The PGA? Yawn. Give me the drama of LPGA any day

	Annika Sorenstam's rivalries with her fellow pros make the LPGA can't-miss drama. Bob Martin/SI
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Whenever the PGA Tour rolls into Bay Hill, I think not of Arnie but Annika.

A few years ago one of Sorenstam's sponsors had a little outing in which media hacks and assorted other vultures could tee it up for a few holes with her highness, so it came to pass that Annika and I played three holes together at Bay Hill. After making smooth pars on the seventh and eighth holes, I strutted to the ninth tee -- a long, dogleg left, par-4 -- and pounded a career drive over the bunker guarding the corner, though my sky-high trajectory was ill-suited for the stiff wind blowing into us.

Annika stepped up and roped a low, hard hook that scooted around the bunker and took off down the fairway like a startled rabbit. Golf shot. While she mingled with various hangers-on, I fairly sprinted down the fairway, eager to see if I had outdriven her. In the middle of the fairway there were two balls about 10 yards apart. I confidently strode to the longer of the two drives, only to discover it was Annika's ball.

I turned around to find her wearing a crooked grin. "It must have hit a sprinkler and taken a good bounce," she said, mocking my machismo.

Whenever Annika is disparaged for a lack of personality -- which is often -- I think back to that little jab. She's just a shy girl from the country who has never felt at ease in the glare of the media spotlight. But put her in a small group and she's good company, thoughtful with a lively sense of humor.

Anyway, Bay Hill is here again with another strong field, but as usual my thoughts are elsewhere. This week marks the first LPGA tournament in the continental 48, which has inspired a short list of why I prefer the LPGA Tour to the PGA.

• Insta-major. To get to the Masters you have to wait for the PGA to slog through nine events on the West Coast, then a month in Florida. The LPGA plays four tournaments and then -- bang! -- here's the Dinah Shore.

• There is no inane debate on the LPGA about a "fifth major."

• For most LPGA telecasts you don't have to listen to the prattle of Bobby Clampett. Or Gary Koch. Or Lanny Wadkins. And you do get to listen to Dottie Pepper.

• Fewer drunken yahoos in the crowd.

• Fewer crowds. Cruise around an LPGA event and you can actually see golf, not just the bald spot of the guy in front of you.

• Finesse. The PGA Tour has become like men's tennis -- it's all serve, no volley. It used to be cool when someone launched a 350-yard drive. Now everyone's doing it, reducing most courses to the same boring driver-wedge game. The women still have to use every club in the bag.

• Erica Blasberg.

• Rivalries. The LPGA's top players are on the leaderboard more often than not, setting up the potential for juicy confrontations. You just know Sorenstam and Paula Creamer are going to have numerous chances to renew their catfight. Ditto Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie. With the boys you're lucky to get one good head-to-head a year, like Tiger-Phil at Doral in '05, or Phil-Ernie at the '04 Masters.

• Take the 10 best talkers on the PGA Tour and add their personalities together and it's still not equal to one Christina Kim.

• Did any of the stiffs on the PGA Tour get invited to the Oscars? I didn't think so. (The LPGA had six on hand: Creamer, Kim, Natalie Gulbis, Jimin Kang, Cristie Kerr and Stephanie Louden.)

• A Hall of Fame that's performance-based, not driven by politics and nebulous voting criteria.

• Did I mention Erica Blasberg?