Sorenstam in Search of the Promised Land

Annika Sorenstam set off for her second round among the men of the US PGA tour last night with the immediate aim of making the cut. Long term, however, her status as a US sporting icon was assured, regardless of the outcome.

After a first-round one-over-par score of 71, the 32-year-old Swede woke up to discover that she had not been dreaming, that her performance in the first round of the Colonial tournament here in Texas really was being described as the most significant round of golf since Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters at Augusta.

It was hard to find a newspaper across the States that did not feature a photograph of Sorenstam on its front page. Indeed, according to one media research firm, the company that makes Sorenstam's golf clubs, Callaway - whose name is displayed on her hat, shirt and golf bag - garnered $300,000 worth of publicity from their client's round, every minute of which was broadcast live on US television.

Even Sorenstam's fellow competitors, many of whom spent the run-up to this week griping about the fact she was playing at all, seemed to be impressed.

"She probably drives it straighter, probably putts better, probably does everything better than I do," said Patrick Sheenan, who shot a first-round 65 to end the day in second place. "The only advantage I seem to have over her is that I hit the ball further."

Marc Calcavecchia was tied with Sheenan after day one. "I thought she played great. And I'm sure it could have been quite a bit better. From what I understand she made absolutely no putts," he said. He was right; given the quality of Sorenstam's golf over the first 18 holes, 71 was absolutely the worst she could have scored, as illustrated by comparison between her round and that of the first-round leader Rory Sabbatini.

Whereas Sabbatini missed nine fairways during the course of his round, she missed only one; whereas he made 10 of 18 greens in regulation, she made 14. However, once on the green, Sabbatini needed only 23 putts - 10 fewer than Sorenstam.

She had 18 chances at making a birdie and made only one, rolling in a 20-foot putt from the edge of the 13th green (her fourth hole of the day).

Even so, the best female player in the world still managed to beat some of the best male players in the world, among them seven past winners of this Colonial tournament, Sergio Garcia and the former Open Championship winner Tom Lehman included.

The less notable names she also beat included Arron Oberholser, who earned himself a few headlines earlier in the week by declaring Sorenstam needed "God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost" on her side if she wanted to win the tournament. Maybe so, but all she needed to beat Oberholser by five shots on day one was the swing that has given her over 50 career victories.

Her steady nerve would be required if she had any chance of making it to the weekend, having just finished the first round outside the cut line in 73rd place.

In the early second-round scoring, it seemed she would need an even par 70 for a 36-hole total of 141 to make the promised land.