Oct 16, 2006 - One name says it all at Shootout

Dominance in golf can be summed up in two words: Annika and Tiger.

First names only, please — a measure of respect these two friends have earned the past 10 years as the best female and male golfers on the planet.

"Both have made a profound impact on all ages," Fresno State women's golf coach Angie Cates said.

Impact? How about a forest of paper. In the LPGA media guide, most player bios run about a page. Some veterans (Kathy Whitworth, Mickey Wright) with lots of history, two pages.

Sorenstam's is a four-page marvel.

Before this season started — and prior to her third U.S. Open title — the book was filled with Sorenstam statistics:

A pair of eights: Player of the Year awards and money titles.

Career victories, 66. Majors, 9.

Five consecutive wins in 2004-05.

No. 1 in career earnings: $18,332,821.

Seven college titles, 1991 NCAA champion at Arizona.

And on and on, including this astonishing tidbit: Sorenstam won 10 of 20 tournaments in 2005.

Nobody goes .500 in golf. Not even Woods, who came close at 9 for 20 in 2000.

But beyond the numbers and titles lies Sorenstam's biggest achievement: the inspiration she has provided female golfers around the world.

Players of all ages — from Fresno State's Jennifer Shipley and Jenna Buchanan to Hilary Ross, a 50-something who plays for Fresno City College — profess an admiration for Sorenstam, the 36-year-old Swede who headlines today's Save Mart Shootout.

"I definitely look to her — her swing, how powerful it is," said Shipley, a sophomore from Clovis High. "Annika was one of the first [female golfers] to embrace fitness training to get more distance.

"She was the first woman golfer you think of as dominating the sport, taking control of that No. 1 spot."

For freshman Buchanan, the admiration goes beyond golf success.

"The biggest reason people like Tiger and Annika is that they seem to do great things and never get themselves into trouble personally," Buchanan said. "They show that a role model can be successful and dominate a sport and be a great person off the course."

Ross, a longtime golf fan and player, is as excited as a teenager about seeing Sorenstam today.

"I'm taking Monday as a vacation day," she said, almost breathless at the thought of watching Sorenstam's famous swing at Riverbend Golf Club. "I'm such a fan, not only of golf but of Annika. Like Tiger, she's one of those special athletes that exemplifies sportsmanship, best effort, success, dedication and hard work.

"She's everything you'd want to hold up as a role model, especially for young girls."

That perception, as a great athlete and sportswoman, is a source of pride to Sorenstam, she said in an e-mail interview last week.

"I'm flattered [to be called the best]," she said. "I have worked very hard at this game to get where I am and it is nice to be recognized for my hard work and achievements.

"I would like to be remembered as someone who made a difference and who enjoyed every bit of it along the way. I also want to be remembered as someone who always displayed good sportsmanship."

But she will be remembered for more. Her legacy will be in raising the level and image of women's golf so the average fan can now pay attention to the next generation.

"Annika is the No. 1 female athlete in the world," popular pro Suzy Whaley said between pro-am rounds at the Shootout on Sunday. "To have that in our sport is fabulous."

Lorena Ochoa, Karrie Webb, Cristie Kerr. They are the main challengers to Sorenstam's throne, as Ochoa proved Sunday in taking the Samsung World Championship from Sorenstam.

And there's another armada — led by Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel — steaming toward the harbor.

But Sorenstam, although busy with so many other projects, including her golf academy in Orlando, Fla., remains resolute in her determination to stay ahead of the pack.

She has been No. 1 on the LPGA money list eight of her first 12 years, including the past five, and also has been Player of the Year the past five years.

She was No. 3 on the money list behind Ochoa and Webb entering the Samsung World Championship in the California desert. Ochoa's two-stroke victory increased her lead.

"Just as they give me motivation to continue to improve and stay at the top of my game, I hope I inspire them to strengthen their game as well," Sorenstam said. "By doing that, we are all helping to take women's golf to the next level."

Sorenstam took her game to a new level in 2003, when she accepted a sponsor's exemption to play in the Bank of America Colonial tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.

Some men said she didn't belong on their tour, but Sorenstam won over most of them with her charm and her game. Dean Wilson, her partner that weekend, will join her again today at the Shootout.

Since then, Sorenstam has played in a Skins Game with male pros but does not share Wie's attraction for playing on the PGA Tour. The women's tour, she said, has its own challenges.

Yet Sorenstam can appreciate the value of her 2003 experience as she joins Wilson today for a friendly game of mixed doubles. (They are scheduled to tee off at 11:48 a.m.)

"It is something that helps me to improve my game," she said. "I learn so much from playing with [the men] and I enjoy the opportunity."

Enjoy. That's the key word. Sorenstam said love of the game plays a large part in keeping her on top.

"Talent, of course, will help you," she said. "But if you don't have the passion and the drive to be the best from week to week, then you will be limited in your success."

That passion is why Peter Jacobsen signed her for this year's Shootout charity event, which allows fans a closer contact than usual tour events.

"It's nice to have the crowd so involved and certainly makes it more relaxing for the players," Sorenstam said. "We are there to play good golf, but knowing we are doing it for a good cause makes it fun."

And, there will be plenty of women off all ages coming to check out the icon.

"Golf has become a lot more popular for girls, much cooler and more accessible," Shipley said. "I see a lot more young girls at the driving range."

Cates, who played on the pro tour for a couple of years and also worked as a producer for The Golf Channel, said the difference is noticeable.

"Junior golf has really taken off because of Tiger's and Annika's influence," she said. "When I grew up, we had to play against boys because there weren't enough girls to play. Now you can find a girls tournament every week in summer.

"When I'm recruiting, it's unbelievable how good these girls are — 13- and 14-year-olds shooting par at big-time national tournaments."

Sorenstam said she is glad to have helped that process:

"It means a lot to me to have such an impact. This is a game that I truly love and to be able to share my passion with them is awesome. I also feel a responsibility to give back to the game that has been so good to me."
The reporter can be reached at krobison@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6279.