ANNIKA Blog

Weekend....

It is Saturday morning and another weekend is upon us. Where does the time go? It was a pretty busy week with some photo shoots, lots of house appointments and meetings. I guess time flies when you are “having fun.”  My Mom has told be many times that time goes faster as you get older. I now know what she means!

 

The sun is shining and I have had some breakfast (juice, fruit, tea and some toast).  I think I am going to the pool to swim some laps. I have changed my work out routine since life on tour, especially being pregnant as I feel a little limited with regards to what I can and can’t do. However, swimming has no impact and I don’t feel the extra weight around my belly……now 12 lbs!

 

After that it will be time to get started on our many house duties. We have to move furniture out of the garage and put it into the guest house…..luckily Kai has offered to help. Then Mike and I have to put a bed together, which should be pretty funny!  Our new wine cellar was just finished so I am excited to start putting some bottles in it. We have two full refrigerators in the garage to empty.  I hope the bottles weren’t too cold!  We’ll find out eventually.

 

Happy Saturday my friends!

 

 

Michael Allen....

I want to wish Michael Allen some luck today in the Senior PGA Championship.  I served as his agent for four years when I worked with International Golf Partners.  He is a great guy with a great family.  He strikes the ball as well as anybody on any Tour.  He went from being ready to give up the game while on the Nationwide Tour at the end of 2003 to keeping fully exempt status on the PGA Tour right up until now. Many of those years he secured his card through a high finish at the end of the year or at Q-School.  

A win today will give him fully exempt status on the Champions Tour.....which actually cracks me up. How can you be fully exempt on the PGA Tour but not get into Champions Tour events.  At any rate, I hope all of those experiences lead him to victory today.  He deserves it!

Our little girl is becoming active....

Good evening everyone.  This is Mike writing and Annika and I would like to thank all of you so much for your kind words about our little girl.  We are really excited about her and the fun that lies ahead. I think it's almost fitting with everything Annika has done for women's sports and the inspiration she has given millions of little girls!

As some of you may know, my disasters in the kitchen have been fairly well documented.  Last night I thought I would help "Mama" by making some Chicken Noodle soup with some chicken we had leftover.  Well, long story short, despite my efforts to follow the directions, the celery remained mysteriously crisp. Needless to say it wasn't the best.  Later that night when we went to bed, Annika said that she thought she felt a kick.  Sure enough, we held her stomach and it was the first noticeable movement our little one has shown us.  It was a VERY cool moment. 

Once we shut out the lights we had a big laugh that she was kicking Annika's stomach with a purpose....to keep me out of the kitchen!  Coincidence.....probably not. :)

Have a great night and Go Cavs....I mean Magic......hmmmm.

 

68% of you were....

 Correct!  Mike and I are happy to announce that we are going to have a little girl.  To use golf terms, we just "made the turn" from a timing standpoint and are very excited that everything looks good so far.  We'll keep you posted.

Boy Or A Girl?

Greetings everyone. In the next couple days, we are going to announce the gender of our little one on the blog. Do you think we are having a boy or a girl?

Happy Mother's Day....

Good morning from Beijing.  I would like to wish all the Mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day!  I look forward to joining all of you next year!  I am about to go and look at the land on a new course I am designing in China.  I then fly home later today, which makes me happy!

I would like to congratulate my fellow countryman, and neighbor, Henrik Stenson on winning the Players Championship.  That is easily the biggest win for any male golfer from Sweden.  He is a great guy and it had to be special to win on Mother's Day....he and his wife Emma have a cute little girl, Lisa.  Ironically, he and Ian Poulter live only a few doors down from my parents here at Lake Nona.

Well it's time to get moving.  Have a great day!

World Traveler

Good evening.  Just checking in from my Asia trip. I started in Seoul three days ago for a course design visit and then an ANNIKA Academy package with Henri and Kai. The course at Hanwha Golden Bay course is making great progress. We are on track and getting to the final stages of shaping and irrigation and the plan is to start seeding in the next three weeks. That should be just in time for the rainy season. The ANNIKA Academy  appearance was a unique experience of its own. Kai and Henri did a fabulous job and we were able to share our passion for golf and fitness in this part of the world.

Earlier this morning, my travels took me to Manila in the Philippines. This is my first visit and I am excited to be here. This country has been in the headlines lately – first they have the new Light Weight boxing champion in Manny Pacquiao and then just two days ago a  typhoon (equivalent to a hurricane the US) hit here.  Luckily, I missed it, but my thoughts go out to the people that suffered through the high winds and torrential rain. As my trip is short, the agenda is full of activities. After a police escort from the airport, I had lunch and played some golf with the President Arroyo, which was a treat. Then this evening we had a press conference and the announcement of my new course design opportunity at the Subic Bay area.

My travels through golf continue to amaze me with the people I meet and places I see!    I am staying at the famous Peninsula Hotel. You history buffs may recall, this is where the Manila Peninsula rebellion took place in Nov ‘07. The government spearheaded military action to enforce the arrest of rebel soldiers that were meeting to discuss the ousting of President Gloria Arroyo. After several hours of negation the hotel was in the midst of an exchange of fire and the soldiers surrendered after roughly 1,500 troops and an armored military personnel carrier had barged into the lobby.

What can I say? Life is never dull.

Update....

Greetings from LA.  This is Mike and I am in the airport waiting for my flight back to Orlando. Annika is now on her way to Korea to join Henri and Kai for an "ANNIKA Academy on the road" clinic. She then goes to the Philippines and China for Course Design visits.....busy Mama!

Our wine launch went well and we spent the past day and a half here in LA for the FOG (Friends of Golf) outing at Bel-Air Country Club.  We stayed at the Hotel Bel-Air, which was FANTASTIC!  It was the 30th year of the event that benefits junior, high school, and college golf.  Each year they have an honoree, and those have included the likes of Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, etc.  This year they honored Annika, and her Foundation.  Peter Ueberroth was also named their "Man of the Year."   

It was a special day that started with a clinic from Annika, Dave Stockton, Ken Venturi, and Duffy Waldorf, which was fun to watch.  She then went around and greeted the participants.  There was also an auction and a nice dinner.  As always, she spoke beautifully!

Have a great day!

Annika Releases Her Namesake "Syrah, Annika"

Annika Sorenstam, one of the most celebrated female golfers in history, launches her wine brand in partnership with Wente Vineyards on May 1st with the release of her namesake Syrah, ANNIKA. This elegant wine is comprised of 75 percent Livermore Valley Syrah and 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, and fittingly, 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon from the Livermore Valley Golf Vineyard.

Throughout her storied 15-year playing career, Annika was fortunate to experience many of the best wines the world has to offer. At Wente Vineyards, they share the same passion for fine wine, fine dining, and golf as a way of life. The same scenic acres that produce their varietals are also home to Northern California’s premier destination golf course. It’s only natural that Annika would choose to meld her passions for fine wine and golf together in the rolling hills of the Livermore Valley at Wente Vineyards.

Working closely with fifth generation Winemaker Karl Wente, the two hand selected the 2006 Syrah from the Silva block on the Livermore Valley estate to be the backbone of the wine. The Syrah emits aromas of wild blackberry, plum, and strawberry that continue with chocolate and coffee flavors from the barrel. The Cabernet Sauvignon boosts the structure of the wine in the mid-pallet and augments the cassis and clove aromas. The amenable, big tannins carry the diverse flavors through the mouth for a long, rewarding finish.

“I was drawn to Wente Vineyards because we share the same passions, fine wine, fine dining, and championship golf,” Sorenstam said. “I really enjoyed the blending process with Karl, as we are both perfectionists. I am very excited about our end product.”

“It was our goal to blend a wine that Annika is passionate about, and that had the strength of a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the refined elegance and fruit of the Syrah,” says Winemaker Karl Wente. “Our Syrah has an intensity of flavor and aroma without being too big.”