Sorenstam and Esch celebrate Annika's 1996 U.S. Women's Open title. J.D. Cuban/Getty Images

The news that Annika Sorenstam has filed for divorce was no surprise to her friends. Tiger Woods, who played golf earlier this month with Sorenstam in Orlando, Fla.,  was asked in Los Angeles on Tuesday about her marital situation and described it as, "not good." Sorenstam and David Esch married in 1997. Rumors about their marital status have enveloped the LPGA for the past six months when Esch stopped traveling with his wife on tour.
 -- Orlando Sentinel

If the change goes ahead and the British Open does drop its male-only rule, then women could be teeing off as soon as next year when the championship is held at Hoylake. But even if the change goes through, top players such as Sorenstam, Michelle Wie and Laura Davies would still be a long way from competing alongside the likes of Woods, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. Without a world ranking, women would have to go through the various stages of qualifying, or gain an exemption through winning an event such as the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.
  -- The Scotsman

Phil Mickelson is sitting out this week's Nissan Open after winning on back-to-back weeks. He'll return for next week's Match Play Championship, the only match-play event on the Tour. "It is important for me to have a good West Coast swing," Mickelson said. "Last year when I arrived at the Masters, I knew I had been playing well. It wasn't a question of if I will have it or not. I view my run to Augusta as starting right now."
 -- New York Times

No. 1 golfer Vijay Singh is being lined up as the top target for this year's Wales Open. Celtic Manor bosses have already begun designing the Ryder Cup 2010 course and now they're trying to land one of the world's top-10 golfers to raise the profile of the Newport course even further. Fijian Singh fits the bill -- but because of the schedules, he'd have to miss Jack Nicklaus' prestigious Memorial event, which offers twice as much prize money.
 -- Wales On Sunday

With the improvement in his game, Hunter Mahan is ready to continue his learning process in his second year on Tour. "I think this year I am going take a step back and look at things and learn from my rookie year," Mahan said. "I think every year out here is a learning experience. No matter if it is your second year on tour or your 15th. This is definitely a big year, though."
 -- San Jose Mercury News

Canadian-born Mike Weir was deflated by Wednesday's news that the NHL season had been canceled. "It's disappointing as a fan," said Weir, who threw down a ceremonial puck during a Toronto-Philadelphia playoff game in 2003. "I love the game, love to watch it, especially this time, because it's getting close to March, April, when the playoffs start. And there will be nothing to watch on TV."
 -- Los Angeles Times

Peter Jacobsen, who planned to play in this week's Champions Tour ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla., instead will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee Tuesday. Jacobsen had been bothered by pain in his right knee for some time and was forced to withdraw at Pebble Beach. Jacobsen hopes to return for the PGA Tour's Players Championship in late March.
 -- SportsTicker

Paul Slater established a new world record for the longest drive with an effort of 720 yards down the runway at London City Airport. The 34-year-old defied torrential rain and strong winds at the event, hosted by the London Golf Show. He beat a recent 696-yard drive from Australian tour pro Stuart Appleby. "I knew it was right as soon as I hit it," Slater said. "You know when you've hit a good shot, you get the surge going right up through your body." Slater revealed that the club he used had a remarkable 2½ degree loft and 50" shaft, far different from the conventional professional tour drivers of 10-12 degrees.
  -- BBC Sports