Annika Sorenstam, the 37 year old Swede with 72 career victories, plans to retire at the end of this season due to wanting to marry and start a family. I think that it is wonderful and i wish her luck in all future endeavors! I also think that it is great that Tournament Directors are showing such respect for Annika by naming part of the Evian course in her honor, “Annika’s Place”. Annika is playing with fellow Swedes and Evian winners Helen Alfredsson and Catrin Nilsmark today. Next week, Annika will play in the Ricoh Women’s British Open in her last major and final tournament in Europe. She has been very inspirational and great to follow!

Tags: WOMEN AND GOLF by Jenn
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All right…since Tiger announced he would not be playing golf for the rest of the season after winning the U.S.Open, all i have heard is TIGER,TIGER,TIGER. Don’t get me wrong, i know that he is the #1 golfer and all but really…how about spending some time getting to know the other great and talented golfers out on the field! I am not saying that Tiger will not be missed, I too am a fan of the great Tiger Woods but he is out for the season. The majority make it sound like there is no golf if there is no Tiger. What does that say for the rest of the Pro Golfers? They are not good enough to watch? They are not worthy of our time? Get your head out of Tiger world and focus on who the great golfers are that are PLAYING!

For instance, what about The British Open,with its brutal winds and dynamic playing conditions, made for compelling viewing .I was plenty pleased to see Padraig Harrington defend his title. And Greg Norman’s run at the claret jug may have fallen short,but it was still thrilling to watch. And if that weren’t enough, the LPGA Tour was in action, with Michelle Wie doing something stupid. So instead of the world focusing on who is missing, how about focusing on who is playing!

Tags: GENERAL GOLF TOPICS by Jenn
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Second-year LPGA Tour golfer Ji Young Oh won her first tournament Sunday, sinking a 6-inch putt for par to win the State Farm Classic in a playoff over rookie Yani Tseng. A day after the tournament lost its marquee player, Michelle Wie, to disqualification, for failing to sign her scorecard a day earlier. The sudden-death playoff injected life into what had been an ordinary final round. Oh and Tseng finished regulation at 18 under par.

Tseng, the leader coming into Sunday, chipped her third shot over the green and into the rough, then pitched her ball to about 6 feet from the cup. But Oh’s third shot, from just inside the rough, left her with the tap-in that gave her the win. Tseng, who shot a 66 in each of the first three rounds before her even-par 72 on Sunday, said after her loss that her nerves got the best of her Sunday.

Oh was among the steadiest golfers this week at Panther Creek Country Club. She shot a 66 each of the first two rounds to stay quietly just behind the leaders. Then she shot a 69 Saturday to set herself up just behind Tseng. Oh, like much of the field, struggled with heat and wind Sunday, bogeying three holes. But she still managed six birdies and, as Tseng melted on the playoff hole, Oh calmly chipped in close and tapped in the winner.

Na Yeon Choi finished in third place at 17 under for the tournament after shooting a 4-under 68 Sunday. On a day dominated by youth, Chinese LPGA rookie Shanshan Feng shot a 9-under 63 — the second-best round of the tournament along with Christina Kim’s first round — and finished the tournament at 16 under par, tied for fourth place with Stacy Prammanasudh and Hee-Won Han.

Tags: WOMEN AND GOLF by Jenn
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