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)

[AGreatPer]

I didn't know that background in your #888. I played with her at Hershey in the pro-am a few years ago before she was a hot player. We never discussed that stuff. While she was great from tee to green, her putting had a long way to go. Still does.

There is something ironic here. The fact the she has done so well on the LPGA, does that mean playing on the mens tour is an up-grade? Sort of insulting to the LPGA, heh?

[ArneFufkin]

The players given a sponsor's exemption are selected from two qualifiers from "Q" school and amateurs with a 2 handicap or less. Those are the Colonial guidlines. Presidio9 has been correct on this all along.

[over3Owithabrain]

How come not making long putts is an excuse for being over par, but not getting the ball closer to begin with not a factor?

[KellyAdmirer]

I am surprised she handled the greens as well as she did. Playing for pars is fine, but you still have to sink putts on those ice-slick greens - and she usually was able to do that. It was the only part of her game that really impressed me. She seemed to be playing it completely safe otherwise and got a lot of good bounces. The bounces go the other way - and over time, many will - and imho she is lucky to get out of that round with a 75.

[NittanyLion]

So, with the number of long putts she had today, at that percentage she would have hit somewhere between 1 and 3 of those long putts. Meaning, she could have shot as low as 68 if she were hitting them at an "average" rate.

I believe she sank a 15 footer, and two putted every other hole. She only had one within 10 feet (a 6' putt) and missed it. To her credit, no costly three putts. I would say this was pretty representative of her putting ability.

[dwilli]

Someone did a computer handicap once, taking the average course, average length,etc. and computed most of the tour leaders handicaps on the normal home course. Wish I could find it but the best I remember Woods computed to a neg 10.

[fuquadukie]

She had 2 3-putts... #5 and #9. Both bogeys.

[r9etb]

And all those men that ARE competing on the Tour that finished under her have showed you what?

LOL! It's fun to watch the stammering, isn't it? After today, Sorenstam has proven she can play with the boys for one round, at least.

The truth of the matter is probably that it's highly unlikely that a woman can beat the top male golfers. I'd guess that men and women are equally capable when it comes to the short game, but that they'd lose at the long game, because they can't hit it as far. It's also true that Annika Sorenstam is probably as good or better than a lot of the men on the PGA tour.

If she wants to make money, though, she should stay in the LPGA.

[NittanyLion]

She had 2 3-putts... #5 and #9. Both bogeys.

Thanks. That's what I get for doing work... ;-)

[Bob J]

...if your Mom is a 20 handicap and so are you, and you both play from the same tees, she gets nada in the stroke department by the rules.

This is not correct. Each course and tee has a rating that is combined with your index to get your handicap for that day. If his mother moved from the red to the blues, there would be a correction in her handicap.

BTW - Most people misuse the term handicap. A player does not get a handicap until it is combined with the course rating they are playing. Until then, it is an index.

[kjam22]

I think everyone agrees she played an excellent round today. And there's no way she's going to sink many more long putts than she did this morning. I suspect we'll see another round in the 70-72 range, which will put her in about the 80th percentile.

Yep... and what that tells us is that the best on the woman's tour shoots in the 80th percentile on the men's tour. Which is about what I would have expected before this day started.

[1Old Pro]

An ambiguous result, really.

The majority of people figured she could hit between par and 3-4 over on this course. Most of the pros didn't believe she'd make the cut and most figured she'd miss it by 2-4 strokes.

I think we have learned this:
She played as expected and showed tremendous composure. She's a fantastic, super, talented ladies golfer.
Even the best ladies golfer can't compete on the PGA tour.
Th sponsors were very pleased.
This will be the last time a women plays on the PGA tour (except the one in Hartford)for a while.

[presidio9]

She three-putted #5 and on 9 her approach shot missed the green, but she used her putter three times inside of 20ft.

[NittanyLion]

Good points.

[AGreatPer]

"I would say this was pretty representative of her putting ability."

Exactly. Not bad but not great. However, consider the circumstances today, I think she did great. The approach shot on 18 didn't dive like she thought with the mud on it, it flew and it cost her. It happens.

On exemptions, what next a 400 lb gorilla that can drive 400 yards?

[Bob J]

So, with the number of long putts she had today, at that percentage she would have hit somewhere between 1 and 3 of those long putts. Meaning, she could have shot as low as 68 if she were hitting them at an "average" rate.

The fact that she didn't is telling in itself. Some stats on the everage length from pin on greens in regulation for PGA pros at Colonial compared to Anna's today would be interesting and might tell us how much her length off the tee really is an issue for her.

[iconoclast]

It was the only part of her game that really impressed me.

Really? You must hit a lot more fairways and greens than I (and most of the guys posting) do! ;o)

[Bob J]

Momma boys.

[ArneFufkin]

Tomorrow will be a tougher day for the short hitters, especially those going out in the afternoon.

[kevkrom]

So, If my mother who is a 20 handicap decides to play me from the blues, she does not get any extra strokes?

When talking about a "handicap", what is really meant is a handicap index (HI). I don't have the exact formula on how to calculate it handy, but it's something like 95% of the average HI of the ten best of your last 20 rounds, where the HI is based on an adjusted score (certain per-hole maximums) compared to the course rating, and multiplied by the course slope / 113.

Example: I shoot (an ajusted) 83 [I wish!] on a course with a rating of 69.0 and a slope of 126. My HI for the round is (83 - 69) * (126 / 113) = 15.6

To get the number of strokes allowed for a round based on your handicap, you take your calculated HI multiplied by the course slope / 113. So if the red tees have a slope of 113 and the blue tees have a slope of 139, if your mother's handicap index is 20, then she'd get 4 or 5 (not sure of the rounding rules) extra shots from the blues.