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)

[dwilli]

If a PGA player consistently makes 25 foot puts (over 50%), that player, assuming he is on the green in regulation, will be player and money won leader of the year. From 25 feet I would guess 1/3 would be above average.

[NittanyLion]

I don't know where you get your impression from but if you miss a lot of six foot putts you aren't tour material.

I agree, but you claimed a six footer is a "gimme". Not true.

You don't average 27 putts per round unless you are hitting from 20 feet or better.

That just isn't the case. The way pros average 27 per round is by placing their approach shots close to the pin.

[You Dirty Rats]

There is no way in the world that the cut will be at 70.

No possibility.

NONE!!!!!

[MHGinTN]

Annika is doing well. Good for her ... but bad for the LPGA. Think what it would mean if Tiger 'moved up' to a perceived 'more difficult' league.

BTW, I equate what Annika is doing as about the same as Cory Pavin hanging in there with the long hitting pros. He even won, on occasion. Could still win on occasion.

[Protagoras]

From 25 feet I would guess 1/3 would be above average.

Are you saying one third of the twenty five footers are sunk? If so, I think you are way high.

[jwalsh07]

The way pros average 27 per round is by placing their approach shots close to the pin

Or missing a lot of greens and being a good chipper.

[NittanyLion]

Or missing a lot of greens and being a good chipper.

Exactly.

[Bob J]

Plus, this is one of the shortest courses on the tour. Because of this, and the fact that the tournament committee tricks up the course some so it will play harder and not be a give away to long the hitters, I expected here to do okay, end up right around the cut. But, if she played regularly, many of the other tournaments would be problematic.

[1Old Pro]

BTW, I equate what Annika is doing as about the same as Cory Pavin hanging in there with the long hitting pros. He even won, on occasion. Could still win on occasion.

Yep, very similar.

[You Dirty Rats]

Not to mention the fact that if Annika makes the cut and actually plays more PGA events, she'll pull in a ton of female viewers and the entire tour will benefit.

Some of the people posting on this thread have myopia to such an extent that they can legally check the "blind" box on their 1040.

[jwalsh07]

Yeah Marvin, you've got it about right. Pavin has won here and Price won last year and once before.

I am gfoing to be interested in seeing how much Annika really wants to challenge her game. What I'm seeing here is that she can run with the big cats but not at the front of the pack.

But she is a helluva golfer.

[GallopingGhost]

I don't know where you get your impression from but if you miss a lot of six foot putts you aren't tour material. I agree, but you claimed a six footer is a "gimme". Not true. You don't average 27 putts per round unless you are hitting from 20 feet or better. That just isn't the case. The way pros average 27 per round is by placing their approach shots close to the pin.

I would agree the guys who are putting in th 27-28 area are knocking a lot of stiff irons but you still have to be able to make some putts. From 6 feet you have to be almost automatic. I can tell you that television really distorts the lenght of the put. 20 feet just isn't that far from the pin.

[discostu]

I'm not ready to say she should be on the tour. This is a short course that favors accuracy on tees and drives. She's known for her accuracy on tees and drives. Most of the other courses would be much harder for her unless she finds a way to add a lot of power. But she's come a long way to proving that from a golf perspective (not just the sponsor's view) this was a well spent exemption.

[NittanyLion]

But she's come a long way to proving that from a golf perspective (not just the sponsor's view) this was a well spent exemption.

Definitely.

[dwilli]

I'm not sure what the PGA average is from 25 feet. I was just musing because someone said 6 footers were gimmes and
the tour players regularly knockem in from 25 foot.

[Bob J]

I wasn't, but I'm really impressed. If she can play this well, I'd love to see her get a card and start playing the tour.

Never happen, she would never give up the money, fame and endorsements as the leader on the LPGA for playing in the obscure PGA middle making plane fare.

[Teacher317]

Thanks for the ESPN coverage... I'll use that from now on...

10th (par 4, 404 yds): On the fairway twice, birdie putt is 18" short, makes par.
11th (par 5, 609 yds): On the fairway all three shots, birdie putt is 10" short, makes par.
12th (par 4, 443 yds): On the fairway, second shot on the rim of the green, makes par.
13th (par 3, 178 yds): 3 inches off of the carpet, birdie putt is GOOD.
14th (par 4, 457 yds): On the green in two, long birdie putt is 6" short, makes par.
15th (par 4, 430 yds): Drive barely on the fairway, 2nd shot on the green, long birdie putt misses left. 5" par putt is good.
16th (par 3, 188 yds): Tee shot is within 6ft of the pin, birdie putt is barely right, 2" par putt is good.
17th (par 4, 383 yds): On the fairway, approach shot hits the green, long birdie putt missed, 3" par putt is good.
18th (par 4, 427 yds): On the fairway, lucky bounce onto the green, long birdie putt is 15" left, makes par.
1st (par 5, 565 yds): On the fairway twice, third shot is on the green, medium birdie putt misses left, 12” par putt is good.
2nd (par 4, 400 yds): On the fairway, approach shot is on the green, looong birdie putt misses left, makes par.
3rd (par 4, 476 yds): On the fairway, 15 ft birdie putt is just short, makes par
4th (par 3, 246 yds): Drive is on the green, long birdie putt misses just short, makes par.
5th (par 4, 470 yds): Drive misses the fairway, approach rims the green, 60 ft putt, 8ft putt misses, bogeys.
6th (par 4, 393 yds): On the fairway, approach is with 20ft, birdie putt goes long, 5 ft putt makes par.
7th (par 4, 427 yds): On the fairway, approach shot just hits the green, 25ft birdie putt is short, makes par.
8th (par 3, 192 yds):
9th (par 4, 402 yds):

[cschroe]

Any comments from those actually watching on pin positions today? Days 3/4 typically feature the most challenging positions, particularly on the signature holes. Wondering how accessible the pins have been today.

[vrwinger]

ESPN:
Hole 7: 427 yards, par-4
She took driver out on this par-4, nailing her tee shot down the middle of the fairway about 255 yards. Her 170-yard approach shot found the front of the green. Her birdie putt from around 25 feet fell a few rolls short of the cup, and she hit the tap-in for PAR.

[strela]

I stand corrected. I forgot that this was Memorial Day weekend.