Orlando, Florida
CNN
—
It's a crisp, sunny Sunday afternoon in Orlando, Florida. It's a perfect day to play a round at one of the Sunshine State's more than 1,000 golf courses. But Annika Sorenstam, perhaps the greatest female golfer of all time, is instead enjoying a lighthearted game of putting with her husband and two children in her Lake Nona backyard.
Sorenstam’s historic 59 points – from the lowest scoring game of all time With her 90 international victories in women's competitions, her professional achievements are unparalleled. Now, she's working just as hard to give back to the sport that has given her so much.
Since retiring in 2008, the former pro has prioritized her family and her foundation, which focuses on helping young women golf. Similar to this year's theme for International Women's Day, Sorenstam believes investing in women will ensure their success not only in golf but in life.
“There's no question that the girls we bring together through the foundation are great golfers, but many of them don't necessarily go on to play professional golf. That's not the foundation's original purpose,” Sorenstam recently told CNN. told. Interview at his home in Florida. “Rather, it's about inspiring them to achieve their dreams. There are a lot of opportunities for women in this sport.”
Before she became golf's “GOAT,” Sorenstam was just a young girl living in the small town of Bro, Sweden, who played a variety of sports, but golf never really appealed to her.
“Golf wasn't all that exciting to me at first,” she said. “I wanted a little more action and speed.”
However, because she lived near a golf course and her parents bribed her and her sister Charlotta to play by giving them ice cream, she eventually started enjoying the game and found it She says she came to enjoy how challenging it was.
At the age of 18, she won the World Amateur Championship and that's when she realized she could pursue a career in the sport. She said she was also inspired by other women in golf at the time, such as Nancy Lopez and Beth Daniel, and added how important it was for her to see that representation. When fellow Swede Liselotte Neumann won the 1988 US Open, Sorenstam said: Do it. '”
Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Arguably the greatest female golfer, Annika Sorenstam, may be retiring from competitive play, but her drive to empower women in the sport is as strong as ever.
When Sorenstam first became a professional, she was aware of the disparity in income and recognition in men's golf compared to women's golf, but she is excited to have the chance to play and is excited about the opportunity to play. He said he didn't think much about the differences. “I knew women’s golf was going to grow and I hope we can get there one day,” she said.
Little did the Swede know then that she would usher in a new era in women's golf and take the sport to an all-time high.
Throughout her professional career, Sorenstam won 11 major championships, including 72 wins on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. She also won a record number of Rolex Player of the Year awards and the Vale Trophy for lowest score in a season.
To date, she is the only woman in history to break 60 points in an official competition, and 2001 was a pivotal moment in her career.
“Being the first woman to accomplish something, in this case, gives you credibility and a nice nickname, 'Miss 59,'” Sorenstam said, adding that it “allows you to set the bar high. … Just keep working and you’ll make it,” he added. Break down barriers. ”
This achievement opened the door for her to compete against men at the 2003 Colonial, making her the first woman in more than 50 years to play in a PGA event.
“I remember being so excited. I remember thinking, wow, I'm going to try harder,” she said. “We wanted to prove we could play and it was a great experience.”
In 2008, at age 38, Sorenstam decided to step away from competitive golf, but she never strayed too far from the limit. She began designing golf courses and golf clothing while also establishing her ANNIKA Foundation, which aims to develop the next generation of women and girls in golf through clinics, tournaments, instruction, and financial support. Did.
According to the National Golf Foundation, 38% of golfers under the age of 18 in the United States are girls. According to Sorenstam, when the foundation first started, that number was less than 20%.
“I really enjoy spending time with these young girls. I know what it's like to be 14, 15 (years old) and have so many questions and dreams but have no idea where to go. “Yes,” she said. “We feel like being able to get that kind of guidance is really important.”
Mike Ehrman/Getty Images
Sorenstam (right) presents the trophy to winner Lilia Vu on Nov. 12, 2023, in Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.
More than 600 girls from 60 countries participate in the ANNIKA Foundation each year. In addition to giving back nearly $9 million to women's golf each year, Sorenstam said the organization supports a variety of initiatives, from major golf events to development programs.
And she's doing all this alongside her husband, Mike McGee, who helps her gather support from corporate sponsors.
“She gave back more than anyone I've ever seen,” he told CNN. “I'm lucky to work with Annika. She's my boss, literally and figuratively.”
McGee also helped secure Sorenstam's name in her first namesake LPGA tournament in Tampa, THE ANNIKA driven by Pelican Gainbridge.
LPGA Commissioner Molly Marcoux Samaan told CNN that “having her name on that tournament is extremely important to the sport,” adding Sorenstam. “She is an LPGA in so many ways, and we couldn't be more grateful for the platform she uses to inspire girls and women on and off the golf course.”
The first year of the tournament had the opportunity to play Louise Likvist, a Swedish amateur and American college golfer who grew up through Sorenstam's foundation — a “full circle” moment, Sorenstam said.
“To be able to fulfill a dream and play in an LPGA event,” she added, “is obviously a great thing to be able to provide an opportunity to play, not just for the pros, but for future players as well.”
Emerging professional golfer Katherine Muzi was one of the first to attend Sorenstam's development program at Old Barnwell in Aiken, South Carolina. There she received golf course access, housing, financial assistance, training, and guidance from Sorenstam himself for three years.
“[The program]really just opened its doors,” Muzi told CNN in February at the ANNIKA Foundation's first fundraiser of the year. “Just to do something with Annika, she's really inspired me and a lot of girls who play golf. And just being around her makes me feel good. She has that much influence.”
The event, held at Orlando Country Club, began with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) presenting Sorenstam with the Digger Smith Award. This award is presented annually to a recipient who has demonstrated dedication to the AJGA's mission of developing young men and women through junior competition. golf.
But Sorenstam immediately called McGee to pick it up with him. “It’s all a team effort from start to finish,” she said.
Winning matches and trophies are great, but “winning someone's heart, winning someone's inspiration, that's a pretty big deal,” she added.
As junior golfer Riley Knaub pointed out, her influence is felt far beyond the course. The event featured a touching tribute to the golf legend. “Players like me have watched you become mothers, wives, role models, ambassadors, and champions for girls around the world just like me. You can seemingly have it all. We showed that it is possible.”
