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)

[presidio9]

She does not qualify from a or be. She is an amateur to men's golf. She has no handicap. How does she "qualify?"

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Lol, true. Looking at the scores coming in, I would say there are definite problems for even the big guys today, only Calcavecchia is doing great. Lehman is at +4!

+1 will likely be tied for 68 or 69 today, which means that if Annika has a good solid day tomorrow, I would give her a 70% to make the cut. A -1 tomorrow, which I think she is capable of, should have her comfortably above the cut line.

[Bob J]

I hope she does make the cut. Do you think she could do that at, say, a US Open?

[an amused spectator]

The scary thing is that the day when Annika shot 71 at her Colonial practice round, Tiger was playing with her and shot 61!!

Some pretty nice shooting. Brings up the question: How many times has Tiger shot 59, 60 and 61 in a PGA tour event?

[presidio9]

Go on lpga.com and look up the a course map yourself. The Ladies Tour is chock full of <350 yard par fours. And the greens are slower, and the flags are in the middle. Woods would tear them apart.

[presidio9]

must be ee cummings.

[Blueflag]

I got a question for folks who 'know' golf.

Right now she is listed at the bottom of the tied-for-72nd crowd. The field is 'only' 112.

What determines if she makes the cut?

http://www.pgatour.com/scoring/r/index.html?2003,r021,1,r

[an amused spectator]

Do you think she could do that at, say, a US Open?

If she played anywhere near as consistent (%greens & fairways) as she did today, there'd be a few embarrassed guys out there. ;-)

[Bob J]

The field is halved on Saturday. Top 50% scores and ties.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

No. She may have the temperment to be aggressive enough for the U.S. Open, but she doesn't have the boom to make those needed drives. If it were a wet week, she might have a chance at the cut under the 10 rule, but on a nice weekend, she could plan on giving the dog a bath on Saturday morning.

I think she will be very content to make the cut tomorrow and very happy to come back and play again if given the chance. Otherwise, she will build up a nice retirement fund playing in the LPGA.

[Bob J]

BTW - That can change from tourny to tourny.

[presidio9]

Did you get your degree? 68 minus 10 equals, hmmm, let's see... can you help me out professor?

[Bob J]

Actually, I think if she doesn't make the cut she may be back, but if she does, we won't see her on another regular PGA event.

[presidio9]

She could play exactly as "consistent" today and her greens made percentage would still go down. Open courses are MUCH longer.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Remember though, that it is the score group before yours that is important! Even though +1 is 71 right now, the E group is 55. So in order to hit 61 (half of 112), they would take the +1 group as they have to fill to 61 and then those tied with them.

[GallopingGhost]

Provide some numbers for the viewing audience before we sign off on this moonshine.

This weeks LPGA Corning Classic - 6,062 yds.

1 Par 4 402 yards
2 Par 5 446 yards
3 Par 3 191 yards
4 Par 4 355 yards
5 Par 3 449 yards
6 Par 4 307 yards
7 Par 4 152 yards
8 Par 4 345 yards
9 Par 4 364 yards
10 Par 4 364 yards
11 Par 3 158 yards
12 Par 5 465 yards
13 Par 4 412 yards
14 Par 5 510 yards
15 Par 3 125 yards
16 Par 4 304 yards
17 Par 4 336 yards
18 Par 4 377 yards

I am guessing Tiger Woods could drive the green on 6, 8, 16, and 17. 4, 9 10 and 18 are driver and a chip. (#7 must be a three). He would probably be hitting a wedge into the par 5's at 2 and 12. That's 10 out of 18 holes that are potential eagle opportunities with a putter or chip shot. In addition, the rough is nowhere near as bad, the greens are slower and the bunkers shallower. I am guessing Tiger Woods shoots a 59 most of the time on this particular course.

[ArneFufkin]

We went over this issue last week, and I think you and I were in general agreement on most things (I'm coming around to your way of thinking on Ani's short game BTW).

Sorenstam has only won TWO of the last 25 LPGA Major Tournaments. Karrie Webb has won 6, and Si Re Pak and Juli Inskter have won 4 each.

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.

There's a difference between enjoying Annika's performance and declarations that she could beat "a lot of the PGA touring pros" on any kind of regular basis. The latter is absurd beyond discussion, and I share your offense at those who slam the creme de la creme of the sport - the PGA touring pros - to give Annika some props.

She can't win LPGA majors.

[jpl]

So in order to hit 61 (half of 112)

I think you may want to double-check your math there.

[Bob J]

She'd pick up a few strokes from the field by staying in the fairways, but, she'd give them back, and more hitting long irons into the greens. On the short course today she may be using 6-9 irons on approach, but at the US Open she'd be using 2-5's.

What woods does she usually carry?

[presidio9]

Thanks. I am getting AWFUL sick of all these gnats buzzing around my ears. For the record: I love women. I respect them. I enjoy playing golf with them. But people who think that they can play golf as well as men, under the same conditions, are living in a fantasy world.