Posted on 05/21/2003 8:21:51 AM PDT by ewing
Sorenstam becomes the first woman in nearly 60 years to play a PGA Tour Event at the Bank of America Colonial.
But then of course you knew that already, 'Annika has already won before she tees off,' says Patty Sheehan, the ex-LPGA star that cable channel USA Network will add as an analyist for its Colonial coverage Thursday and Friday.
It's only begun, and Annika will definitely outshine at least two famous males Thursday-Nash Bridges and Walker Texas Ranger.
They will be pre-empted as USA Networks, whose Colonial coverage will be CBS produced, shifts its Thursday coverage from starting at the scheduled 4PM ET time to 9:58AM ET-Sorenstam's tee time. Barrow expects Sorenstam's 'every shot' will air Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at usatoday.com ...
Great. I might as well enjoy the sideshow as this will be the end of women playing in PGA tournaments for a while.
Sörenstam hits a few with the guys
| May 21, 2003 GolfWeb Wire Services E-mail this story to a friend |
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Annika Sörenstam was playing just like the guys in her group. She was hitting fairways, reaching some greens and leaving herself in position for pars and maybe even a birdie or two.
The gallery had grown to more than a hundred curious people by the time she hit her drive at No. 7, just missing the fairway into the right rough.
She got the ball back in the fairway, but only a few yards ahead after it ricocheted off a tree. Her approach landed in a greenside bunker, then she skipped a shot across the green into another one.
But Sörenstam wasn't keeping score Tuesday, for the good or the bad. It was only a practice round.
"I probably played nine good holes and nine bad holes," she said after the round ended her nearly 13-hour day at Colonial Country Club.
On Thursday, Sörenstam will become the first woman in 58 years to play on the PGA TOUR when she tees off in the Bank of America Colonial. Every stroke will count and the crowds will be several times larger.
Only one player gets this much attention on the PGA TOUR, and Tiger Woods is nowhere near the tournament.
Nearly 600 media credentials have been issued, quadruple the normal for the tournament. Reporters and cameras document her every move, and a security detail surrounds her every step.
The spotlight is shining fully on Sörenstam.
"I'm still overwhelmed and I can't believe how many of you guys are here," Sörenstam said. "When I accepted the invitation, I must have been very naive. I'm doing this to test myself, and I didn't think everybody else wanted to test me at the same time."
Sörenstam only wants to see how her game -- the best in women's golf -- will stack up against the men. After years of dreaming and three months of hype, the 32-year-old Swede is about to find out.
During her practice round Tuesday afternoon with Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik and Tim Clark, Sörenstam at times split the fairway with her tee shots. She also hit into the elements -- trees, sand, water -- and often hit multiple shots.
"The course is tough, but I loved this," Sörenstam said. "I had a good time and the guys were very nice. Sergio especially taught me shots and shared some of his information. That's one of the reasons I'm here, it was perfect."
After Sörenstam blasted a couple of balls out of the bunker at No. 7, Garcia -- the 2001 winner here -- offered a few tips. She got to test what he told her at No. 8, hitting out of a bunker to about 6 feet on the par 3.
"If I shoot level par, I'll be so pleased," Sorenstam said.
Parnevik, who joined the group for the final 13 holes, said Sörenstam seemed relaxed. And while he thinks she will shoot better than some expect, he believes it will be tough for her to make the cut.
"I would think if she breaks 75 two days in a row, that would be realistic," he said. "To make the cut, she will have to play her very best, and some."
Ever since she decided in February to play on the PGA TOUR, accepting a sponsor's exemption from Bank of America, Sörenstam has been besieged by questions: What will she shoot? Will she make the cut? How will she handle the pressure?
Like everybody else, she is ready to find out.
"I'm prepared. If I wait another week, three months or three years, I won't be any more prepared. I'm ready to go," she said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I want to enjoy the week."
The last woman to play on the PGA TOUR was Babe Zaharias, who played in three consecutive events in 1945.
Sörenstam will play the first two rounds with PGA TOUR rookies Dean Wilson and Aaron Barber. All of their names, picked randomly by a computer, were drawn out of the category of players who haven't won or finished in the top 125 on the money list.
"It's a unique experience to be able to play with her in a tournament atmosphere like this," said Wilson, who Tuesday wore a "Go Annika" button he bought for $3 at Colonial's pro shop.
Some PGA TOUR players have criticized Sörenstam's decision to play, and defending Bank of America Colonial champ Nick Price called her appearance a publicity stunt. Barber and Wilson disagreed.
"She has every right to be in this tournament, and I'm all for her playing well," Wilson said.
Barber said Sörenstam has "earned this opportunity based on her resume."
The most-watched group at Colonial starts on the 10th tee Thursday at 9:58 a.m. ET, the last morning trio on the course. Their second round begins on the first tee at 2:43 p.m. ET Friday.
Woods called Sörenstam on her cell phone Monday morning to offer some final tips -- mostly how to cope with the media. He told her she better play well because he would be watching.
Along with millions of others.
©The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Then why bother?
I actually feel sorry for the poor lady - this has been hyped into something it is not, and declarations that 'Annika cannot lose' really mean that no matter what she does, she cannot win. Could we please just let this be a game of golf, not some cosmic gender warfare?
This could be painful to watch... but pleasurable at the same time. I doubt she will break 80.
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