There are two questions about Annika Sorenstam this week.
– Can she win her third straight Kellogg-Keebler Classic?
– Will she be back to go for a fourth title next year?
The answers: probably and probably.
Sorenstam will be the main attraction when the 54-hole tournament begins Friday at Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora.
She owns this event, leading at the end of every round during its first two years.
She seems poised to make it three in a row. Sorenstam arrives in Chicago fresh off her victory in the Corning Classic last week.
It was her third triumph in six starts this year and the 51st of her increasingly amazing career.
The only person who seems capable of stopping her is herself. She has talked openly this year about eventually stepping away from the game–and that’s sooner rather than later.
Sorenstam, 33, has moved into a different golfing age bracket. During a recent tournament in Atlanta, she cringed at seeing a photo of herself in the newspaper with the caption reading, “Veterans are lurking.”
“I guess times are changing,” said Sorenstam, who just yesterday was a rising young star.
While Sorenstam continues to enjoy golf, she has expressed a desire to do other things in life. That includes starting a family.
Sorenstam already has cut back her schedule, saying she will play in only 15 or 16 tournaments this year. She wants to pace herself to gear up for the majors.
There had been speculation that if Sorenstam had accomplished her longtime goal of winning the Grand Slam this year, she could walk away. It would have been the perfect final act.
After falling short at the Nabisco Championship, however, it seems likely Sorenstam will be around for 2005. Then again, if she wins the season’s final three majors, she could say adios at the end of 2004.
“I have never really set a time or date because I still do enjoy this game and I still have a lot of tournaments I want to win. The goals are right there,” Sorenstam said Thursday.
“I’ve always said if I enjoy it and I feel motivated, I will continue to play. However, I’ve always said I have other interests, and one of these days I’d like to pursue them. I think I’ll know when the time is right and it’s time to move on.”
The time will come when the thrill disappears. She will walk away if her reaction to winning is, “ho-hum, another $150,000.”
Sorenstam hasn’t become blase just yet. She insists victory No. 51 was special.
“I love to win,” Sorenstam said. “It’s almost contagious or addicting. I love the thrill of coming down the stretch. I still get nervous and I still get the jitters. There’s nothing like it. That’s what keeps me practicing; what keeps me coming back. It’s a thrill for me to see if I can beat everybody every week.”
It’s not as thrilling for her opponents. While they appreciate Sorenstam’s play, the almost weekly beatings are becoming old.
“Annika is such a great player,” said Se Ri Pak, Sorenstam’s closest pursuer. “She knows what she is doing. She controls herself so well, especially on the golf course. She has great experience about herself and the game.”
Pak thinks she is getting closer and would like to end Sorenstam’s Kellogg-Keebler streak this week. But Pak, or anyone else, will have to go super low to beat her.
Sorenstam plays Stonebridge as if it is her home course. In two tournaments, she is a combined 38-under in 108 holes. The layout obviously fits her game.
“Sometimes when you play a course, it seems like, `This feels good today,'” Sorenstam said. “When I think about it, I can’t exactly say what it is.”
Sorenstam hopes she is fumbling for positive answers Sunday. Twice before she has won the same event three times in a row (the Michelob Light Classic 1997-99 and Mizuno Classic 2001-03). She is the only player in LPGA history to achieve the three-peat twice.
Pulling off a third will require Sorenstam to draw on the experience from the first two.
“It’s quite tough,” Sorenstam said. “My approach this week is to try not to think about it. I don’t want to put additional pressure on myself. I’m normally pretty hard on myself. My goal is to win on Sunday.”
