SUNNINGDALE, England – Not even T.S. Eliot could have scripted Annika Sorenstam’s exit from major championship golf.
This isn’t the way Annika’s major career was supposed to end. Who would have guessed she’d depart with a whimper instead of a bang?
Sorenstam probably won’t win the Ricoh Women’s British Open. Not unless she can muster two blistering rounds to get herself back in the championship. And in the mood she is in, that looks unlikely.
The former world No. 1 trails joint leaders Yuri Fudoh and Ji-Yai Shin by 10 shots.
Normally unflappable on the fairways, the Ice Maiden looked anything but during her second round. Needing a good score after her opening 72, the Swede went from hoping to get into contention to hoping to make the cut.
Three consecutive bogeys from the fifth hole moved Sorenstam from 1 under to 2 over, and in real danger of missing the cut.
“You don’t want to know what I’m thinking,” Sorenstam said about how she felt at that point. “The bottom line is, I never give up. I’m very frustrated because I feel like I’m playing good enough. But I’m throwing away shots.”
As you’d expect, Sorenstam fought back with birdies at the 9th, 10th and 11th holes. She posted five consecutive pars after that, and seemed to be in no danger of missing the cut.
However, she dropped a shot at the 17th when she came out of her drive and watched as it ended up in the right fairway bunker. She had no option but to advance the ball up the fairway, and then failed to get up-and-down from just short of the green.
She posted another 72, which set up a tense wait to see if she would make the weekend in her last major. She did, but barely. The cut fell at even par.
Sorenstam’s game has disappeared since she announced her retirement on May 13, and she doesn’t know why.
“Since I made my announcement, I’ve not been able to get anything going. I don’t know what it is.
“Both my caddie and I have analyzed the past two and a half months to death trying to figure out what is happening. I’m swinging very well and now I’m putting well but, for some reason, I’m having a hard time scoring.
“I play 15 good holes and, again, I leave shots out there. I can’t do that in these tough conditions, these tough championships. It’s costing me too much and then I always have to do catch up. I’ve not been able to do that.”
Many in the game can’t figure out why Sorenstam made the announcement in the first place. Why not wait until the end of the season and then tell everyone – give herself a free run until the end?
“It’s my decision (to quit). You’d think I’d be relieved having shared my thoughts with everybody. I felt it was the right thing to do,” she explained.
Whatever happens over the weekend, one thing is for sure: Sorenstam will give it 100 percent, just as she has done throughout her career.
“I have pride and I know what I’m capable of. In my mind I’m as good as I’ve ever been. The scores don’t reflect that, but in my heart and in my head I believe it. For me it’s more about keeping on fighting. That’s what I’ve been doing since I came out here and I’m not going to change it until my last day. For me it’s all or nothing through thick and thin.”
Not only will the Swede give it her all on the fairways, but off them as well. There are many male players – and a few female – who would have stomped off the 18th green after a similar performance and headed for the solace of the locker room, the players’ lounge or the practice ground. Not Annika.
She granted every interview request, and answered every question, whether it was sensible or just plain stupid. Then she walked towards the crowd of autograph hunters and did her duty there too.
Sorenstam probably won’t win this tournament, but she’s still a winner with the British galleries. Too bad for them she probably won’t be able to give it one last hurrah in her last major.
It looks like a sad end to a major career that has yielded 10 wins. It’s not the story line Annika or her fans would have written.
Or T.S. Eliot.
Posted: 8/1/2008
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