Annika Sorenstam reminds us just how good she was

 

Annika Sorenstam and family – Photo Darren Carroll USGA

In 1994 Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam won her first professional tournament when winning the Women’s Australian Open at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club.

14 years later in 2008 she retired from competitive golf with an amazing record behind her including a massive 95 professional wins, amongst them ten majors, 72 LPGA Tour titles and a host of other victories too extensive to mention here.

Today the 50-year-old displayed the brilliance which made her arguably the greatest of all female golfers with an eight-shot victory at the US Senior Women’s Open at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield in Connecticut.

Sorenstam dominated the event from the start although, after an eagle by her nearest pursuer  and fellow countrywoman Liselotte Neumann at the opening hole today, the pair were briefly tied but she would soon draw clear and win in a canter over Neumann with Laura Davies a shot away in third place.

“It’s really hard to describe,” said Sorenstam of winning her fourth USGA championship, after U.S. Women’s Open victories in 1995, 1996 and 2006. “When we came here, I just loved the place from the start.

“Everything felt so good, and then obviously you have to go out there and finish it up, and today I really felt like I played very, very well. To come in here on Sunday knowing what I had to do and I did it, obviously I’m very happy.”

Sorenstam is the mother of two children and has dedicated herself to motherhood and was keen to get the children’s approval before setting out on the mission to win this title.

“When I turned 50, we had a discussion. I said, do you want to see Mama play? And they said, ‘Yeah, we want to see Mama play.’ I said, to do that I have to put in some time. You can’t just go out there and compete with the women out here. They have seen me hitting the balls, they’ve seen me go out there and really put sweat and tears into it, so it’s really paid off. Without them this would not really happen. It’s certainly a team effort.”

Victorian amateur Sue Wooster made the cut but finished well back while Jan Stephenson missed the weekend.

 

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Daniel Hillier impressive in finishing third in Northern Ireland

Daniel Hillier- photo Getty Images

A cheque for €43,500 was just reward for an excellent week for New Zealander Daniel Hillier following his share of third place at the ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle & Massereene, Co Antrim in Northern Ireland.

Hillier, who led through 36 holes before a third round of 70 saw him slip off the pace, worked himself back into winning contention after an outward nine of 33 on Sunday. He was still amongst the title contenders before bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes cost him a winning chance.

The 23 year old Wellingtonian finished two shots from the eventual winner, Daniel Gavins, and earns the biggest cheque of his 20 month professional career and while there was no doubt joy in that there was some disappointment that he was unable to convert a winning opportunity.

“I felt pretty good out there today for the most part,” said Hillier. “Obviously a pretty poor end to the week, but that’s the way things go sometimes, and I’m sure that I’ll be in contention a lot more in the future, so just going to learn from it.

“It’s one of those things, you’re obviously going to feel nerves and all that. If you’re in contention you want to win, and the adrenaline is going to be there, the nerves are going to be there.

“I think just looking back on a couple of those shots near the end, just a little more focus on the process, I think, because I was getting a little bit ahead of myself I think towards the end, and obviously put me a little bit behind.

“Apart from that it was a really good week, so yeah, I’m happy.”

Hillier has won events on the Charles Tour in New Zealand and had a stellar amateur career, winning the New Zealand and Australian junior titles in addition to two New Zealand Amateur Championship titles.

Hillier has competed on the European Challenge Tour in 2021 although this particular tournament was a European Tour event and as a result of his success this week will earn a start in next week’s Hero Open in Scotland, another European Tour start.

Blake Windred led the Australians in 22nd place while Maverick Antcliff was next best when 26th.

The women’s event, played concurrently, was won by Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukaarn who recovered from a triple bogey during her final round to win after a playoff with American Emma Talley.

Sarah Kemp headed the Australians when she finished tied for 8th and earned a cheque for US$32,000 in the joint LPGA / LET event. Fellow Australian, Su Oh, was 11th.

For Kemp it was a continuation of a great year on the LPGA Tour, an elevation she puts down to improvement on the greens.

“It’s really solid,” she said referring to her form in 2021. “I’m just putting great. Like I holed some really good momentum par saves this week, obviously some long birdie putts. But that’s kind of been the difference this year. Just some few extra putts dropping.

As to the format of two events being played concurrently Kemp is a fan.

“I love it. I wish we could do more of it. Obviously never missed a Vic Open when it’s been co-sanctioned with the guys. It’s just fun. Like I love — I follow them all the time. I follow the Australian boys and got to see them on the range this week.

Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. I hope we can do more of it?”

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Schauffele wins gold as Smith’s brave medal bid falls just short

A very happy Xander Schauffele – Photo courtesy of Stan Badz PGA Tour / IGF

Despite being, as yet, to win a major title, American Xander Schauffele has developed a reputation for performing well in the big events and today he further enhanced that reputation with victory in the men’s event at the Olympics, after edging clear of former South African, now Slovakian, Rory Sabbatini.

In 18 career majors to date, Schauffele has been inside the top ten on nine occasions against fields significantly stronger in depth and numbers than that he faced this week at the Kasumigaseki Country Club, in Saitama, north of Tokyo.

He has, admittedly, won Tour Championships and World Golf Championships but he keeps putting himself in position to win so often and today he was rewarded with a title which, likely, means a lot to him.

Schauffele raced to a four-shot lead with four birdies in his opening eight holes after beginning day four with a one-shot lead over the local favourite and his playing partner, Hideki Matsuyama, and by the turn he led the Japanese star by four.

Others, though, were staking their claim for a medal, including Sabbatini who had begun his bid nearly 90 minutes ahead of the final group. Sabbatini produced a remarkable round of 61 including an eagle, ten birdies and two bogeys to trail by just one when he finished his day’s work.

Soon after Sabbatini had finished, Schauffele was lucky to find a wayward drive at the 14th and, in the end, did well to save bogey, and the pair were tied at 17 under par.

Sabbatini waited what must have felt like an eternity to see whether the 27-year-old could better his score. A birdie at the 17th took Schauffele to the lead but he was forced to make an excellent up and down from 70 yards or so to save par at the last, after finding the rough from the tee, in order to take the gold medal.

Sabbatini took the silver after starting the day in 17th place and seven shots from the lead while a seven way playoff was required to determine the bronze medallist which would go to Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan after a four hole playoff.

Cameron Smith began the day five back off Schauffele and after making the turn in 33 he added birdies at the 10th and 11th holes and was tied in 4th place and just four from the lead. Despite a bogey at the 12th, he would birdie the 16th and 17th to get within two before finding the fairway bunker at the dangerous 18th.

Smith hit an excellent shot, but it failed to hold on the green and finished just off the back edge. He hit a very good pitch to negotiate the contours in the green but then missed a seven-foot par saving putt which, if he had made, would have given him a chance at the multiple playoff.

Still, for Smith, his 10th placing it was yet another fine showing in an event of significance.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox produced a stunning final round of 64 including a homeward nine of 29 to finish tied for 42nd while Marc Leishman finished tied for 51st.

Scores

Cameron Smith begins his round today  – photo PGA Tour / IGF

 

 

 

 

 

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