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Golf
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 27, 2003
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Annika Sorenstam can make history at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
She will try to become the first woman to win a major championship in three consecutive seasons since Patty Berg won three straight Titleholders in the 1930s.
If it means much to Sorenstam, it's hard to tell.
"I'm very familiar with the history of the LPGA and so forth," she said. "But you stand on the first tee and I try not to think about those things. I just want to focus on my game, hit one shot at a time, just turn to things I can control."
Sorenstam's not the only player with more at stake than a major title win. Se Ri Pak, who beat Sorenstam last week in Phoenix, could become the youngest to win the career Grand Slam with a victory.
And Laura Davies not only could complete the Grand Slam but with a win also could get enough points to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.
But all the attention is on Sorenstam, who would like nothing better than to take another victory swim in the pond next to the 18th green.
JAPAN TUNEUP: Sorenstam will play in Japan before her PGA Tour debut. She accepted an invitation to play in the Nichirei Cup World Ladies tournament, held May 8-11 at the Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club. In February, Sorenstam accepted an invitation to play at Colonial, which begins May 22 in Fort Worth, Texas.
TEEN EXEMPTION: A 13-year-old has been given a sponsor's exemption to play in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in late June. Michelle Wie qualified for two tour events last summer, the Takefuji Classic and the Wendy's Championship. Wie reached the semifinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links at age 12, becoming the youngest semifinalist in any women's USGA amateur event.
FUTURES TOUR: Lee Ann Walker-Cooper, Michele Vinieratos and Patti Rizzo were tied for the lead after the first round of the Florida Hospital Classic in Sebring. Each shot 2-under 70.