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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With John Atwood

Aired May 24, 2003 - 14:24   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Her putting was off, her chip shots were so-so. Even she says that. Well, Annika Sorenstam didn't make it past round two, but she made her case at the Colonial this week. She came to play with the men, and she did just that. The first woman to play a PGA golf tournament since World War II. Sorenstam finished over par and out of the money. The gallery kept cheering, though, even though everyone knew the cut was out of reach. Sorenstam broke down in tears as she left the green to an ovation from the crowd.
This latest version of the battle of the sexes is getting a lot of attention, and let's talk some more about it with John Atwood. He is editor and chief for "Travel and Leisure Golf" and he is in New York. Good to see you.

JOHN ATWOOD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, TRAVEL & LEISURE GOLF: How are you, Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: I'm doing pretty good. Well, she was very disappointed as were a lot of people who were rooting for her to make it into the final cut. But even she admitted that at least she got to play with the boys. And that is what she wanted to do.

ATWOOD: Let me tell you, that was a great great day. Great two days for golf, for sports, for women, for everyone, with the possible exception of Vijay Singh.

WHITFIELD: And mostly everyone was behind her. Do you think or were your expectations even after the comments of Vijay Singh that perhaps a lot of people would not be behind her? She even expressed that she was a bit surprised.

ATWOOD: Well, I think that most of those people came around. I have to say when you saw that woman out there playing her heart out with the eyes of the world on her against those odds, how could you not root for that woman? If you couldn't root for her, there is something lacking in your soul.

WHITFIELD: Yes, what tremendous pressure, I mean something like 600 cameras clicking away at her at one time. You've got the largest show up of folks in the galley there. More so than any of those most recent viewers have said they have seen with Tiger Woods when he first began winning these tournaments.

ATWOOD: Absolutely, that first tee shot that she hit on the 10th hole on Thursday was the most pressure packed golf shot that I have ever seen. And in fact, I lost $5 because I didn't think she could put the ball in the fairway, but good for her she did. And that round that she played on Thursday, she rated higher -- it was a better round than even the 59 she shot on LPGA tour. And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) she was fantastic, she just couldn't putt on Thursday. But that was a great round of golf she played.

WHITFIELD: So her long game was good, it was the short game that even she admits could use a little bit of work.

ATWOOD: Yes, I think you're right, and I think that the LPGA could learn from this, and they ought to make their greens tougher and have tougher pin positions so the woman get better at that aspect of the game.

WHITFIELD: She said that she is not likely to play another PGA event, bringing some disappointment to a lot of her fans. Do you think that perhaps she will be eating those words later? That maybe if she gets another shot, she just might be in there again?

ATWOOD: Well, I think that she obviously got to improve some aspects of her game. I think if in a year or two from now she really feels like her putting has come around and her short games has really sharpened up, and she gets another invitation from a course like the Colonial, from an event like the Colonial, I wouldn't be surprised to see her change her mind. But for now I'm glad that she has -- that she just did it as a one time thing to see how she would do, to test herself. And she demonstrated it to the world that she has guts and heart and class, and now it's time to get back to the LPGA Tour and win some majors.

WHITFIELD: That's right, and win some more. She has already got 43 victories up her sleeve from the LPGA. So I'm sure more is to come. John Atwood, good to see you. Thanks very much.

ATWOOD: Thank you.

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 24, 2003 - 14:24   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Her putting was off, her chip shots were so-so. Even she says that. Well, Annika Sorenstam didn't make it past round two, but she made her case at the Colonial this week. She came to play with the men, and she did just that. The first woman to play a PGA golf tournament since World War II. Sorenstam finished over par and out of the money. The gallery kept cheering, though, even though everyone knew the cut was out of reach. Sorenstam broke down in tears as she left the green to an ovation from the crowd.
This latest version of the battle of the sexes is getting a lot of attention, and let's talk some more about it with John Atwood. He is editor and chief for "Travel and Leisure Golf" and he is in New York. Good to see you.

JOHN ATWOOD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, TRAVEL & LEISURE GOLF: How are you, Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: I'm doing pretty good. Well, she was very disappointed as were a lot of people who were rooting for her to make it into the final cut. But even she admitted that at least she got to play with the boys. And that is what she wanted to do.

ATWOOD: Let me tell you, that was a great great day. Great two days for golf, for sports, for women, for everyone, with the possible exception of Vijay Singh.

WHITFIELD: And mostly everyone was behind her. Do you think or were your expectations even after the comments of Vijay Singh that perhaps a lot of people would not be behind her? She even expressed that she was a bit surprised.

ATWOOD: Well, I think that most of those people came around. I have to say when you saw that woman out there playing her heart out with the eyes of the world on her against those odds, how could you not root for that woman? If you couldn't root for her, there is something lacking in your soul.

WHITFIELD: Yes, what tremendous pressure, I mean something like 600 cameras clicking away at her at one time. You've got the largest show up of folks in the galley there. More so than any of those most recent viewers have said they have seen with Tiger Woods when he first began winning these tournaments.

ATWOOD: Absolutely, that first tee shot that she hit on the 10th hole on Thursday was the most pressure packed golf shot that I have ever seen. And in fact, I lost $5 because I didn't think she could put the ball in the fairway, but good for her she did. And that round that she played on Thursday, she rated higher -- it was a better round than even the 59 she shot on LPGA tour. And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) she was fantastic, she just couldn't putt on Thursday. But that was a great round of golf she played.

WHITFIELD: So her long game was good, it was the short game that even she admits could use a little bit of work.

ATWOOD: Yes, I think you're right, and I think that the LPGA could learn from this, and they ought to make their greens tougher and have tougher pin positions so the woman get better at that aspect of the game.

WHITFIELD: She said that she is not likely to play another PGA event, bringing some disappointment to a lot of her fans. Do you think that perhaps she will be eating those words later? That maybe if she gets another shot, she just might be in there again?

ATWOOD: Well, I think that she obviously got to improve some aspects of her game. I think if in a year or two from now she really feels like her putting has come around and her short games has really sharpened up, and she gets another invitation from a course like the Colonial, from an event like the Colonial, I wouldn't be surprised to see her change her mind. But for now I'm glad that she has -- that she just did it as a one time thing to see how she would do, to test herself. And she demonstrated it to the world that she has guts and heart and class, and now it's time to get back to the LPGA Tour and win some majors.

WHITFIELD: That's right, and win some more. She has already got 43 victories up her sleeve from the LPGA. So I'm sure more is to come. John Atwood, good to see you. Thanks very much.

ATWOOD: Thank you.

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