Made-for-TV event should give boost to women’s golf

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2001 | 9:36 a.m.

On almost any given week, you can find the names Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb near the top of the leaderboard.

Between them, the two LPGA stars have 54 victories including eight major championships.

Each has been named the LPGA Rookie of the Year and the LPGA Player of the Year. Both have won at least two scoring titles and will be eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The two played each other one-on-one in a Shell's Wonderful World of Golf exhibition Tuesday afternoon at the Paiute Golf Resort and the results were just as competitive.

Webb carded an 8-under-par 64 to edge Sorenstam by a stroke on the Wolf course, which will be open to the public in November.

"We do bring the best out in each other," Webb said. "And it's the best golf I've played in probably two or three months, so she definitely does bring that out in me.

"I have the utmost respect for Annika's game. She's just had a tremendous year and I congratulate her on that. I'm just happy to be a part of the event and able to make the match as exciting as it was."

The match will air on Oct. 23 on ESPN (Cox Cable Channel 19) at 6:30 p.m.

There were 12 lead changes and neither player led by more than one stroke.

Webb sealed the victory with a birdie putt on the par-4 16th hole.

"I think our rivalry started when we came out on tour as rookies," Sorenstam said. "Just going back and forth, we've been the best players since 1995 and 1996.

"It is a rivalry, but I think a friendly one. There are no hard feelings. But once we're on the golf course, it's serious. There's a lot of pride involved.

"I'm glad we got a chance to play this match. It was so much fun. It's been so many years we've gone back and forth, this was great timing."

Despite the loss to Webb, Sorenstam can take solace in the fact that she is atop the LPGA Tour's money list with $1,684,868 and leads the Rolex Player of the Year Race.

She also leads the tour in scoring average. Webb, who won the U.S. Women's Open and the Nabisco Championships this year, is third in all three categories behind Se Ri Pak.

"That's one of my goals every year," Sorrenstam said of being Player of the Year. "It's not over yet.

"It does depend a little bit on the schedule. I plan on playing in Japan in a few weeks and then we have our final, the tour championship, things can still happen. I know I need to play well to stay on top of those categories."

Sorenstam was planning on playing at the Sports Today CJ Nine Bridges Classic in Jeju, Korea next week that was cancelled Monday in light of the military action taken by the U.S. and its allies in response to the terrorist attacks that occurred Sept. 11.

Both players supported the decision of the tour and Sports Today.

"I understand the decision," said Sorenstam. "It's probably a good decision because of what's going on right now.

"There are so many uncertainties, I'd just rather stay on this soil and see what happens."

Sorenstam was at home in Incline Village and Webb was at home in Florida when four commercial airliners were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania last month.

The two felt compelled to watch the events unfold on TV as they empathized with the victims and their families.

"It's a scary thing, one that me or any one from our generation hasn't had to experience," Webb said. "I always think that this country is the biggest and the best and that sort of thing doesn't happen over here.

"That was my first thought."