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From The Sunny Shores Of Lake Tahoe

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View From Outside The Ropes

Growing up in Sweden, I always dreamed of one day hoisting the U.S. Women's Open trophy. I would imagine myself sinking a putt on the final hole to win the championship, and I practiced that winning putt many times by myself on the putting green at Bro Balsta Golf Club.

Never could I have imagined I'd cradle that trophy so soon. Not just once, but twice. In my first Open appearance in 1995 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, you could say that I shocked everyone – including myself – by making my first LPGA Tour victory a major. I remember thinking, 'Where do I go from here?  This is our biggest championship!  Then in 1996 at Pine Needles I repeated as champion. I was so in “the zone” that I hardly remember a thing there. I was just on automatic. Then a funny thing happened on the way to my third U.S. Open title: It took FOREVER. Ten years, to be exact.

I guess due to my early success, I thought I had the game and confidence to win my favorite championship many times, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to get my third.  As I became a better player, my expectations grew even more.  I had the chance to win several times, but it just didn't happen. I was very close two or three times – a shot here and a shot there – but I just didn’t get it done.  I guess when you want something too badly, it becomes that much more difficult to attain. 

What does it take to win a U.S. Open? Aside from the obvious ball striking and handling very quick greens, it takes a lot of patience, consistency, and the ability to take it one shot at a time. I started thinking about the trophy on Thursday, which was a mistake. I also thought I had to play perfectly, because the conditions were so tough and every shot had to be just right. I pushed a little harder, forced some shots and ran out of patience, instead of just letting it happen.

When I finally did win again in 2006 at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island, it was probably because I put less pressure on myself.  There was my neck injury, which I didn't know was so serious at the time but nearly forced me to withdraw. Luckily, the fog delays gave me time to recover, get therapy, and practice with my coach Henri Reis.  It was a very difficult week, and a really tough golf course, so I didn't push myself as hard.  Eventually things started to come together and the next thing I knew, I was in contention.  That is when my natural instincts took over and I was able to close the deal by being patient.  

I think preparation will be a big key this week.  Very few of the players in the field have probably ever played Saucon Valley, but that doesn't mean they should prepare any differently than they would for any other venue or tournament. Because it's the U.S. Open, it's easy to get carried away and do things 10 times over. At most LPGA tournaments, if you show up on Monday you won't see very many players out there grinding. But a Monday at the U.S. Women's Open? It's packed. You can hardly get a practice round time. Granted, for some qualifiers, they want to make the most of their big week. I understand that, but the regular LPGA players, I would prepare as if it were any other tournament.

There have been a few occasions where I did show up early -- sometimes a full week in advance-- to check out a course in preparation for a major. And every time I did so, I didn't play very well. I remember going over to Scotland a week earlier than normal in 2002 to get a look at Turnberry and get accustomed to the time difference and everything. The Monday before the Women's British Open, I shot something like seven under at Turnberry. Then I came out and missed the cut. Explain that!

On the other hand, there have been tournaments I played in the U.S. where I arrived late due to sponsor commitments and didn’t even get in a full practice round.  I showed up, my caddie Terry [McNamara] told me where to hit it, and I won.  Again, maybe my expectations were lower and I didn't try as hard, but I learned from those moments to not overdo it. 

Therefore, if I had any advice for the girls this week at Saucon Valley, it would be to lower their expectations some, stay patient, and take it one shot at a time. You've got to stick to your routines and stay in the present. It sounds like a cliché, but if you start looking ahead you're only asking for trouble.

One player to keep an eye on this week is a fellow Swede, Anna Nordqvist, winner of the McDonald's LPGA Championship last month. I first met Anna in 2004 when she won a scholarship that the Swedish Golf Federation and I created called the Annika Sorenstam Scholarship. As part of my Foundation, each year, the Federation and I pick the most promising girl and boy from Sweden, and bring them here to the States for one week to experience an LPGA event, practice with me, and also visit a few colleges. Anna came to the Phoenix tournament and, funnily enough, she wound up choosing Arizona State. (I went to their in-state rival, the University of Arizona.) Oh well.

What's most impressive about Anna is that she won her first major after only playing in a handful of LPGA events. I had the benefit of playing a lot more tournaments before I won the U.S. Open in '95. I wasn't a very long hitter when I first came out on Tour and neither is Anna, but she's very solid. She has good fundamentals, and she's a grinder. That's what I like about her. She's also not afraid to ask questions. She's got a good head on her shoulders and it shows in her game. It's that consistency that's going to take her a long way.

-Annika

This column also appears on The Golf Channel.com

Happy 4th of July....

Greetings from Lake Tahoe. This is the view off of our deck as I type. I must say that it never gets old!

I just want to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!  The three of us are doing well and enjoying the beautiful weather.  Tomorrow we will join some friends on the lake and then watch the fireworks. I would also like to thank all of our troops past and present who enable us to celebrate this holiday!!  

Have a good one!

As Annika's Due Date Draws Near, Here's Her Progress So Far!

Annika Question And Answer (Week Ending 6-28-09)

Is there something you'd like to know about Annika?  Got a burning question that you'd like answered?

Here's your chance to get the scoop straight from Annika herself!  Each Monday, we'll place a new version of this post on the blog.  During that week, you're welcome to leave questions for Annika in the comments section.  At the end of each week, we'll collect those questions and Annika will offer answers to selected ones.  Those questions and answers will appear in a section on the left sidebar entitled "Annika Q&A".

City Slickers....

It’s not often that Mike and I spend a weekend in Manhattan, NY. It’s also not that often that we have a quiet Saturday together. Now we have both!

We arrived yesterday afternoon from Orlando and checked into the hotel. We are staying at the historic Jumeirah Essex House, courtesy of our friends in Dubai.

We unpacked and freshened up before we met a friend for dinner. It was casual and relaxed, but we still managed to cover some business.  After that we took a walk around central park and absorbed the NY atmosphere. As you know, it’s vibrant city and when the weather is clear, everybody is out with the action going all night. Unfortunately, that is way too late for us now days.

This morning we caught up with another friend of mine for breakfast.  Again, it was nice to relax and get someone else’s perspective on our business endeavors.  Life after competitive golf is certainly different, but equally enjoyable! The agenda for the rest of the day is very casual. 

Right now we are enjoying the Open, and if the weather cooperates, we may stroll around 5thAvenue for some window shopping, or find a quaint little café and just enjoy the day off. Tomorrow it is back to work as I head out to Bethpage Black for an appearance with Lexus.  I look forward to it as I am not much of a city slicker and not used to time off……not to mention I love the competitive tournament atmosphere.

Golf's Potential "Dream Team"

This is a picture of golf's potential "Dream Team" just before they left the hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland to make their final presentation to the International Olympic Committee Executive Board for golf's inclusion in the 2016 Olympics.  Pictured from the left, "Chako Higuchi, LPGA of Japan President and World Golf Hall of Famer, Annika Sorenstam, a Global Ambassador in support of the International Golf Federation's effort, Peter Dawson, International Golf Federation Co-Secretary, Ty Votaw, PGA TOUR Executive and International Golf Federation Executive Director, Colin Montgomerie, 2010 European Ryder Cup Captain, and Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR.

Good luck team!!