Thirty-one television cameras, 583 journalists and one female golfer who seemed overawed and embarrassed at the fuss she had created. Off the course, it was far from just another practice day on the US PGA tour this week as Annika Sorenstam made her entry into the world of men’s professional golf.
On the course, the 32-year-old Swede was able to hit only three shots in the company of Sergio Garcia and Jesper Parnevik before thunderstorms closed Fort Worth’s Colonial course, bringing her much-anticipated first public practice round to a close after less than 10 minutes.
Sorenstam, looking a great deal more nervous than tour professionals tend to be on Tuesday mornings, hit her tee shot 50m shorter than the other two, hacked out of the rough and duffed her third into rough short of the green.
It is probably premature to join the misogynistic chorus dismissing her participation in the Colonial tournament as an embarrassment waiting to happen. But supporters of her adventure may have found several reasons to feel uneasy, not least about her demeanour as she looked out on a press posse at least three times bigger than any she has faced in her illustrious career on the women’s professional tour.
As if to emphasise her discomfort, she said that herappearance on the men’s tour would be a ”one-time-only deal”. In fact, the PGA tour body were asked this week to consider reinstating the ban on women from the men’s game in future.
”The problem is I’m not used to this environment,” said Sorenstam. ”It’ll be there in the back of my mind throughout, but let’s just see what happens. I know I have to be realistic. If I hit the ball the way I know I can, I think I can make par. If that happens then I will feel like a winner inside.”
Last year Nick Price won with a score of 13 under par and the 36-hole cut was three over par. But then the sun was beating down and the brick-hard fairways shortened the course.
Tuesday’s downpour means that Sorenstam, who hits her drives some 20m shorter than most of her competitors in Fort Worth, will be at an even greater disadvantage. At least there was support from the most famous sportsman in the world. ”Tiger called me twice just to tell me how to handle things with [the] guys and out there on the course,” said Sorenstam. ”He told me he’d be watching, so I’d better play well.”
She also received backing from journeymen Aaron Barber and Dean Wilson — the latter going so far as to appear at his press conference wearing a ”Go Annika” badge, which he had bought for $3 at the professional golf shop.
”Can she beat me? If I play bad, almost anyone can beat me,” said Wilson.