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 Annika Sorenstam's opening drive at the Colonial began two days of solid ball striking, but a shoddy short game left her above the cut line
By Charlie King
Annika Sorenstam showed a ton of heart at the Colonial, and flashes of brilliance in her long game. Over the first two rounds only two of the 110 men in the field hit more than her 24 fairways (out of 28). None of these lasers were more impressive than her opening drive, after which she pretended to swoon (above). Sorenstam was also sharp with her irons, especially during the first round, in which she hit 14 greens and was on the fringes of the four she missed. However, Sorenstam's chipping was shaky and her putting even worse, which is why she missed the cut by four strokes. Sorenstam's line and pace on her approach putts were way off, leaving a plethora of long comebackers. The result: 64 jabs for the first 36 holes, a number exceeded by only three players. Sorenstam needs to improve her putting under intense pressure. Her fundamentals are sound, but in big events she has a tendency to lose her feel. She should play for money in practice rounds or work on her putting in front of crowds to add an element of pressure. She must also develop a more varied and imaginative wedge game around the greens. If Sorenstam upgrades her chipping and putting and is given a couple more Tour events to adjust to the pressure, I think she would surely make a cut and possibly even contend. The rest of her game is that good.
Charlie King, the director of instruction at the Academy of Golf at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher. Issue date: June 2, 2003
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