EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France, 23 July 2003 — Sweden’s world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam makes her first European appearance of the season as defending champion in the Evian Masters today.
Sorenstam, who has been living in a whirlwind both before and after her joust with the men on the PGA Tour’s Colonial in May, pulled out of the Canadian Open two weeks ago, claiming illness and exhaustion.
“But I’ve had time to recharge the batteries and am feeling very excited about this week,” she said.
“I always love coming to Evian, especially since it has special memories for me.”
She became engaged to her American husband, David Esch, here in 1996.
“It’s one of the most beautiful places we play all year and I would love to win the title again.”
Sorenstam, who won by four shots from fellow-Swede Maria Hjorth and South Korea’s Mi Hyun Kim last year, has won four times this season, three on the LPGA Tour and one in America.
The list includes her fifth major, the LPGA Championship, and this week is also seen as a preparation for another tilt at the title she desires most of all, the British Open.
The British Open is played at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in England next week, and a first victory in the final major of the season would complete a career Grand Slam for the 32-year-old.
A $2.1 million purse, the second richest in the women’s game, has attracted all the leading players, including Sorenstam’s closest challenger, world No. 2 Se Ri Pak, from South Korea, and top American Juli Inkster.
Hilary Lunke, the surprise winner of the US Women’s Open in Portland, Oregon, earlier this month is another prominent US threat as she tries to consolidate her hopes of making a Solheim Cup debut in Sweden in September. The 24-year-old, who had never finished better than 15th before her US Open play-off victory, is currently lying tenth on the US Solheim rankings, and in the final spot for automatic selection.
Men-Only Policy Draws Ire Over Irish Open
In Dublin, the men-only membership policy of the golf club hosting the Irish Open came under more fire yesterday, threatening to become an embarrassment for sponsors.
State broadcaster RTE said it would go ahead with plans to broadcast the tournament but would not take advantage of marketing tie-ins, such as putting banners around the course at the Portmarnock Golf Club, north of Dublin.
The head of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, Mary Kelly, suggested consumers “vote with their feet” when considering purchasing a car from the main sponsor, Nissan.
