Sorenstam Impresses in Historic Round

Associated Press ^ | Thursday, May 22, 2003; 2:51 PM

[HatSteel]

Associated Press Thursday, May 22, 2003; 2:51 PM

FORT WORTH, Texas - Annika Sorenstam showed she can play with the men, but she had a disappointing finish to her first-round 71 at the Colonial.

Sorenstam, the first woman in 58 years to play on the PGA Tour, shot 1-over par after she bogeyed her last hole. Her historic tour debut before a cheering gallery included one birdie and two three-putt bogeys. Patrick Sheehan leads the event at 5-under.

Of the 55 others who played morning rounds, 35 shot par or better, ahead of Sorenstam.

"I've been nervous all day. Obviously, I'm very happy with the way I played," Sorenstam said. "I'm just glad the day is over. It's a relief now."

At the 402-yard 9th hole, her last, Sorenstam hit her approach through the green. The ball was resting on the fringe 27 feet from the pin, and she couldn't clean mud off the ball. She then left herself an 8-foot par putt, which slipped past the cup. ..... Sorenstam, the No. 1 female player in the world, outdrove playing partners Dean Wilson and Barber, though the two PGA Tour rookies hit their first shots with irons.

After her birdie at No. 13, Sorenstam again hit 6-iron at the other backside par 3, the 188-yard 16th. She hit to five feet, but her birdie chance slid just right of the hole.

When Sorenstam walked up the 18th fairway after her approach shot bounced off a hump by a bunker onto the green, she got the kind of cheering reception usually reserved for players about to win a tournament. But she wasn't even halfway done with her first round.

Rain the previous two days made the course play its full 7,080-yard length, but also made the normally crusty and firm greens more forgiving. There was almost no wind at the course known for breezy conditions.

Las Vegas oddsmakers gave Sorenstam a 500-1 chance of winning, and they were being generous.

The Colonial layout is a longer, tougher course than any she has played in competition. The LPGA's Corning Classic in New York this week is at 6,062-yard course being played as a par 72.

Sorenstam is under more scrutiny than any player since Tiger Woods made his pro debut in the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open.

And for the first time in years, Sorenstam started a tournament she is not expecting to win. The 32-year-old Swede said she would be "so pleased" to shoot par.

She came close.

© 2003 The Associated Press

[HatSteel]

Thought you'd like to see how AP's carrying it.

She did quite well today, actually. She should hold her own if the pressure doesn't buckle her.

She's one heck of a lot better than me.

[Mister Baredog]

She has upheld the honor of golf.

[Mister Baredog]

They reduce the field to about 60 players for the weekend, where ever that cut off is, in the list of scores that will get them closest to that number.(Not less that 60 players I don't think.) If the field is bunched up they will take everyone within 10 strokes of the lead. I think that's about it.

[HatSteel]

I think it's score off the lead. But they probably factor both to get the right amount of people.

[Cedric]

Either within a certain number of strokes from the leader {Maters=10 strokes from leader} or they cut down to a given number of players 40, 44, etc. In the case of Colonial it's the latter formula, as is the case in most tournaments. TV coverage has a big influence here. They want the final groups to be finishing in accordance with the allotted time slot.

[Dante3]

I've been very favorably impressed with her attitude and everything else about her.

[dandelion]

What's weird is, she really DOES remind me of "Babe" Didrickson - she's a woman who just wants to play sports, and she plays it well. No grandstanding, no men's mag layouts, ruffled panties or daddy pimping her out - she's just there, playing a heck of a round of golf and loving it.

If she survives the week, she'll do more for women's sports than Martha Burke ever could - MINUS the NOW nags.

[Cedric]

Not so fast. I cannot conceive of more ideal conditions for Annika. Damp, muggy, no wind, soft, slow greens, yet all she could muster is a 1 over. The slow greens approximated those on the LPGA and Annika still swiped it 33 times. That's too many. If the sun comes out and the wind kick up and the greens dry out she could be putting on surfaces, litterally, 40-50% faster than today. It could be brutal!

[ChadGore]

Annika rocks!

[jimfree]

Actually they plan to cut the field down to 70 according to the pga website http://www.pgatour.com/scoring/r/index.html She's definitely in range.

[ilgipper]

T67 right now.

[Pukin Dog]

Thank you for bringing some reality to this discussion. The truth is that a number of men played badly, and many stars of Golf did not play.

With no wind, it is concievable that Tiger Woods would be 9 or 10 under today and the gal would not be close to making the cut at all.

[RAT Patrol]

I think we need a man entering the Miss America contest, vying for the cover of Sport's Illustrated's swimsuit edition, applying for supermodel status equal to what women get, etc....

She's a great golfer but those who say this is about equality are full of it. It's about liberal politics. It's silliness.

When Tiger Woods can give birth to a child then maybe nature will truly be equal. In the meantime, I enjoy REAL competition not mushy-mommy "let everyone have a turn" political setups.

Congrats on her playing and all, but this is stupid. How long has the LPGA been around anyway. Was there an LPGA 58 years ago when the last woman (who actually earned a spot) played in the PGA?

[kittymyrib]

I can hardly wait to see how the guys do playing on the LPGA tour. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander...

[Mister Baredog]

she could be putting on surfaces, litterally, 40-50% faster than today. It could be brutal!

That would probably help her, she was a little tenative on some of her putts and came up short, faster greens might be just the ticket, anyway she did good, a fine young lady, probably a one time event.

[Pukin Dog]

Change that to 6-7 under.

[Cedric]

Yes, there are male golfers who hacked today and did worse than Annika. Anf that's the point they hacked and are p/o-ed, she said she was happy with her 1 over round!