ESPN.com - Golf Online - Sorenstam's major task is three in a row

Associated Press
Wednesday, March 21

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Annika Sorenstam finished a practice round Wednesday and then began practicing something else -- how to deal with the fame of being the first woman to shoot 59 in competition.

Webb fired up

Karrie Webb took a walk down memory lane when she returned to the scene of her 10-shot victory in last year's Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills, the first major of the women's season.

"Wallking up the 18th brought back a lot of memories," said Webb. "I still felt there were people cheering for me in the stands and it was wonderful to see my name on the walk of champions. I just hope it is the same this week."

Webb, easily the best woman golfer the past two years, is aiming for a fourth major in six starts, but she has been overshadowed this year by Annika Sorenstam, who made history with a 59 in the second round on her way to victory in last week's Standard Register Ping in Phoenix. She had also won a tournament in Tucson the previous week.

"Annika's 59 was amazing, unbelievable," said Webb. "She was 12-under after 13 holes and so had a lot of time to think about it. It took a lot of courage to keep going and pull it off. I think it is great for women's golf."

In eight starts this season, Webb, who collected nine titles worldwide last year and led from wire to wire in finishing 10 ahead of Dottie Pepper in this event, has won the Australian Masters, but has yet to win on the LPGA Tour.

But she has had two seconds and only once finished outside the top 10.

"This is the event that I've been thinking about since the start of the year," she said. "It's been a gradual progression all season and I feel my game is nearly 100 percent. This is the week that I want to hit my peak, and I hope I can produce something special."

-- Reuters

On the eve of the Nabisco Championship, Sorenstam walked off the Mission Hills resort course and into a swarm of fans eager to get her autograph. They wanted something more, too, from someone who just made golf history.

"People were asking for my signature and they wanted me to put 59 next to it," Sorenstam said. "It was different, but nice."

A few days removed from the 59 in Phoenix that broke the women's record by two shots and brought some badly needed attention to the LPGA Tour, Sorenstam was the hottest attraction the day before the first women's major of the season.

She also is the hottest golfer on tour, with two wins and two runner-up finishes in only four tournaments this year. But the 59 that she shot in the second round Friday of the Standard Register Ping overshadows everything.

"It's only two shots (better then the previous record), but it's so much more than two shots," Sorenstam said. "I can't describe the difference."

Sorenstam entered golf's elite territory with 13 birdies and five pars on the Moon Valley Country Club course.

She went on to win the tournament with a 27-under 261 total, putting her 50-under for her back-to-back wins in Tucson and Phoenix. Always a very good ball striker, Sorenstam is now making the putts to go along with it.

"I'm hitting a lot of good shots, but now I'm making the putts, too," she said. "Now I look forward to going up to a green and making a putt. Before I didn't want to go up there because I knew what would happen."

Sorenstam said she was emotionally drained from the 59 and her back-to-back wins, and needed a few days to rest to get ready for the Nabisco, the first of four majors for the women.

She appeared refreshed and ready Wednesday, though, energized by a tournament she has desperately wanted to win since finishing a stroke behind Patty Sheehan in 1996.

"This is the tournament I've been waiting for," Sorenstam said. "Now that it's here, I'm really excited about it."

Sorenstam, who was on the verge of dominating the LPGA Tour before the arrival of Karrie Webb, has not won a major since taking her second straight U.S. Women's Open in 1996. She blames the drought on her overeagerness to try to win the majors on a Thursday instead of waiting to be in contention on Sunday.

"It's almost like being in the starting blocks and I go too early," she said. "I have to wait until the starter's gun."

Sorenstam gets a chance to set the pace Thursday, with an early tee time nearly three hours before Webb.

Defending champion Webb is winless in six tournaments this year with a scoring average of 70.38 that is nearly three shots behind Sorenstam's 67.57 mark.

"I know in my mind there is not time to beat myself up over not having the same year as the last two years I have had," Webb said. "When you are there and everything seems all right then you think that nothing can go wrong."

That's precisely the feeling Sorenstam has had this year, with her remarkable start. Far from being jealous, though, Webb said she was happy that Sorenstam managed to reach the magical 59 mark.

"It is really great for women's golf, and the press we got last week was huge," Webb said. "I know that a lot was talked about it and a lot was spoken about it. It is great that someone was able to do it."

Divots

Back for a second straight Nabisco Championship are the Wongluekiet twins, who caused a stir last year when they competed at the age of 13. Naree Wongluekiet didn't make the cut, but her sister, Aree, not only played on the weekend but finished in the top 10. The 14-year-old twins are natives of Thailand who now live in Bradenton, Fla.

Nancy Lopez knows something about playing at a young age, and says the twins have nothing to lose. "I was very aggressive then. I went for everything. At that age, I just wanted to go out and beat those older ladies," Lopez said.

Win or lose, Webb says she plans to take a five-week rest after Sunday. Webb has played in nine tournaments in a row, including two in her native Australia.