May 20, 2003
Annika Watch
Annika Sorenstam hit some practice balls and used the putting green at the Colonial yesterday, as the media frenzy around her appearance on the PGA Tour is just beginning to heat up. In the Washington Post, Tom Boswell says that Tour experts (including some in Las Vegas) are seriously underestimating Sorenstam's chances at the Colonial -- and that the statistical evidence is there for all to see.
But Butch Harmon, who coaches Tiger Woods among others, thinks Sorenstam's game isn't well suited for the Colonial. Why? Because she hits the ball too straight, while the Colonial favors golfers who can "shape the ball" off the tee, and take advantage of the course's many dog legs.
I may be finished with this post, but not this story. Look for updates throughout the day as I sift through the coverage.
UPDATE: Sorenstam will play with two PGA Tour rookies in the first two rounds of the Colonial this week.
Sorenstam tried to get in a practice round this morning with Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik, but bad weather drove them off the course before they completed the first hole. Here's how it went for Sorenstam before she headed for the clubhouse:
Sorenstam hit her drive into the right rough, advanced it up the fairway and still had 190 yards to the middle of the green on the 565-yard par 5. Her approach went short and right of the green, hopping into a bunker.
More later.
ANOTHER UPDATE: You can find a map of the course here to give you a better understanding of how Sorenstam played that first hole.
The official site of the tournament is here. Here's a graphic from the Dallas Morning News, showing holes 3, 4, and 5 apparently the three holes the newspaper thinks Sorenstam will have the most difficult time with. You can find the News's special section on the Colonial here.
INSULT UPDATE: Martina Navratilova had some choice words for Vijay Singh when she heard he was pulling out of the Colonial.
PERFORMANCE UPDATE: If you're looking for an antidote to Boswell's stat-driven analysis of Sorenstam's chances, look no further than Barker Davis of the Washington Times. In his piece, Davis casts a cold eye on the flaws in Sorenstam's game, and how they'll handicap her this week.
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07:47 AM