Annika Sorenstam Headlines the Dow LPGA Team Tournament

Annika will partner with fellow Swede Madelene Sagstrom

By Tom Lang

Annika Sorenstam, the most decorated woman golfer of all time, is making a rare trip to Michigan to play in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at Midland Country Club, July 10-16.

The event will have 72 teams going after $2.5 million in purse money with a scoring format of better ball and alternate shot.

“I’ve heard great things about this tournament from my friends on the LPGA Tour,” Sorenstam said. “Team events are always fun and I’m looking forward to the experience.”

Sorenstam should know. She is an 8-time Solheim Cup member for Europe and captained the 2017 tournament, choosing Sagstrom as a captain’s selection. Sorenstam has earned more than 90 worldwide professional wins, including 72 on the LPGA Tour. She won 10 majors and a record eight Players of the Year awards. She’s also the only women to shoot a 59 in competition.

“I've always been impressed with Madelene,” Sorenstam said in a recent media video call. “I didn't really know her early, but the more I spent time with her, the more impressed I get. She's just a lovely person to start with. She's fun.

“I think I like her attitude probably the most. She's very focused and disciplined, but when the golf is over it's like, let's move on, let's do this. She really appreciates life, and I think that's a great attitude to have. Golf is important but it's not everything to her.

“But on the golf course, I watched her when she won all those tournaments on it was called -- well, it's the Epson Tour now, but she was playing so well, so consistently, and I could just see the potential was there from the long game to the short game to her putting,” Sorenstam added. 

“I enjoy playing with her. She says she appreciates me helping her. I appreciate her letting me be part of it. She inspires me and she gets this old body moving and focusing and trying to work hard on my game wherever I am.  I think it's a mutual feeling there.”

Check it out yourself by attending at Midland:  www.DowGLBI.com