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American Morning
Talk with Golfer Paired with Annika Sorenstam
Aired May 23, 2003 - 08:25 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: That was on hole number 10 yesterday, the first hole of the round for Annika Sorenstam. She says her heart was racing, palms were sweaty, felt so nervous she was sick to her stomach. You would not have known it, though, over 18 holes. One over par, first round in the Colonial.
Aaron Barber was with her every shot of the way yesterday, one of two of her partners yesterday, our guest now live in Fort Worth.
Tell us, how was it on tee number one?
AARON BARBER, GOLFER PAIRED WITH ANNIKA: Unbelievable. It was so exciting. We all got chills, I think, when we went to the first tee. You know, the crowds were so great. And it was just really fun to be part of history. And I think it started to hit us a little bit when we got to that first tee yesterday.
HEMMER: Yes, Aaron, you're a rookie on the tour, but you and your playing partner, Dean Wilson, were giving her high fives on a number of these greens.
How much did your enthusiasm help her maybe to slide into a level of comfort and ease yesterday?
BARBER: Well, I think our whole group got along so well, and we've all been through a lot this week, especially Annika, with the media and the -- it's a lot of attention that Dean and I certainly aren't used to. So we really understood what each other had gone through and we were pulling for each other out there. And after I gave her that high five after the first birdie, I didn't even realize that I had done it. And then I was thinking, boy, I've never done that to another -- with another competitor that I've played with.
HEMMER: You don't see that often on the tour.
BARBER: It was kind of a team event, yes. It was fine.
HEMMER: What did she say before the round began? What was the conversation like?
BARBER: We just talked about how, you know, up on the putting green we talked about how we were just going to get through it together and we were going to battle the nerves and the adrenaline and all the crowds and the distractions and we were just going to try to play our best golf. And she really handled it so well. And I can't even imagine the adrenaline and the nerves she must have had, because I know how we felt. But she handled it so well. You know, she, her game held up to the test, that's for sure.
HEMMER: Over 18 holes, any moment that sticks out in your mind as an indelible point that you said to yourself, she's the real deal and she's come to play today?
BARBER: Well, Dean and I were saying it the whole day. But I remember on hole number three, it was our twelfth hole, it's a 470 yard par four and she drove it down the middle of the fairway and she had about 210 yards in. And I thought well, now, this might be a hole that gives her some trouble because it's so long. And she hit a seven and it went in there to like eight feet. And we couldn't get our eight irons inside of that.
HEMMER: Wow.
BARBER: And we just said, again, we said she's got an unbelievable game. And she did it on the next holes at 230 yard par three, and she knocked it right on the green again. And she handled the tough holes so well.
HEMMER: Yes, Aaron, I want to quote you from yesterday. "I've never played with someone over 18 holes who did not miss a shot."
Hyperbole or the real deal?
BARBER: That's how it felt. Unbelievable. She hit -- only missed one fairway. She missed three greens and she putted all of them. She was right on the fringes and it actually got boring. She just hit it so straight and hit the middle of the greens all day and it was very impressive to watch.
HEMMER: Hey, where did you finish, Aaron?
BARBER: I finished at two over. She beat me.
HEMMER: Oh, how's that feel?
BARBER: I'll get some ribbing from my friends when I get home, but I'm not embarrassed at all to say she beat me. She's an awesome player and we'll have fun again today.
HEMMER: You got it. Round two today. You get another shot.
Thanks, Aaron, for being a good sport.
Aaron Barber in Fort Worth.
BARBER: Thank you.
HEMMER: You've got 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 - 08:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: That was on hole number 10 yesterday, the first hole of the round for Annika Sorenstam. She says her heart was racing, palms were sweaty, felt so nervous she was sick to her stomach. You would not have known it, though, over 18 holes. One over par, first round in the Colonial.
Aaron Barber was with her every shot of the way yesterday, one of two of her partners yesterday, our guest now live in Fort Worth.
Tell us, how was it on tee number one?
AARON BARBER, GOLFER PAIRED WITH ANNIKA: Unbelievable. It was so exciting. We all got chills, I think, when we went to the first tee. You know, the crowds were so great. And it was just really fun to be part of history. And I think it started to hit us a little bit when we got to that first tee yesterday.
HEMMER: Yes, Aaron, you're a rookie on the tour, but you and your playing partner, Dean Wilson, were giving her high fives on a number of these greens.
How much did your enthusiasm help her maybe to slide into a level of comfort and ease yesterday?
BARBER: Well, I think our whole group got along so well, and we've all been through a lot this week, especially Annika, with the media and the -- it's a lot of attention that Dean and I certainly aren't used to. So we really understood what each other had gone through and we were pulling for each other out there. And after I gave her that high five after the first birdie, I didn't even realize that I had done it. And then I was thinking, boy, I've never done that to another -- with another competitor that I've played with.
HEMMER: You don't see that often on the tour.
BARBER: It was kind of a team event, yes. It was fine.
HEMMER: What did she say before the round began? What was the conversation like?
BARBER: We just talked about how, you know, up on the putting green we talked about how we were just going to get through it together and we were going to battle the nerves and the adrenaline and all the crowds and the distractions and we were just going to try to play our best golf. And she really handled it so well. And I can't even imagine the adrenaline and the nerves she must have had, because I know how we felt. But she handled it so well. You know, she, her game held up to the test, that's for sure.
HEMMER: Over 18 holes, any moment that sticks out in your mind as an indelible point that you said to yourself, she's the real deal and she's come to play today?
BARBER: Well, Dean and I were saying it the whole day. But I remember on hole number three, it was our twelfth hole, it's a 470 yard par four and she drove it down the middle of the fairway and she had about 210 yards in. And I thought well, now, this might be a hole that gives her some trouble because it's so long. And she hit a seven and it went in there to like eight feet. And we couldn't get our eight irons inside of that.
HEMMER: Wow.
BARBER: And we just said, again, we said she's got an unbelievable game. And she did it on the next holes at 230 yard par three, and she knocked it right on the green again. And she handled the tough holes so well.
HEMMER: Yes, Aaron, I want to quote you from yesterday. "I've never played with someone over 18 holes who did not miss a shot."
Hyperbole or the real deal?
BARBER: That's how it felt. Unbelievable. She hit -- only missed one fairway. She missed three greens and she putted all of them. She was right on the fringes and it actually got boring. She just hit it so straight and hit the middle of the greens all day and it was very impressive to watch.
HEMMER: Hey, where did you finish, Aaron?
BARBER: I finished at two over. She beat me.
HEMMER: Oh, how's that feel?
BARBER: I'll get some ribbing from my friends when I get home, but I'm not embarrassed at all to say she beat me. She's an awesome player and we'll have fun again today.
HEMMER: You got it. Round two today. You get another shot.
Thanks, Aaron, for being a good sport.
Aaron Barber in Fort Worth.
BARBER: Thank you.
HEMMER: You've got 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
