Only 15 years have gone by, but in many ways it seems like a lifetime for Annika Sorenstam.
When the 24-year-old came to the Broadmoor Golf Club for the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open, she had yet to win an LPGA Tour event, much less a major championship. But the young Swede walked away with the trophy that week.
Since first arriving in Colorado Springs a decade and a half ago, Sorenstam has won 72 LPGA events, including 10 major championships, shot 59 in a tournament, became the first woman in 58 years to compete in a PGA Tour event, has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, retired from competitive golf in 2008 at age 38, and got married and gave birth to a daughter last year.
And on Wednesday, things came full circle in a sense when Sorenstam (pictured, with fellow three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Hollis Stacy) returned to the Broadmoor in her capacity as honorary chair for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, which will take place July 7-10 next year on the Broadmoor’s East Course.
Sorenstam won’t be competing in the event since she remains retired, but she’s playing an active role promoting the tournament and she hit a ceremonial tee shot at the first hole on Wednesday.
“This is really where everything started,” Sorenstam said. “This is the biggest championship in women’s golf. As a little girl, I would stand on the putting green at home and pretend a 3-footer was for the U.S. Open. I never knew if that would ever happen, but it did happen and it certainly kick-started my career in ’95.
“It’s been a wonderful ride since, with what golf has given me. For me to come back here today and be the honorary chair, it’s something I really feel honored to do. Even though I don’t play as much nowadays, it’s great to be back.”
Sorenstam not only won the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open in Colorado, but she was the center of much attention at the 2005 Women’s Open at Cherry Hills. There, she came up short in her attempt to win the first three Grand Slam events of that year.
Earlier this decade, Sorenstam was the Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour, winning a remarkable 43 tournaments from 2001 through 2005.
Meg Mallon, who finished runner-up to Sorenstam at the Broadmoor in 1995, noted several years ago, “It’ll be neat to say I was around when Annika was playing the greatest golf in history.”
Added LPGA veteran Laura Davies: “It’s almost like she’s toying with us.”
But that first win at the Broadmoor almost wasn’t to be. She admits she nearly missed the registration deadline for the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open.
At the Broadmoor that year, Sorenstam said the last nine holes of the Women’s Open seemed like they were all 700 yards long, and noted that it felt like her heart was pounding at 2,000 beats per minute coming down the stretch. Nevertheless, she fired a 68 in the final round to overtake Mallon.
“It felt like the nerves were swinging, not me,” Sorenstam said after the round. “”¦ I lost confidence for a while, but I knew I may not get the chance (to win the U.S. Women’s Open) again, so I wasn’t going to give up.”
As it turned out, Sorenstam would win two more U.S. Women’s Opens, but at the Broadmoor in ’95, she admitted Wednesday, “I wasn’t anyone. Nobody had ever heard of me. I was just delighted to hit balls next to Meg Mallon, Dottie Pepper — that was exciting just to stand next to them. You can just imagine the feeling walking up the 18th hole with all these people. The support was amazing. It was just an electrifying atmosphere and I will never forget.”
Though Sorenstam was the top player in women’s golf for so many years, she said Wednesday she doesn’t miss the competition these days.
“Honestly, I don’t miss much,” she noted. “”¦ My plate is very full. I’m staying very busy. I cannot enjoy life any better.”
Part of the reason is a new husband and a nine-month-old daughter, Ava.
“She already has a golf club and golf shoes,” Sorenstam said of Ava. “I’m just waiting for her to start walking so she can swing the club.”
But even beyond family, there are plenty of things taking up the time Sorenstam used to devote to competition: designing golf courses, the Annika Sorenstam Academy, a clothing line, her own wine, a financial group, her foundation and a partnership with the USGA. And just this week it became public that Sorenstam and Jack Nicklaus have requested that they be picked to build the course in Brazil that will host the Olympic golf competition in 2016.
As for next year’s Women’s Open, her role will include conducting an exhibition on Tuesday of tournament week (July 5).
“¢U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN NOTES: Tickets for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open at the Broadmoor went on sale on Wednesday. Weekly passes ($199 for a limited time), 4-packs of tickets ($99 for a limited time) and daily tickets for the championship rounds ($45 each) are all available. They can be purchased at 2011uswomensopen.com, King Soopers stores or at 877-281-6736. Kids 17 and under will be admitted free with ticketed adults, and military personnel will receive a 50 percent discount on tickets. “¦ The 1995 U.S. Women’s Open at the Broadmoor set an attendance record for the event up to that time (96,000 for the week). Another Colorado club, Cherry Hills, holds the current attendance record for the Women’s Open (131,000 in 2005). “¦ The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open will mark the seventh USGA event held at the Broadmoor. Previous tournaments were the 1959 U.S. Amateur, 1962 Curtis Cup, 1967 U.S. Amateur, 1982 U.S. Women’s Amateur, the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2008 U.S. Senior Open. “¦ At 7,000-plus yards, the Broadmoor will be the longest course in U.S. Women’s Open history. It will play to a par-71. “¦ Tournament officials estimate the U.S. Women’s Open has a $25 million impact on the local economy. “¦ Five hundred media members and 3,000 volunteers are expected for next year’s tournament. Currently, 1,239 volunteers from 35 states have committed to the event. Prospective adult and junior volunteers can sign up at 2011uswomensopen.com.
