over 18 holes who did not miss a shot?"

GRAVEL: Probably not. She is so accurate. She's not just one of the most accurate players on the LPJ, but in the world of golf.

HEMMER: Yes, and as we try to get into her mentality right now and the emotions she was feeling yesterday, after the round she said every hole was like the U.S. Open on Sunday. It kind of gives us a bit of an opportunity to see how the pressure is coming down on her right now.

GRAVEL: That's right. The usual PGA Tour event has maybe 50 to 100 media people. There were 400 to 500 there. There were cameras following her, huge galleries. She's not used to that and I don't think a lot of the PGA tour players are used to that.

HEMMER: Would you say, though, that today is really the big test?

GRAVEL: Today is a big...

HEMMER: To see if she can do it over 36 holes and not just over 18?

GRAVEL: Sure, today is the big test and who knows what the conditions are going to be like? Though I think at least she won't be as nervous as yesterday and if -- she is on the cusp of making the cut and so she'll be gunning for it. She has a real goal today.

HEMMER: By the way, Rory Sabbatini leads this tournament. No one's even talked about him. He shot a six under 64. He's ahead by a stroke today.

Thanks, Tara.

GRAVEL: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com