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Eye on the prize Annika Sorenstam continues to defy all odds
Updated: Monday April 23, 2001 2:11 PM
By Phil Jones, CNNSI.com We're taking a dip into the waters of a winner - Annika Sorenstam. Splash one: an LPGA record round of 59. Splash two: her first major victory in five years. Splash three: four consecutive tour wins. "I don't want to pinch myself too hard because then I might wake up. It's a fabulous run. It seems like nothing can stop you," says the 30-year-old Sorenstam. "In golf, you don't see the hazards. You just see a big flag, a big hole, a wide fairway, a big green." And as big a profile as women's golf has enjoyed for some time. The 59 in the second round at Phoenix last month saw to that. "When I shot 59, I knew it would make history. But I never thought I'd be the one or what an impact it would have," says the Swedish-born golfer. There are two main answers to Sorenstam's meteoric improvement. First, her desire. Husband David Esch says Annika's obsessed with being number one, and she readily agrees. "I know in 1999 I finished fourth on the LPGA tour money list, and I realized that's not where I wanted to be. I wanted to be the best player on our tour."
Then there was the 'Wonder of Webb.' Australian, Karrie Webb dominated women's golf for two years, and this was also Annika's inspiration. "It motivated me, definitely to practice. I saw how good she was playing. I saw her results and figured that's what I want. "I figured, 'What is she better at?' And I realized that she was making all the putts that I wasn't making. That was the difference." Then the epiphany last December, a simple but an old adage. Practice makes perfect. The super Swede putted, putted a lot, sometimes using only her right hand as she forced herself to make a hundred putts in succession. A change of style brought a change in results. "I wanted to get a little better set-up. A more balanced set-up with a little wider stance. More forward. My goal was to extend it forward towards the hole," says Sorenstam while putting. At the same time came five days a week of intense cardiovascular training. "It's tough to measure if you hit the ball any further or straighter, but just by working out I feel much stronger," says Sorenstam. "I think if I hit it in the rough, I have the strength to hold the club a little longer. I think that's the biggest difference between the men and the women." Ahh, the men - and the inevitable comparison. Annika and the quadruple Major holder, Tiger Woods. "It's a compliment. It's a huge compliment. I wouldn't really compare myself to him. It's like comparing apples and oranges." There are a few things in which she can match Tiger. "All the pros can do this," says Sorenstam while bouncing the ball on her club like Tiger. The fun for now is beating the best female challengers around. Throwing in a historic 59 to enhance the experience, realizing that hard work can pay rich dividends and that right now, 'Number One' is Annika's LPGA tag and no one else's.
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