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From 1993 to 2008, professional golfer Annika Sörenstam amassed 89 victories worldwide, including 72 on the LPGA and 10 Major Championships. And though she doesn’t compete anymore, Sörenstam's roles in the boardroom and mentoring young women across the globe certainly keep her on her toes.
DICK’S Sporting Goods Golf-a-Thon is currently running through April 20th, and Annika Sörenstam spoke to me while visiting a DICK’S Sporting Good store in Orlando, Florida.
Here are a few highlights from the interview:
The first major of the year is just around the corner, what do you think is going to happen this year?
Annika Sörenstam: Well I love watching the Masters. Augusta National is such a holy place. It's spring, the flowers are blooming, it's just really cool. We've got the best golfers in the world out there playing, so it's always exciting. I love watching it.
I've been lucky to go to some of the Masters in-person and kind of feel the atmosphere, but it's one of those courses, where you really need to know the golf course. Local knowledge as far as bounces and breaks around the greens is really important .
You've had success designing golf courses yourself. Is that something that you're still working on at the moment?
Annika Sörenstam: I am. I have a few courses in the works. But I think it's something that I'm hoping I will do for the rest of my life. When you walk a course like Augusta National, you always look around for some ideas.
That golf course is just really fun to play I mean, it's challenging, but it's also a course for all kinds of golfers, I think beginners but even professionals in this tournament. So it takes a lot of skill around the greens, but a little more forgiving from the tee to the green.
You may not want to brag about yourself, but everybody thinks that you're one of the greatest golfers of all time. Is there an accomplishment that you're most proud of?
Annika Sörenstam: Well, that's a very nice compliment. Thank you very much. You know when you talk about yourself, it's obviously very hard. But you know I'm very proud of my career and what I've achieved.
When I joined the tour in '93, I didn't think I could win a single golf tournament. And then here I am, and I've won quite a few tournaments and been inducted into the Hall of Fame, which I'm certainly very proud of. So yeah, I have some amazing highlights, some amazing moments in my professional career that I'm very proud of.
