2003 Highlights
* Officially qualified for the LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame on Oct. Sorenstam is the first international player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame through the LPGA criteria.
* Earned her sixth Rolex Player of the Year award; only Kathy Whitworth, with seven, owns more.
* Won the McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by AIG in a sudden-death playoff over Grace Park; then captured the Weetabix Women's British Open to become only the sixth player in LPGA history to complete the Career Grand Slam.
* Her win at the Mizuno Classic was her third-straight victory at the event, making her the first LPGA player to win two separate events three consecutive times.
* Became the first woman since 1945 to compete on the PGA Tour when she teed it up at the Bank of America Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, May 22-23; shot 71-75 to miss the cut, but garnered unprecedented worldwide interest and media attention.
* At the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi, her fifth win of the season, became the sixth player in LPGA history to record back-to-back eagles (round three, holes 6 and 7).
* Finished second to Karrie Webb in the ConAgra LPGA Skins Game, capturing three skins worth $70,000.
In 2002, won 11 LPGA tournaments, joining Mickey Wright as the only players to win 11 tournaments in one season (Wright won 11 times in 1964; she also won an LPGA-record 13 tournaments in 1963); earned her fifth Rolex Player of the Year title and fifth Vare Trophy with a record scoring average of 68.70; set or tied a total of 20 LPGA records; won her fourth major championship title by successfully defending the Kraft Nabisco Championship; her 11-stroke victory at the Kellogg-Keebler Classic tied the LPGA record for largest margin of victory in a 54-hole event; became the first player to cross the $9 million, $10 million and $11 million marks in career earnings; posted 11 consecutive rounds in the 60s, an LPGA record; recorded the third hole-in-one of her career during the first round of the Samsung World Championship; competed on her fifth consecutive European Solheim Cup Team and posted a 3-1-1 record; won the ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia and Compaq Open in Sweden on the Evian Ladies European Tour, giving her 13 wins in 25 starts worldwide.
In 2001, recorded eight wins, six second-place finishes, and a total of 20 top-10 finishes en route to her fourth career Rolex Player of the Year Award, Vare Trophy and money title; set or tied a total of 30 LPGA records, including a 59 (-13) during the second round of the Standard Register PING; became the first LPGA player to cross the $2 million mark in single-season earnings; tied the LPGA record for wins in consecutive weeks with four-straight victories at the Welch's/Circle K Championship, Standard Register PING, Nabisco Championship and The Office Depot Hosted by Amy Alcott; came from 10 strokes behind on the final day to win The Office Depot Hosted by Amy Alcott, tying the LPGA record for largest come-from-behind victory (Mickey Wright came from 10 strokes back on the final day to win the 1964 Tall City Open); became the first LPGA player to cross the $7 million and $8 million mark in career earnings; won the State Farm LPGA Series Bonus Pool; teamed with Tiger Woods to defeat Karrie Webb and David Duval in the Lincoln Financial Group Battle at Bighorn, marking the LPGA's first-ever appearance on ?prime-time? television.
In 2000, won her first title of the season in a sudden-death playoff with Pat Hurst at the Welch's/Circle K Championship, which gave Sorenstam the requisite 27 points to qualify for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, however, she had to wait until 2003 to fulfill the 10-year Tour membership requirement; won the Firstar LPGA Classic in conjunction with the Children's Medical Center; defeated Webb, who beat her in a sudden-death playoff at the LPGA Takefuji Classic earlier in the season, in a sudden-death playoff at the Evian Masters; won back-to-back titles at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic and Japan Airlines Big Apple Classic; defeated Rachel Hetherington (Teske), who dealt the Swede her first career playoff loss in 1998, in a two-hole, sudden-death playoff at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic; recorded her second career hole-in-one during the third round of the Welch's/Circle K Championship; crossed the $5 million mark in career earnings after the Standard Register PING and the $6 million mark following the Safeway LPGA Golf Championship; earned two points for the victorious European Solheim Cup Team.
Won more LPGA tournaments than any other Tour player in the 1990s (18).
In 1999, won the Michelob Light Classic in a three-hole, sudden-death playoff with Tina Barrett; won her third consecutive victory at the Michelob Light Classic, making her one of six players in LPGA history to win the same event three consecutive times; won the New Albany Golf Classic with all four rounds in the 60s; was a runner-up four times, including a one-hole playoff loss to fellow Swede Catrin Nilsmark at the Valley of the Stars Championship; fired a 61 (-11) during the first round of the Sara Lee Classic, which is the lowest first round in LPGA history; recorded her first career hole-in-one during the third round of the Standard Register PING; crossed the $4 million mark in career earnings.
In 1998, defeated Donna Andrews on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff at the Michelob Light Classic; won the ShopRite LPGA Classic and JAL Big Apple Classic with all rounds in the 60s; recorded her 16th career victory at the SAFECO Classic; suffered her first sudden-death playoff loss at the First Union Betsy King Classic to Hetherington (Teske); crossed the $3 million mark in career earnings; became the first player in LPGA history to finish a season with a sub-70 scoring average (69.99); won her third Rolex Player of the Year and third Vare Trophy; was a member of the European Solheim Cup Team.
In 1997, captured six titles ? the Chrysler-Plymouth Tournament of Champions, Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open, Longs Drugs Challenge (in a two-hole playoff with Pamela Kometani), Michelob Light Classic, CoreStates Betsy King Classic (where she successfully defended her title) and ITT LPGA Tour Championship (in a three-hole playoff with Lorie Kane and Pat Hurst); won the JCPenney/LPGA Skins Game with eight skins worth $220,000; crossed the $2 million mark in career earnings after her victory at the Longs Drugs Challenge; won her second Rolex Player of the Year title.
In 1996, won three tournaments ? successfully defended her title at both the U.S. Women's Open and Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf and won the CoreStates Betsy King Classic; crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings; won her second consecutive Vare Trophy for lowest season scoring average; was a member of the European Solheim Cup Team.
In 1995, became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the U.S. Women's Open, making her one of 14 LPGA players to have the Open as her first LPGA career victory; won the GHP Heartland Classic by 10 strokes; won the Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf with a 45-foot chip-in on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff with Laura Davies; became the second international player to win Rolex Player of the Year; is the only player besides Nancy Lopez to have won Rolex Rookie of the Year and then the Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy the following year; became the first international player to win the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average; also led the Women Professional Golfers' European Tour (WPGET) Order of Merit on the strength of two wins.
In 1994, was the Rolex Rookie of the Year on the strength of three top-10 finishes, including a season-best tie for second at the Weetabix Women's British Open; qualified for her first European Solheim Cup Team.
In 1993, competed in three LPGA events before joining the Tour, earning more than $47,000; tied for 38th at the PING Welch's Championship in Tucson, Ariz., placed fourth at the Standard Register PING and tied for ninth at the Las Vegas LPGA at Canyon Gate; was the Rookie of the Year on the WPGET; qualified for the Tour by tying for 28th at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn non-exempt status for the 1994 season. |
