Who Are The 50 Best Golfers in History?
7. Annika Sorenstam
Sorenstam has more victories than any other female golfer and more than all but six men with 93 worldwide. Most of those, 72, are on the LPGA Tour.
Her career started on the European Tour in 1993 and was Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year, but her first professional win was in the Holden Women’s Australian Open in 1994. That same year, she entered the LPGA Q- School became LPGA Rookie of the Year in 1994.
In 1995, Sorenstam made her first statement of what was to come when she won the U.S. Women’s Open beating Meg Mallon by a stroke. She went on to be the leading money winner that year and became the first non-American winner of the Vare Trophy for low scoring average. She successfully defended her U.S. Women’s Open in 1996 and again won the Vare Trophy.
She won six LPGA events in 1997 and four in 1998. Her next major would wait until 2001 in the Kraft, which was one of eight tournaments she captured that season. In 2002, she won 11 times, including another Kraft. There was no sign of let up. In 2003, another six and two more majors.
In 2004, another eight and the LPGA all between march and November. In 2005, 10 wins and two majors, the Kraft and the LPGA. Finally in 2006, her victory total shrunk to three and her final major, a U.S. Women’s Open. Her final victory was the 2008 Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill. In the end, the only thing that could stop Sorenstam was Sorenstam. She retired.
Sorenstam became the first woman since Babe Zaharias to play in a men’s event. However, Sorenstam did not make the 36-hole cut.
Next: No. 6 - Louise Suggs