Audio Sorenstam describes how she felt when play started Sorenstam says she's proud of her play Sorenstam says she played well in the first round Sorenstam says she was overwhelmed by the reception at the course Resources Bank of America Colonial tournament Web site Your Voice Join the conversation with other MPR listeners in the News Forum.

	E-mail this page			Print this page

Sorenstam shoots 1 over in first round of Colonial Open
May 22, 2003

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.

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 was bogey-free until three-putting from more than 60 feet at her 14th hole, the 470-yard No. 5. After her drive hit the right rough and rolled down a hill, she managed to get to the green, but on the opposite side from the cup.

She bounced back with a drive at No. 6 down the middle of the fairway, and another par.

Sorenstam hit 13 of 14 fairways, 14 of 18 greens and averaged 248 yards on her drives. She needed 33 putts. After years of dreaming and three months of hype, Sorenstam finally got to see how her game holds up against the best in the world.

Sorenstam's round started with a drive 243 yards into the fairway at the 404-yard 10th hole. She then slumped in mock relief and laughed before walking down the fairway. After that, she seemed at ease throughout her round.

Sorenstam's 9-iron approach from 143 yards settled just more than 15 feet from the cup and she two-putted for par. She had pars on 12 of her first 13 holes before missing her first fairway.

Sorenstam's lone birdie through 14 holes came on a 15-foot putt off the back fringe at the 178-yard 13th, her fourth hole.

"She's a machine. She's awesome," said playing partner Aaron Barber. "I've never played with someone over 18 holes who didn't miss a shot."

She played 10 more holes after the birdie before giving up that stroke with her bogey at No. 5, the end of a trio of holes known as the "Horrible Horseshoe" because of its length and shape. The two longest par 4s on the course sandwich a par 3 that plays as long as 246 yards.

Her approach at the 400-yard No. 2 was more than 40 feet from the cup. She ran her first putt 5 feet past the hole, but saved par with a tricky comeback.

When her round started, a crowd of media and fans was stacked 10-12 deep around the No. 10 tee, and the fairway on the 404-yard hole was lined with spectators - many of them women wearing "Go Annika" buttons. Large crowds awaited her at every hole.

The crowd applauded when Sorenstam started the short walk from the clubhouse to the No. 10 tee. After being introduced, she acknowledged the cheering crowd with waves to both sides of the tee before hitting a 3-wood for her drive.

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.

News Headlines

Related Subjects