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Mike Hendren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Sorenstam Is Simply Phenomenal
« on: October 17, 2005, 10:06:00 AM »
Annika Sorenstam has won 21 of her last 47 starts on the LPGA tour.  More impressively, she has finished in the top three in 123 of 245 starts.  

Simply phenomenal.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2005, 10:14:19 AM by Bogey_Hendren »
Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....

Dan Herrmann

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Simply Phenomenal
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2005, 10:09:13 AM »
Bogey - you don't understand.  

Wie is the phenom - others like Sorenstam, Creamer, and, gawd forbid, the winning Koreans, are just bit players in the grand play known as Nike Presents Michelle.

(I used to work for Nike, so please excuse the sarcasm!)
 ;)
« Last Edit: October 17, 2005, 10:09:34 AM by Dan Herrmann »

Brent Hutto

Re:Sorenstam Is Simply Phenomenal
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2005, 10:37:35 AM »
Annika does get taken for granted. I think that was one reason behind her urge to compare her game to the men's Tour. Like Tiger at his peak, she doesn't really have anything pushing her week in and week out except to see how well she can play the game. She never has to show up to a tournament figuring out a way to come out on top. If she shows up with her "A game" or even her "B+ game" she's going to either run away with it or at worst be in contention coming down the stretch.

Watching her play on TV (I've only seen her in person once for a few holes) it's hard to see just why she's so dominant. You watch Tiger when he's on and he has so many shots, pulls off so many minor miracles in the short game and has such an ability to string together the putts when he needs them that you he can beat the other guys in several different ways. Annika, OTOH, hits the ball far but not off the charts far. She doesn't have much better short game than some of the others and she is a streaky putter at best. She doesn't even come across as having totally unshakable confidence like Tiger does.

My theory is that she wins by hitting way fewer bad shots. Period. She doesn't win with her putter, she doesn't always win with her power, she's mentally tough but that's not the secret. She just mishits the ball like half as often as the other players in the field. Over 72 holes she might only hit one or two real clunkers and a handful of moderately bad shots. Her opponents just can't string together four, five, six holes in a row with every single ball struckly purely and crisply and on line.

Mike Hendren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Sorenstam Is Simply Phenomenal
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2005, 10:45:57 AM »
She doesn't even come across as having totally unshakable confidence like Tiger does.

Brent, I disagree.  Still waters run deep.

Otherwise, you've capably described Annika Sorenstam - and Ben Hogan.

Mike

P.S. Is there any doubt she wanted to trounce Michelle Wie?
Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....

Brent Hutto

Re:Sorenstam Is Simply Phenomenal
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2005, 10:53:34 AM »
Mike,

From what little I saw of the much-delayed final round, I actually thought Annika seemed a little more fiercely determined than her usual style. No doubt in my mind it was due to Michelle's presence. Heck, if Wie has no other effect on the LPGA Tour than motivating Annika to another few years of greatness she'll have done the Tour a great service.

Lord knows until the recent onslaught of Creamer, Wie and the Koreans Annika must have felt at times like a varsity player suiting up with the JV every week.

PThomas

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Sorenstam Is Simply Phenomenal
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2005, 10:53:40 AM »
I have posted threads before on her play

that top 3 stat is INCREDIBLE, I wasn't aware of that one

I hope she can stay motivated
199 played, only Augusta National left to play!

Jeff Shelman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Sorenstam Is Simply Phenomenal
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2005, 11:55:05 AM »
While I don't want this to get way off topic, here's a little comparison

Teenager A:
25 LPGA starts
7 top 10s
0 career victories
Finished T-2 in her 18th LPGA event

Teenager B:
31 LPGA starts
9 top 10s
2 career victories
Finished T-2 in her fifth LPGA event

My question is why does Teenager A get waaaaaaaay more attention than Teenager B?

One other point: Teenager A hasn't won anything in more than two calendar years.

Who are they?
A: Wie
B: Paula Creamer

I don't get these comparisons between Tiger and Wie. Yes, she's a very, very good player and will certainly be a LPGA star if she wants, but Tiger dominated the competition as an amateur. Wie might not be the best female teenage golfer.

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Sorenstam Is Simply Phenomenal
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2005, 12:06:56 PM »
Jeff, good point.  But, who really seems to have the greater potential?  No doubt Creamer will be in the mix of the elite for the next few decades.  Somehow, Creamer seems to me to be much older and mature than Wie (even though there is only a couple of years diff).  I think Wie's upward trajectory is recognised as aimed much higher.  But, she still has to produce and get much better as are the expectations.

When it comes to winning the endorsements PR game, I feel a bit for Creamer, who seems to be getting overshadowed, unduly.
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