When she decided to play, she wasn’t even sure how to enter. Annika Sörenstam, who turned 50 last autumn, has been thinking about playing a few senior events now that she is eligible, including the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Connecticut. So, when the LPGA Tour added Lake Nona Golf & Country Club as site of the Gainbridge LPGA, Sörenstam thought, what the heck, let’s give it a whirl.
“Considering my plans for the summer and turning 50 in October, wanting to play the U.S. Women's Senior Open, I figured I just needed some tournament rounds,†Sörenstam said. “I need some experience back inside the ropes and focusing on 18 holes, making putts, no mulligans and no gimmes.
“I was really persuaded more by my family and my parents, our kids, and then neighbors and members, and also the pro here at Lake Nona, who said, ‘Of course you're going to play.’ So, it was really a late addition and not something that was on my mind.â€
"This is not a comeback. It's an appearance. And I'm just thrilled about that.â€
Annika Sörenstam
She had to call the LPGA’s chief tour operations officer, Heather Daly-Donofrio, who also played the tour with Sörenstam, for a refresher course in how to enter.
“I think the biggest thing that I messed up was the practice round tee times,†Sörenstam said. “I was told that you're supposed to be ready by 7 on Saturday. I didn't hear 7. I just heard Saturday. I somehow messed that up. … It was a little different, but you’ve got to get used to these new rules. By the time I figure them all out, I'm outta here.
“Again, if it wasn't for Lake Nona (being the host site) I wouldn't be playing. This is not a comeback. It's an appearance. And I'm just thrilled about that.â€
There were ups and downs. She made a triple bogey in her opening round, which included an incorrect ruling where she wasn’t given relief from a gate, which could be opened, that marked an out-of-bounds line (the rule was changed in 2019). But even with that, Sörenstam ground out a 2-over performance for the first two days for one of the most remarkable accomplishments in quite some time – after more than a decade away from competition, she made the cut on the number.
The weekend wasn’t great but so what. Sörenstam, who lives a modest pitch shot east of the 16th tee at Lake Nona, went to the closet and pulled out red and black for Sunday in honor of Tiger Woods. But she also had other things on her mind. Will McGee, Sörenstam’s son, who not only walked every step but wasn’t shy about giving his mom advice on how to play the course, had to attend a birthday party for Henrik Stenson’s son after the round on Sunday. And Sörenstam’s parents were in town, too.
Such is life for an LPGA Hall of Famer who most definitely is not coming out of retirement. “I’m a wife and a mom, now,†she said, emphatically.
This was about getting a few reps under her belt and having a good time. On that front, it was a successful experience all around.
Steve Eubanks
