Annika Meets the Boys at Colonial [Finishes Day +1]

CBS Sports/USA Network and PGA.com ^ | May 22, 2003 | Jim Nantz

[ewing]

LPGA player Annika Sorenstam will be teeing off shortly in a men's PGA event at the Colonial Country Club [the first time in 60 years this has happened]

Live shot for shot coverage as long as she is in contention to make the cut on USA Networks, PGA Radio is free today for those cubicle bound and wanting live update (link included)

[MHGinTN]

With training (wrist management) she could gradually up her driving distances to 280, 290, and then with much practice around the greens (pitching and putting distance management) she could win on the PGA with just the right circumstance and a bit of luck. She really is a gifted player and her physical equipment is similar to a Cory Pavin. I've been most impressed with her emotion management. She has the temperment to be a contender on the PGA, if she can raise her physical abilities while keeping the same temperment. I actually think she could do it. [I would bet even I could coach her into a higher level; I know I could improve her putting control with a few simple tips like visualization connecting the width of the right palm/or width of the back of the left hand with the width of the imaginary painted line to the hole and the size of the cup.]

[Ready4Freddy]

"She does not qualify from a or b."

There's a max of 8 exemptions, a & b are of a 'not less than two ... [from 3 specific sources]' nature. That leaves 4 exemptions that do not have to meet the a / b criteria.

" She is an amateur to men's golf. She has no handicap.

Irrelevant.

"How does she "qualify?""

By the book, laddie, by the book.

As an aside, for those wondering why Hank K ain't playing, the exemptions aren't designed to give a Tour member who isn't quite cutting the mustard a chance at a tournament. If they were, they'd allocate more than 25% of the max exemptions for such players.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

D'oh! 56, a much worse number to hit to. She has to be even tomorrow to make the cut then in my opinion.

[presidio9]

I know she hit a seven wood at least once during the practice round.

[Bob J]

You got yardage figures for the US Open this year?

[an amused spectator]

Thanks for the quick post-back. Let's analyze the data at our leisure, shall we?

The post in question was "He would be driving the greens with irons on a lot of par fours!!!"

[jpl]

D'oh! 56, a much worse number to hit to. She has to be even tomorrow to make the cut then in my opinion.

At least. Depending on what happens the rest of today and tomorrow, there is a chance the cut could even go to -1.

[an amused spectator]

A 4 wood and a 7 wood.

[presidio9]

You'll be happy to know another craphole tour stop ... the BC Open (Played in Endicott NY the same weekend the big boys are playing the British Open) offered Annika a sponsor's exemption as well.

As has been pointed out this will again be one of the greatest publicity grabs ever!!!

Oh, wait, the BC Open is not even televised.

She's a good player. She played better today than I thought she would. But, there are no "Touring Pros" that she could beat on a regular basis.

[Bob J]

Interesting. She could make up for lack of ball spin and the angle her shots hit the greens by using more fairway woods than long irons. Did you see her use any today?

[an amused spectator]

Thanks. I am getting AWFUL sick of all these gnats buzzing around my ears.

You're not off the hook yet. You said "He [Tiger] would be driving the greens with irons on a lot of par fours!!!"

We're going to run the numbers.

[presidio9]

I've been most impressed with her emotion management.

Yeah, she was a rock when she stepped up to that six-footer for par on #9. Look most of the guys would have missed it too. But she not a goddess or anything. She's dealt with pressure before. And her knees buckled on a gimme for par on the final hole.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Doesn't look like the afternoon group is doing too much better. She looks to beat around 24 players today and be tied with another 20 or so. That would put her a little below the half mark, but not by much. Some of those early guys had a great round and a few will blow it tomorrow. Some might rise to the challenge and elevate their game, but if Annika hits 70 tomorrow, she has a better than even chance of making the cut.

[Bob J]

If she were to play in the Open, she may do better with a 3-5-7.

[presidio9]

Oh for God's sake do you understand hyperbole? If Woods were hitting irons to all the par fours he's break FIFTY man.

[GallopingGhost]

Interesting. She could make up for lack of ball spin and the angle her shots hit the greens by using more fairway woods than long irons. Did you see her use any today?

Huh? If she can't hold the green with an iron, she sure as heck won't hold it with a wood.

[presidio9]

OK, you're right she demonstrated an ability to succeed on men's courses, right? And now she's showing us that ability again, right?

[jpl]

Some of those early guys had a great round and a few will blow it tomorrow. Some might rise to the challenge and elevate their game, but if Annika hits 70 tomorrow, she has a better than even chance of making the cut.

If she hits 70 tomorrow, she will be 141 after two rounds, which will still be +1. Barring something really unusual, I don't think +1 is going to make this cut. She needs at least a 69 tomorrow.

[Ready4Freddy]

"Huh? If she can't hold the green with an iron, she sure as heck won't hold it with a wood."

Male pros impart backspin with long irons via 'peeenching' the ball as they hit it, by taking a shallow divot. Few if any women have the strength to do that with long irons on a regular basis, so they tend to use fairway woods frequently. More spin, more height, just a different way to achieve the same goal.

[an amused spectator]

1 Par 4 402 yards
4 Par 4 355 yards
6 Par 4 307 yards
8 Par 4 345 yards
9 Par 4 364 yards
10 Par 4 364 yards
13 Par 4 412 yards
16 Par 4 304 yards
17 Par 4 336 yards
18 Par 4 377 yards
===============================

Woods hits a 2-iron about 250 yards (we'll give him 260).

He'd hit exactly none of these par 4s in one. Period.