Defending champion Annika Sorenstam tries to match friendly rival Tiger Woods with a 10th career major title when the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship tees off on Thursday.
The Swedish superstar seeks her fourth victory in the event, the first major tournament of the season, and a 68th career title, which would put her 20 shy of matching Kathy Whitworth’s LPGA record career title total.
”I’m as ready as I can be,” Sorenstam said. ”I’m swinging really well, putting well. I’m looking forward to this week. I’m ready. It’s now or never. We’ll see how it goes. I feel good about it. We’ll see what happens.”
Sorenstam has a friendly rivalry with Woods, even sending him an e-mail message when she won her ninth major title at last year’s LPGA Championship to match his career total, which he raised last July by winning the British Open.
Sorenstam has made a Grand Slam sweep her goal for the third season in a row.
”I’ve set some lofty goals,” Sorenstam said. ”I’m ready to come here and play but it’s the anticipation of getting started and getting the tournament going. I think it’s just natural to be nervous.
”It’s still the excitement of being part of something big and the excitement of finding out how you’re going to play for the week.”
Michelle Wie, the 16-year-old prodigy who like Sorenstam has challenged US PGA Tour players in order to improve her game, plays her first major as a professional still seeking her first elite-level victory of any sort.
”Obviously I do want to win everything when I come out here, but I just don’t want to put that much pressure on myself,” Wie said. ”I’m just here to have fun, to play well, to win. That’s what I’m all about.”
Wie had two top-10 amateur finishes here and shared 14th last year.
”I just feel like I’ve gotten a little bit more mature and a little bit more realistic with myself,” Wie said. ”Hopefully I’ve gotten a little bit better at judging the situation when I’m on the golf course when I go for it.
”I feel think I’m trying to play smarter and hopefully I’m doing it.”
Everything that Sorenstam has achieved is everything that Wie wants for herself.
The Hawaiian teen will play all four LPGA majors this year plus selected men’s and women’s events but knows Sorenstam is the woman to beat.
”She is the number one player in the world, obviously, and she’s very talented,” Wie said.
”I look up to her and it’s really hard to measure, because I think I try to think of myself very highly, although I may not be all that I want to be. It’s not as simple as it seems.”
Sorenstam tries not to focus upon Wie or any of the new young rivals set to challenge her for women’s golf supremacy.
”They’re not in the way. They’re part of the Tour,” Sorenstam said. ”It’s fun to see a new generation come up with some great attitudes, great games. It is fun to see. Like I said, I love the new challenge.”
Sorenstam won the Kraft Nabisco and the LPGA Championship last year on her way to 10 titles but failed in her sweep bid at the US Women’s Open, sharing 23rd.
In two starts this season, Sorenstam has a victory in Mexico and share of 19th earlier this month at a US event. – AFP
