Headlines Of Doubt For Annika At Colonial
In 2003, Annika Sorenstam became the first woman in over 58 years to compete on the PGA Tour igniting some controversy
She was offered a sponsored spot in the Colonial Tournament held in Fort Worth, and wanted to play against men as a “challenge”.
A way to measure her game against some of the best players in the world.
However, the response gathered from PGA Tour players, the media, and others was downright sickening.
Among them was Vijay Singh, “What is she going to prove by playing? It’s ridiculous. She’s the best woman golfer in the world, and I want to emphasize ‘woman’. I hope she misses the cut, because she doesn’t belong out here.”
Others like Scott Hoch, ”Some people don’t believe she should be out here, golfers and men in general.
I hope she plays well, and what comes out of this is that she realizes she can’t compete against the men.”
And even doubts from her Tour friends, like Tiger Woods,
“(Practicing with her was) great but… It will only be great for women’s golf if she plays well.”
At the time, many men on Tour were afraid of Sorenstam beating them, and felt she should “stay in her lane”
It would have been easier for her to drop out of the event, than to perform under this pressure.
Although she kept a level head, and made sure the comments didn’t get to her, there was a lot riding on her ability to “keep it cool”, for herself, but also the countless women that looked up to her
See our other post to relive the emotional turning point for Annika in this experience…
Her first shot on the PGA Tour