[ad_1]
She’s won 89 times around the world, including 10 major championships, and shot the only 59 in LPGA TOUR history. She’s a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, too.
But Annika Sorenstam never expected to be chosen, along with Gary Player, to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor in the United States. Unfortunately, though, the COVID-19 pandemic has postponed the ceremony, originally scheduled for March, indefinitely.
Sorenstam learned of the honor after a round of golf with President Donald Trump at Trump National in Washington, D.C., last fall. She calls it a very “surreal” and “humbling” experience. She and Player join Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Charlie Sifford and Tiger Woods as the only golfers receiving the medal.
The golfer, philanthropist, businesswoman and mother of two reached another milestone last Friday when she celebrated her 50th birthday. Earlier this year, she took time out for this Q&A with PGATOUR.COM.
PGATOUR.COM: As you look back on your career, do you have a favorite memory?
SORENSTAM: I have a lot of fun memories. I’m lucky in the way I can say that. Just thinking of some of the things that are mentioned, playing with the men, shooting 59, being part of the Solheim Cup was amazing, winning my first major in Colorado Springs. There’s a lot of these things, a lot of things that I feel like I go back, and it makes me smile. … Just things like that, it’s like, ‘Wow, that was pretty cool. Wow, that was cool.’ And having low scoring averages, and then you think of where does golf take you — the Colonial or the ESPYs. I feel very lucky to be able to have experienced that, and the people that you meet along the way in pro-ams or other athletes that inspire you.
PGATOUR.COM: Do people still ask you about playing against the men at Colonial? And if so, what do they want to know about it?
SORENSTAM: A lot of it is still ‘Why? Why did you do that?’ And then also just ‘How do you handle just being in an uncomfortable situation? Being in a place where you’re like never been?’ And people have opinions on it. Most of it was positive, but it’s always one or two that always wonders, the naysayers and how do you handle with that, and sticking on your path. So again, this is my story, it’s my experience. No right or wrong, but I always tell people is ‘If I wouldn’t have done that, I’ve still to this day would not know what it would be like, and I think I would be mad at myself for not having the courage to try.’
PGATOUR.COM: Who are the people that most impacted you?
SORENSTAM: It always starts at home, I think. It always starts there, and my parents have been very supportive and loving and giving me the resources. I have a younger sister. We challenged each other in different sports. And then just along the way, people in the national team and other players that I looked up to, role models. And then just the people that surround you. I’m one of those that look, I learn a little bit from everybody because people say, ‘Well, who’s your favorite player?’ And I say ‘You know I really don’t have a favorite.’ But if I can dissect a lot of people … growing up it was Seve Ballesteros for short game, I would love to have that. And then you looked at, and the reason I had already earlier, because we didn’t have the women’s coverage or women’s golf that didn’t exist, really. So, I grew up, it was Greg Norman, he had the power. And then you had Bernhard Langer who had the perseverance, and he was the patient guy. He was the just-keep-on-going-never-give-up (guy). So, right there you had quite the players if you put those three together.
And then I remember reading about Nancy (Lopez), and she was very much like Mr. Palmer, like the character, and then you had the ultimate competitor with Mr. Nicklaus. And then when I came to college, I was exposed to Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Pat Bradley, Meg Mallon and Beth Daniel, all of them. And I was like, ‘Wow, these players are really good.’ And that’s when things were starting to be more real. …
So, the same thing when I stepped away, role models. I saw what Mr. Palmer did, especially in Orlando because we live in Orlando, what he did from a philanthropy perspective was amazing. And then you also look at him from a business side, … I just pick up here and there. But I think what was really interesting to me when I stepped away is there was really not a woman that turned her sport into a business. So, we did a little survey, and I mean, at the time it was Chris Evert, she had a tennis school, but there really wasn’t anybody like the names I mentioned, like Greg Norman with his business empire, or John Elway.
And I was like, that intrigued me. It’s like, ‘Why don’t women turn that into?’ You know what I mean? It was not that many. I mean, Serena (Williams) now has done (it), and Maria Sharapova now, but that’s only been the last few years ago. So, it was interesting. So, then I was a little bit determined, like, ‘Come on why couldn’t women make sports into being ambassadors? Or why can’t they start a business or do different things like the guys do?’ And you still don’t see many doing it.
[ad_2]
Source: PGA tour
