INTERVIEW-Golf-Peerless Sorenstam was too scared to win

By Martin Petty

PATTAYA, Thailand, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Annika Sorenstam has won almost everything golf has to offer, but the 10-times major winner admits she did everything she could to avoid capturing titles as a timid youngster.

"I used to be shy and I'd lose tournaments on purpose to avoid making winner's speeches," Sorenstam told Reuters in an interview after a sweltering session slugging golf balls on the driving range at the Siam Country Club in Pattaya.

Sorenstam is in Pattaya to play in the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament.

"The speeches scared me so I'd miss important shots at the end because second place never had to say anything in public."

Eventually, Sorenstam's coaches realised what was going on and found a way to transform the apparently unlucky Swede from a perennial loser to one of sport's most decorated winners.

"They figured something was going on so they made first place, runner up and third place give a speech too," she said with a laugh.

"It wasn't that difficult and right then I realised winning wasn't so bad."

After that, winning became a habit.