Thanks Annika

In 1993 I was a young assistant golf professional working at Brackets Crossing CC in Lakeville, Minnesota.  I was a few years out of competitive golf and working long hours at the club.  Nevertheless, I decided to take the opportunity to try and qualify for the Open that year in Denver at the International Club.  My pairing that day was with a young woman fresh out of college named Annika Sorenstam.  She had yet to win any professional titles, but her talent was evident as she worked her way flawlessly around the golf course.  She sailed through the qualifier with a smooth 69, hit 17 greens in regulation, and still putted the ball to the cup on the one green she missed.  I was impressed with her play, and I enjoyed her company that day, so I started following her name in the papers.  That year she placed in the middle of the pack, but it wasn’t long after that her career took a dramatic turn.

It isn’t often that one can follow another’s career with such a personal start.  I have enjoyed watching her achieve her milestones with hard work, determination, and incredible intelligence.  She has been categorized as shy, yet she presents herself with such dignity and poise in front of the media.  She truly is an icon and an inspiration to women’s golf.  The day she teed off with the boys in Texas, I was very proud of women’s golf.  It takes guts to get up there and tee off against the best in the world and know that your every move will be scrutinized and reviewed in front of an international audience.  I remember a man said to me earlier that week, ”Dee, why would she do that? Isn’t she afraid of losing?”  I replied that if she thought that, she wouldn’t be playing.

This is her farewell tour to golf.  She is retiring with an incredible legacy of achievements that young women will be chasing for years.  Every generation has a player that defines what the new standards should be, and Annika was that player.  She brought focus to women’s golf despite the shadow of Tiger’s dominance of the media.  As a fellow golf professional, I want to thank Annika for her time; she helped grow the game of golf through her incredible desire to achieve, and I look forward to seeing her play her last U.S. Women’s Open this week in Minnesota.

-- Dee Forsberg