EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

CNNSI.com GROUP
 Sports Illustrated
 Life of Reilly
 Television
 SI Women
 SI for Kids
 Press Room
 TBS/TNT Sports
 CNN Languages

COMMERCE
 SI Customer Service
 SI Media Kits
 Get into College
 Sports Memorabilia
 TeamStore

Battle for No. 1 heats up

Click here for more on this story

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- With the U.S. Women's Open set for this week at the Merit Club in Libertyville, Ill., the gauntlet has been dropped. The battle between Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb to be the No. 1 player on the LPGA is about to reach fever pitch.

With her victory at the JAL Big Apple Classic on Sunday, Sorenstam moved $21,893 ahead of Webb on this year's money list. Quite amazing considering Webb captured four of her first five events.

THE SHAG BAG The third round of the JAL Big Apple Classic was rained out, which was the first canceled round of the year on tour. ... With the day off, eventual winner Annika Sorenstam went to check out the new George Clooney movie The Perfect Storm. "I don't know why I went to that movie. All I needed to do is look outside the window," said Sorenstam, who gave the flick only two out of four stars on her rating scale. ... Hall of Famer Beth Daniel tied for fourth, her best finish of the year, but not before she had to hit a lefthanded shot from behind a tree on the 18th hole. "I was thinking, 'Just don't whiff it here on national TV,'" Daniel said. ... Allison Finney is sure her caddie, Heather Drew, knows something about the game. Drew played the tour for 16 seasons before retiring last year. ... Finney, who had a one-shot lead after two rounds, needed to win to get into the U.S. Open. She finished third, leaving the final spot in the 150-player field to Stephanie Brecht. ... Rosie Jones' second-place finish continued her strong performances in the Empire State. She's won in New York State three times, with total earnings of $863,783. ... Kim Williams was the last player to get into the field in New Rochelle, but that didn't stop her from grabbing a share of the first-round lead. ... There was much talk that the Big Apple Classic would be a good replacement if the LPGA should lose the du Maurier as a major championship. If I had a vote, it would be a no. There are traffic problems, no parking spots and $169 a night hotel rooms. Need I say more?

Sorenstam admits that Webb's success has pushed her to get better. She has stepped up her practice routine and that has shown in her game. In her last six events, she has won four times, including a playoff victory at the Evian Masters over Webb.

But don't count Webb out just yet, even though she has been in a bit of a drought (she hasn't won in three months, which is an eternity for her). With a $500,000 first-place check up for grabs this week, things could get interesting.

This epic confrontation couldn't have been waged at a more opportune time for women's golf. Yes, Tiger Woods and his pals on the PGA Tour are expected to grab most of the headlines this week playing across the pond at the British Open. But the LPGA might have a chance to steal some of the thunder. Both Sorenstam and Webb think their rivalry is great for the LPGA.

"There needs to be interesting stories, and personally all I want is to win and lead the money list and Player of the Year points," said Sorenstam who beat Rosie Jones in New Rochelle by a shot. "That is what I strive for, and when that is the same goal for everyone that makes it more exciting and fun."

Webb says the performance of a Sorenstam or a Juli Inkster is what makes her play harder, so she welcomes the challenge. "I think that Juli Inkster last year really inspired me to have a good year, and as far as Annika and I being rivals, I don't really mind that," Webb said. "I just look at it as more inspiration to finish the year and finish as best I can."

But is rivalry the right word to use here? When you think of rivalries, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA of old, the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers in the NFL, and the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in baseball come to mind. In those rivalries, there is no love lost. Each team's fans live to hate the other's.

But with Sorenstam and Webb there isn't any hatred. The only thing they hate to do is lose. Their biggest rival is actually the money list and the Player of the Year title. They cherish both and will do anything to add them to their résumés at the end of the year.

All of this being said, nothing would be finer than to see a Sorenstam-Webb 18-hole playoff next Monday. Then maybe women's golf would get the attention that it deserves.

Tom Hanson, a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus section, is a longtime caddie on the LPGA Tour. Click here to send him a question or comment.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.

 

Related information
Stories
Sorenstam bites Big Apple for second straight win Last week's Inside the LPGA: Getting the pink slip
Multimedia
Visit Multimedia Central for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.

Copyright © 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.