IN MY VIEW

wonderful start. Annika Sorenstam, as expected, won the ANZ Ladies Masters. Closing with back to back rounds of 65 for a four round total of nineteen under par to win from England’s very impressive Karen Stupples, who finished at fifteen under par. The bad news for Annika’s rivals is that Annika admitted to being “rusty” – she literally cruised to victory! It is one thing to believe inwardly that you can win all four majors in one season, but quite another to state it publically. Annika has put herself under the severest pressure by voicing her goal, but after her appearance in The Colonial last year, she probably won’t feel the pressure until the final major of the year when she has won the three previous majors! Annika’s dominance of women’s golf deserves to be rewarded with more major victories, what better way to quickly increase her tally of six by winning all four in the same year!

It was great to see Karen do so well whilst playing alongside Annika. Karen’s swing has changed little since her amateur days, but what is enormously different is her concentration, her absolutely identical pre shot routine, and the conviction with which she plays. As an amateur Karen was in the shadow of several of her contemporaries, notably the Scottish duo of Janice Moodie and Mhairi McKay. Since turning professional five years ago, she has steadily and almost unoticed crept up the LPGA money list – Karen finished 35th last year.

By the way she conducted herself in the final round at Royal Pines on Sunday, there are even better things to come from Karen!

Britain’s best known and most popular lady is undoubtedly Laura Davies. There has been a lot of talk lately since Laura turned 40 that she is “over the hill” never to be in the winners circle again!

Laura silenced some of those critics by winning the AAMI Australian Open by six shots from her nearest rival – Rachael Teske.

A lot of attention in the early part of the week was centered on Mianne Bagger, a 37 year old former male golfer who had a sex change in 1995, and as a low handicap amateur and a member of the Danish Golf Association was eligible to play in the Australian Ladies Open.

After missing the cut following rounds of 84 and 74, the rumpus died down, but not before Andy Salmon, the chief executive of the LGU, publically said that he would be consulting lawyers regarding the possibility of Mianne entering this year’s Weetabix British Women’s Open at Sunningdale!

Having seemingly taken an age for the new golfing season to start, it is now only a few weeks until we will see if Annika can win the Kraft Nabisco Championship and notch up major number one in 2004. The Kraft Nabisco, like the men’s Masters, is the only one of the four women’s majors which is played on the same course each year, and just like every sporting event which is held annually at the same venue, it takes on its own personality.

The Kraft Nabisco Championship to me conjures up memories of an immaculate and challenging course with fast greens, thick rough, a great finishing par five where the Championship has often been won or lost, a backdrop of snow capped mountains and vivid blue skies, and the tradition that Amy Alcott started when she won the first of her three Championships, of the champion jumping into the lake surrounding the eigteenth green following her victory!

With just two LPGA tournaments before the Kraft Nabisco Championship, and a long break since the 2003 season finished in November, I think that the players who have competed in Australia will have an advantage. I also agree with the expression of “horses for courses”, so with that in mind, it is hard to look beyond Annika Sorenstam to win. Unfortunately, Patricia Meunier-LeBouc will not be defending her title, since she gave birth to her first child just over a month ago.

With The Curtis Cup match less than three months away, and the American team already named, The Weetabix Challenge match played at Formby on the 17th April and the subsequent naming of the GB&I Team will be the focus of attention for everyone associated with amateur golf. I’m sure that the selectors have already inked in most of the Team, but exceptional performances against the professionals, and indeed in the matches against the Lancashire and Cheshire men’s county sides prior to The Weetabix Challenge will help decide the last few spots. I neither envy the players trying to make the Team, nor the selectors who have to decide! Good luck to them all!
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