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Golf

Sorenstam accepts PGA offer

The world's top female golfer, with 42 LPGA titles, is set to take on the men at the Colonial.

By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 13, 2003

The best female golfer in the world is poised to take on the men. And she will do so at a historic venue where all the game's greats have played.

Annika Sorenstam on Wednesday accepted a sponsor's invitation to play the Bank of America Colonial May 22-25 in Fort Worth, Texas, at Colonial Country Club, which has been home to the event since 1946.

"All the attention and speculation are flattering, and I appreciate that the Bank of America Colonial is giving me this opportunity to compete in a PGA Tour event," Sorenstam said in a statement. "There were many invitations, but the golf course and the schedule of the Colonial were ideal.

"For all the well-wishers who want to know why I would accept such a challenge the answer is simple: I am curious to see if I can compete in a PGA Tour event."

Sorenstam, 32, has won 42 LPGA Tour titles to qualify for the Hall of Fame, including 11 last season, the most in almost 40 years. Last month, she said she would accept an invitation to a PGA Tour event "in a heartbeat," given the proper venue.

Though Colonial is not short -- it measures 7,080 yards and plays to par 70 -- it is considered a good place for her because it does not require the power game typically necessary on the PGA Tour. Known as "Hogan's Alley" because of Ben Hogan's link to the course and the tournament, it requires accuracy off the tees and to the greens, which are small. Sorenstam, whose average drive of 265 yards would barely rank inside the top 200 on the PGA Tour, hits 80 percent of the greens on the LPGA Tour.

"It's probably one of the best places she could have picked," said Clearwater's John Huston, who has played the tournament several times. "It doesn't play long and it plays fast. There's a lot of layup holes (off the tee). It's definitely a good pick. There are three or four holes where (the men) would use an iron. And there's only a couple of holes that you would call long."

Colonial officials initially said an exemption would not be forthcoming for Sorenstam, but Bank of America representatives apparently saw the boon to the tournament and reconsidered. The tournament has 12 sponsor exemptions, and there likely will be calls for those spots to go to deserving PGA players.

"If you're not in anyway, you really don't have a gripe," Huston said.

"I have no problem with a tournament giving her an exemption," David Duval said. "They (tournament directors) have no obligation to give those to anyone except the people they see fit."

Sorenstam will become the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias qualified for the 1945 Los Angeles Open, made the 36-hole cut, but failed to qualify for the final 18 holes.

Connecticut teaching pro Suzy Whaley qualified for the Greater Hartford Open when she won a 2002 PGA sectional event. Whaley, however, played from the front tees. She will be required to play the tournament tees in Hartford, as will Sorenstam.

"I think what the Hogans and (Sam) Sneads and Bobby Jones would have said, it's certainly unusual times we're living in now when a female can get a spot in a men's golf tournament," defending Colonial champion Nick Price said.

Jesper Parnevik, who like Sorenstam is from Sweden and once was her partner at the mixed-team JCPenney Classic, said he does not believe she can make the cut. "I would be impressed if she made one cut on the PGA Tour," Parnevik said. "I know she likes challenges, but it's going to be tougher out there than she thinks."

"Can she make the cut? Sure she can," Price said. "Can she play well enough to win? I don't know. It's not a long course for the men, but it certainly is for the women. She's a great player, no doubt about it. Poor girl, I think she's going to have a lot of pressure on her.

"My hat is off to her because she obviously has a lot of guts. That's why I've admired her over the years. The simple fact that she'd accept this invitation reaffirms that. If I were a woman, I'm not sure I would have accepted that invitation."

Phil Mickelson, speaking in San Diego at the Buick Invitational, said he is as curious as anyone to see how Sorenstam performs. He predicted she will make the cut and finish 20th. And how will Mickelson, a former Colonial champ, do at the tournament?

"I hope 19th or better," he said.

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