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Sorenstam Feeling No Pain for Tourney

Jun 26, 2007

Southern Pines, N.C. — Annika Sorenstam wasn’t backing down Tuesday.

Not from what she said about Michelle Wie and not when it came to assessing her chances at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles.

Wie, the teen sensation from Honolulu, left a Mount Pleasant, S.C., tournament hosted by Sorenstam complaining about her wrist injury. Later that weekend, Wie was practicing for the LPGA Championship.

That sparked Sorenstam to say, “I just feel that there’s a little bit of lack of respect and class just to leave a tournament like that and then come out and practice here.”

Wie practiced Tuesday and will play this week. Sorenstam said the two have not talked since Wie withdrew, and Sorenstam said she has no plans to seek out Wie to discuss what happened.

“I stand by what I said and I still feel that way,” Sorenstam said.

Asked if she’d appreciate an apology, Sorenstam said, “Oh, it’s never too late.”

For the moment, however, Sorenstam is concentrating on her own game. And this has been a challenging year for the native of Sweden who is one of the LPGA’s top stars.

She has played in only five tournaments because of back and neck injuries.

Once the dominant player on the tour, Sorenstam has watched Lorena Ochoa surge to the top of the LPGA rankings. Sorenstam has a scoring average of 71.53. Ochoa, by comparison, has a scoring average of 69.83.

Sorenstam won the Open last season however – one of her three Open titles – and she sounded healthy and confident going into this tournament. While much has been made about the young players pouring into the tour, the 36-year-old Sorenstam remains a formidable player when healthy.

She said she has “been pain-free seven or eight weeks.”

“I feel good,” she said. “I really have no excuses.”
Sorenstam said she was touched by the response of other LPGA players, who have welcomed her back. And despite her limited schedule, she exuded a confidence and calm that comes from having won 69 LPGA events.

“I’ve achieved so much more than I thought I could,” she said. “I’m satisfied. I’m happy. My career has been fantastic. I come from a little town in Sweden, and this game has taken me everywhere. It comes to a point where you say, ‘I’m happy. My glass is full.’”

Tuesday Highlights

NO DOGS – OR WOMEN?: Annika Sorenstam said she was looking forward to the British Open this summer at St. Andrews in Scotland, where she once played as a junior.

But she drew laughter when she recalled one memory from that event.

“When I played there as an amateur, there was a sign out there that says, ‘No dogs or women allowed,’” Sorenstam said.


SHE CLICKS TO DISNEY: Alexis Thompson, qualified for the tournament at the age of 12, said she doesn’t follow the women’s tournament on television.

She usually turns to the Disney Channel instead.

One of her favorites ¬– “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.”

Of course, Thompson is having a sweet life right now, playing in the Open at such a young age.

So what will she do before she tees off Thursday afternoon?

“Probably sleep in. Eat breakfast. Probably go to PetSmart. I’ve gone there every day now.”

PetSmart?
Turns out she has two cats – Angel and Smelly – and likes to go there to pet the cats.

NO THANKS, TO DUKE: Morgan Pressel, who played in the 2001 Open at the age of 13, said she doesn’t regret turning down Duke to play on the LPGA Tour.

“I would have loved to have gone to Duke, and I would have had a great experience, but I want to be out here competing against the best players in the world every week,” she said. “To do that and be on top of my game, the best option was to focus on my game and not term papers.”

By the way, Pressel said she’s not surprised to see Alexis Thompson in the field at the age of 12.

“Lexi’s a good player,” she said. “We’ve known that for a long time. My grandfather has said for a few years now if anybody would break my record, it’d be Alexis Thompson.”

Dane Huffman
WRAL.com