LPGA: It just doesn’t pay to be the “Tiger” of the LPGA

At a time in history when the breadth of top flight talent runs very deep in their sport, two golfers have taken the game by the tail and shaken it for every win and penny the PGA and LPGA seem to be worth. The problem is, the better they get, the greater the disparity grows in the rewards each can reap. It's becoming painfully apparent that it just doesn't pay to be a “Tiger” in today's LPGA.

While it becomes increasingly difficult for anyone to deny that Tiger Woods is perhaps the greatest golfer in the history of the game, few would deny him a dollar of what he is reaping from his game and glory. But there appears to be a wide gulf separating the “Tiger” masses from the meager crowds gathering to laud the dynamic Annika Sorenstam, his fantastic Swiss female counterpart.

While the PGA bows to Woods and his four consecutive major titles, and his 3 wins and 5 top-5 finishes in his first 8 tour events this season, Sorenstam has ripped the LPGA tour a new hole-in-one with the way she has dominated the first 7 ladies events in 2001. But her newfound fame this season had its price and has not come easily.

It wasn't but a year ago that Annika lingered in the shadows of the Australian wonder Karrie Webb as the 25-year-old won 3 of the last 5 majors, scooped up player-of-the-year honors, hit for the lowest scoring tour average for the second year in a row and topped the women's money list. Webb was good and Sorenstam became determined to get better. She wanted what Webb had and wasn't going to be ladylike about taking it away from her.

“I watched her win majors, win the money list and I realized that's what I wanted to do,” Annika said of Wells. “She [Wells] pushed me.” So Sorenstam increased her practice hours around the greens to improve her chipping and putting in the off-season. All the practice, all the pain, sweat and grit paid off big time from the very start of the 2001 tour.

The Swede with the sweet swing burst from the LPGA starting gate with two runner-up finishes in her first two starts in Hawaii. In her third run she took the Welch's/Circle K in Tucson by 6 strokes. Then, while Tiger was fashioning his first win of the year at Bay Hill, Annika was shooting the first round of 59 in women's competition history taking the Standard Register Ping in Phoenix.

As Tiger slew the field at The Players Championship Sorenstam won her first major title in 5 years at the Nabisco Championship at Rancho Mirage. Then while Tiger bathed in the glory of his Master's victory, Sorenstam charged to the brink of LPGA history winning her fourth straight at The Office Depot in Los Angeles. In order to do that Annika had to match the greatest comeback in LPGA history by coming back from 10-strokes down with a final-round 66 to pass Pat Hurst and quash Mi Hyun Kim in a one-hole playoff.

Stroke for stroke, win for win, step after step into history, Annika Sorenstam has walked in Tiger sized shoes in the LPGA week after week in this current pro tour. And even though she could not sustain her dominance for that record tying fifth consecutive win in last week's Longs Drugs Classic, there is plenty of history ahead for her to conquer because she is just now hitting her stride.

But does a lady golfer really break records if there is no one there to see it happen? Sounds philosophical, but while Tiger rests for a few weeks after the Masters, Annika Sorenstam veritably has the golf world to herself and it remains to be seen if anyone will notice the history unfolding before us.

When Nancy Lopez was playing the part of golf's favorite 21-year-old darling back in '78 the media throng was overwhelming at times. That made her record setting 5 consecutive wins big news because the news loved Nancy. It remains to be seen if Sorenstam will hold up under such scrutiny, because up till now there has been very little of it.

With very polite crowds ranging from 30 to 40 friends and family following her every step in the early rounds at Wilshire Country Club two weeks back, there was no media crush to see Annika become only the fifth woman to win four consecutive tournaments ever. She is no Nancy Lopez and the media throngs may never come. But that's not because she isn't playing championship golf.

If you ever watch Sorenstam play you will immediately notice something very “Tigeresque” about her. First of all, she is ripped and deceptively strong for her build. Annika worked her tushe off every day during the winter and it is paying off for her now.

You will notice the smoothness and flow of her swing and that she has very little left-to-right or any kind of motion to her ball. If she misses a shot it is usually just comes off a little short, but still straight down the middle of the fairway. Man, I would kill to be able to shoot like this gal!

With the hundreds of practice putts and chips she made in the off-season, some with her right hand alone, she has come to trust her swing, her putt, and she exhibits the patience of Job, sticking to her new setup routine and banging the ball home more often than not.

For all of this, for winning 4 of her first 7 starts and coming in runner-up in two others Annika Sorenstam bagged $759K and that is a fine living for sure. But be mindful that Tiger Woods won 3 of his first 8 starts this year, and with 5 top-five finishes banked over $3 mil for his efforts. Somehow the golf seems comparable, the domination just as complete, but the money for the women just isn't there. And the sad thing is it may never be.

Move over Babe Zaharias, there's a new queen of golf in town and her name is Annika Sorenstam. She drives like a guy, hits the greens like a woman scorned and flashes the steely nerves of Tiger Woods when the pressure's on. All this and she barely takes home more victory jack than a retired oval office reject on a VFW speaking tour. There's something wrong here and the thronging golf masses should give the women their due.