Annika Charlotta Sorenstam is a Swedish professional golfer.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,077 |
56 Facts About Annika Sorenstam
2.
Annika Sorenstam is regarded as one of the best female golfers in history.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,078 |
3.
Annika Sorenstam holds various all-time scoring records including the lowest season scoring average: 68.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,079 |
4.
In 2003, Annika Sorenstam played in the Bank of America Colonial tournament to become the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event since 1945.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,080 |
5.
Annika Sorenstam's father Tom was an IBM executive and her mother Gunilla worked in a bank.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,081 |
6.
Annika Sorenstam was a nationally ranked junior tennis player, played association football in her hometown team Bro IK, and was such a good skier that the coach of the Swedish national ski team suggested the family move to northern Sweden to improve her skiing year round.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,082 |
8.
At the age of 12, Annika Sorenstam shared her first set of golf clubs with her sister.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,084 |
9.
Annika Sorenstam got the odd numbered clubs and Charlotta the even - and earned her first handicap of 54.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,085 |
10.
Annika Sorenstam was so shy as a junior, she used to deliberately three-putt at the end of a tournament to avoid giving the victory speech.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,086 |
11.
Annika Sorenstam decided that if she were going to have to face the crowd anyway she might as well win and the deliberate misses stopped.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,087 |
12.
Annika Sorenstam won seven collegiate titles and in 1991, became the first non-American and first freshman to win the individual NCAA Division I Championship.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,088 |
13.
Annika Sorenstam turned professional in 1992, but missed her LPGA Tour card at the final qualifying tournament by one shot, and began her professional career on the Ladies European Tour, formerly known as the WPGET.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,089 |
14.
Annika Sorenstam was invited to play in three LPGA Tour events in 1993, where she finished T38th, 4th, and T9th, earning more than $47,000.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,090 |
15.
Annika Sorenstam finished second four times on the Ladies European Tour and was 1993 Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,091 |
16.
Annika Sorenstam finished at the top of the Money List and was the first non-American winner of the Vare Trophy.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,092 |
17.
Annika Sorenstam became the second player ever to be Player of the Year and Vare Trophy winner the year after being Rookie of the Year.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,093 |
18.
Annika Sorenstam won six tour events in 1997, regaining the money list and player of the year titles.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,094 |
19.
Annika Sorenstam became the first player in LPGA history to finish a season with a sub-70 scoring average of 69.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,095 |
20.
At this point in her career, Annika Sorenstam says she lost focus having reached her biggest goals.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,096 |
21.
Karrie Webb became the best LPGA Tour player but Annika Sorenstam still managed to win more LPGA tournaments than any other LPGA Tour player during the 1990s.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,097 |
22.
Annika Sorenstam was the first international player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame through the LPGA criteria.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,098 |
23.
Annika Sorenstam set or tied a total of 30 LPGA records en route to regaining the Vare Trophy and winning her fourth Player of the Year and Money List titles in 2001.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,099 |
24.
Annika Sorenstam accomplished that feat, joining Mickey Wright as the only players to win 11 LPGA tournaments in one season, earning her fifth Player of the Year title and fifth Vare Trophy.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,100 |
25.
Annika Sorenstam successfully defended the Kraft Nabisco Championship, her fourth major victory, and won the ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia and Compaq Open in Sweden on the Ladies European Tour giving her 13 wins in 25 starts worldwide in 2002.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,101 |
26.
Annika Sorenstam was invited to play in the PGA Tour's Bank of America Colonial golf tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, in May 2003, making her the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias, who qualified for the 1945 Los Angeles Open.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,102 |
27.
Annika Sorenstam had five other victories worldwide, set or tied a total of 22 LPGA records and earned her sixth Player of the Year award.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,103 |
28.
Annika Sorenstam competed against Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and Mark O'Meara in the 2003 Skins Game, finishing second with five skins worth $225,000; Sorenstam holed a 39-yard bunker shot on the ninth hole—the eighth eagle in Skins Game history.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,104 |
30.
Annika Sorenstam's dominance continued in 2004 with her seventh LPGA Player of the Year award tying Kathy Whitworth for the most in LPGA history.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,106 |
31.
Annika Sorenstam released a combination autobiography and golf instructional book, Golf Annika's Way.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,107 |
32.
Annika Sorenstam's achievements included being the first player in LPGA history to win a major three consecutive years at the LPGA Championship and the first golfer in LPGA or PGA history to win the same event five consecutive years at the Mizuno Classic.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,108 |
33.
Annika Sorenstam is the only LPGA player ever to win Money List, POY award and Vare trophy in the same year in five different years.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,109 |
34.
Annika Sorenstam then went winless in eight starts, causing some to talk of a slump.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,110 |
35.
Annika Sorenstam's winning drought ended at the US Women's Open, where she won an 18-hole playoff over Pat Hurst for her tenth major championship title, tying her for third on the list of players with most major championship titles.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,111 |
36.
Annika Sorenstam totalled 3 wins on the LPGA and two on the Ladies European Tour, the inaugural Dubai Ladies Masters and the Swedish tournament she hosts, which she defended in her home town at the course where she learned to play.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,112 |
37.
Annika Sorenstam started 2007 by losing a playoff while defending of her MasterCard Classic title.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,113 |
38.
Annika Sorenstam was still not fully fit in her next two tournaments, the LPGA Championship where she finished tied for 15th place, and the US Women's Open, where, as defending champion, she finished tied for 32nd.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,114 |
39.
On her return to the US, Annika Sorenstam had three top ten finishes but missed the weekend at the season closing ADT Playoffs for the second year running.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,115 |
40.
However, Annika Sorenstam did win a worldwide title at the Dubai Ladies Masters on the Ladies European Tour in November 2007.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,116 |
41.
On 13 May 2008, Annika Sorenstam announced at a press conference at the Sybase Classic that she would "step away" from competitive golf at the conclusion of the 2008 season.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,117 |
43.
At the 2013 Solheim Cup at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colorado, United States, Annika Sorenstam participated as a non-playing assistant captain, selected by European Team captain Liselotte Neumann.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,119 |
44.
The Americans accused Annika Sorenstam of telling a European caddie that European player Jodi Ewart Shadoff should concede a putt for par to Paula Creamer, so it could not show teammate Lexi Thompson the line for a coming putt.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,120 |
45.
Two controversies with Annika Sorenstam involved, given a lot of public attention, occurred during the match.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,121 |
46.
Koch and Annika Sorenstam tried to convince Pettersen to change her mind and concede the putt, but as it was a fact that Lee had picked up her ball without the putt being given to her, it was not a possibility within the rules of golf, for the players to agree on the outcome of the hole and change the sequence of events afterwards.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,122 |
47.
Later during the 2015 Solheim Cup, after Koch and Annika Sorenstam was seen in a discussion with US captain Juli Inkster, Annika Sorenstam explained that she was accused of giving advice, which she strongly denied.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,123 |
48.
Annika Sorenstam was appointed captain of the 2017 European Solhem Cup team.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,124 |
49.
Annika Sorenstam has undertaken a number of golf course design projects.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,125 |
50.
Annika Sorenstam recently announced a new project at Mines Golf City, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,126 |
51.
Annika Sorenstam has participated in cooking demonstrations during LPGA tournaments and has talked about enrolling in cooking school.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,127 |
52.
Annika Sorenstam has had a serious interest in investments, real estate and the stock market since she earned her first LPGA check and in August 2006 was invited to ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,128 |
54.
On 21 March 2011, Annika Sorenstam gave birth to a son, William Nicholas McGee, thirteen weeks premature.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,130 |
55.
On 12 January 2009, Annika Sorenstam, who was ranked third the previous week despite having announced her retirement effective at the end of the 2008 season, was removed from the rankings.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,131 |
56.
Annika Sorenstam later posted in her personal blog that she asked to be removed.
| FactSnippet No. 2,105,132 |