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Letter to the editor

LPGA gets a season of Fear Factor

By JOHN ROMANO
Published June 12, 2005

HARVE de GRACE, Md. - The whispers in the gallery would have you believe it is true. The talk on television would suggest there is a connection.

All around, it seems, the theory is gaining credibility.

Opponents are afraid of Annika Sorenstam.

This, of course, is silly.

Why be afraid of someone so out of reach?

I mean, it's not as if anyone is close enough to get their toes stepped on. Sorenstam plays from in front, and everyone stays far enough away to avoid her backswing. From the looks of it, they all seem pretty darn comfortable with the whole arrangement.

Take this weekend's LPGA Championship, for instance. You would have figured everyone in the top 10 was feeling pretty good going into the third round.

Yet, by the end of the afternoon, nine of the 10 combined to shoot 27-over. Sorenstam shot 3-under.

Now, I'll admit, that has the whiff of fear. Or maybe intimidation. But I think it's something else. Something less ominous, but just as real.

I don't think they fear Annika.

I think they dread her.

"It's almost like she's toying with us, like a cat and mouse," said Laura Davies, who was paired with Sorenstam on Saturday.

And so the second major of the season looks a lot like the first. Sorenstam had a five-stroke lead going into the final round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship in March and had the thing won before the TV cameras came on.

She has a five-stroke lead today and, presumably, another ovation in her near future.

"You can't win now unless Annika does something very unusual," Davies said. Okay, so let's get the disclaimers out of the way. Yes, Sorenstam is the most efficient golfer of her generation. Maybe of any generation. I have no problem with her winning events and setting records.

But can't anyone even challenge her?

Sorenstam is about to win for the sixth time in eight tournaments. She would be the first woman in 19 years to win the season's first two legs of the Grand Slam.

Sorenstam is chasing history. And no one is chasing her.

Oh, Davies pulled within three strokes after 15 holes Saturday, but that was a tease. And, let's face it, she's 41 and hasn't won since 2001. Juli Inkster is older and less of a threat to Sorenstam.

Natalie Gulbis and Michelle Wie are the two biggest names on the tour after Sorenstam, but neither has arrived as a legitimate rival.

A few years ago, Se Ri Pak and Karrie Webb actually were contemporaries of Sorenstam. Pak won more tournaments in 1999 and Webb won more in 2000. Yet both have virtually faded from the picture. Between them, Webb and Pak have two victories since the start of last season.

So who is capable of standing up to Sorenstam?

The short answer:

No one.

"There's nothing I can do about how Annika plays," said Laura Diaz, who tumbled from fourth to 17th after shooting 76. "If we could control her, we would. But we can't."

Davies said the problem with chasing Sorenstam is she forces you to take risks. You go for difficult shots just to keep up with her methodical pace.

This is where the fear theory takes root. Sorenstam's reputation takes players out of their games. And perhaps that is a form of intimidation.

Young Kim, who shot 68 to move into second, admitted she played well by keeping the leaderboard out of sight and Sorenstam out of mind.

This was the same advantage Tiger Woods had a few years ago when he won six majors in a span of 10. Sorenstam, should she win today, will have won five of the past nine.

It's not as if she has one unbelievable shot after another. It's not a bunch of drives that put others to shame. It's just sustained excellence. Tournament after tournament. Round after round. Stroke after stroke.

Sorenstam has shot an LPGA record 14 consecutive rounds in the 60s, which can make for a pretty futile feeling if you're waiting for her to falter.

"A 59 might win it, but that's about it" said 15-year-old Wie, who is tied for third at 5-under.

"She's not going to make mistakes. You can't count on that."

At this point, it's probably too late. Sorenstam is not going to blow many third-round leads. She doesn't even blow second-round leads. She has won the past 14 tournaments when she has led after two rounds.

Still, they can hope.

"When that one person beats her head-to-head, people are going to believe hey, I can do this too," said Christie Kerr, who shot 67 to move into the top 10. "Just like what happened with Tiger.

"She's the best player in the world but, you know, we're pretty good too."

We're just waiting for someone to prove it.

[Last modified June 12, 2005, 00:39:15]