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Annika-gate still a hot topic

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It has been more than a week since it happened and Juli Inkster has won the Samsung World Championship in a landslide in the interim, but the buzz on the tour and in my e-mail box has been all about Annika-gate at the Solheim Cup two weekends ago.

It was nice to see many readers had an opinion about the incident in Scotland in which Annika Sorenstam was forced to re-chip after making the first attempt.

To refresh your memory, on the 13th hole of the fourball matches on Sunday, Sorenstam sank a 25-foot chip for what looked like a halve on the hole. As she and Janice Moodie were jumping around and celebrating, Kelly Robbins said, "Wait a minute." Robbins noticed that she was actually away, and under the rules of match play you must play in turn. After much deliberation, Sorenstam replayed the shot and missed. Pat Hurst (Robbins' partner) made birdie, and the Americans would go on to win the match 2 and 1.

THE SHAG BAG The LPGA Q school starts Monday at Daytona Beach, Fla., and the chances of earning a card have gotten tougher. There are only 14 exempt spots up for grabs and there are 63 players with LPGA experience in the field of 129. Some of the marquee names who are fighting to keep their full-time jobs include: 1997 Rookie of the Year Lisa Hackney, Laura Baugh, Marisa Baena and Caroline McMillan. Former Duke standout Beth Bauer highlights a group of talented, young players trying to earn their way on to the tour for the first time. Other Q school rookies are Pepperdine's Tamie Durdin, European Solheim Cup member Patricia Lebouc, U.S. Amateur champion Marcy Newton and NCAA champion Jenna Daniels. ... It took almost 10 days, but Michelle Bell was relieved to find out she had claimed the last conditional card off of this year's money list. Because of medical exemptions and other exempt players falling between 91 and 125 on the money list, the cutoff was pushed back to No. 141, Bell's spot. ... Dottie Pepper was a late scratch last week at the Samsung World Championship and was replaced by local standout and Rookie of the Year Dorothy Delasin . ... Inkster won by four shots and one bee sting. She was stung during the second round, but it didn't faze her. Actually, Greg Johnston, Inkster's caddie, leads the bee-sting category, with two hits in two days. ... Known as one of the most deliberate players on the LPGA, Maggie Will used an interesting campaign strategy to get elected to the LPGA executive committee. "If you vote for me I promise to play faster next year," Will said in her speech at the meeting. Will and Rosie Jones were the new players added to the board.

The next day, the British press, fans and players made this into a modern-day Boston Massacre. The Europeans won the Cup but they still cried foul. Some of the readers thought this was a travesty that would ruin the game, but an equal amount believed this entire escapade was blown out of proportion. When it came down to it, your point of view basically depended on what side of the pond you were born on.

The reason the Americans were branded "poor sports" is very simple. THEY WERE POOR SPORTS!
—James Harter, no address given

Well, Jim, I don't think the Americans were poor sports. They abided by the rules, and I don't think anyone was overheard going, "Ha ha, you have to do it over again. Na na na na na." If anyone was out of line it was Sorenstam for complaining to the press afterward. The game of golf is a game of honor, and one should honor the rules. I don't think Hall of Famers like Louise Suggs or Betsy Rawls would have complained about getting screwed over. Annika, who will be in the Hall of Fame in three years, should have just sucked it up. If she had done that the Americans would have come off like the bad guys. Instead, she turned one black eye into two.

One never breaks a rule on purpose, and the options are clearly stated for the opponent to decide. Someone who hits out of turn can put pressure on the opponent, and match play is a game of momentum and psychology. Of course Annika Sorenstam should have been made to replay the shot. Annika "doth protest too much," as she surely knows the rules.
—Bill Sutton, Jacksonville, Fla.

Ditto.

I know the Rules of Golf, and I know the U.S. was within its rights to ask for the holed chip shot to be replayed, but the real question has to be, Would it have done so had the shot gone 20 feet past? Nobody doubts the answer to that question, which is why the world is so disgusted by the behavior of the U.S. team (some members, anyway).
—Wendy, Scotland

Actually, I was talking to Paul Azinger, who has played on three Ryder Cup teams, about this incident and he said this is a common tactic in match play. The problem that Sorenstam ran into was that she doesn't play much match play. In this format, it is essential to know whether you are away or not. This is one of many trivial rules in this format that the general public just doesn't know or understand, which also fueled the flames of this Solheim fire.

Annika knows the Rules of Golf; she attended USGA school not too long ago to much acclaim. When apprised of her infraction, she should have done the honorable thing. Annika and her teammates have some apologizing to do.
—Tbirdzee, no address given

One thing I know for sure, you will never see Sorenstam getting down on her knees asking for forgiveness. The thing that I do admire about her is that she has her opinions and sticks to them. This time her opinion just happened to be wrong.

Having watched the entire Solheim Cup and been dazzled by the golf, I found it disturbing that it seemingly went down the same path as the Ryder Cup of last year.
—Kevin Smith, no address given

This by no means compares to the trampling of the green at Brookline in 1999. The Ryder Cup incident was a breach of etiquette. There was no reason the other players, caddies and especially the wives should have been on the green, let alone running through the line of a putt to tie the hole. Annika-gate concerned the matter of using a rule or not.

REGARDLESS OF THE position you take on Annika-gate, some good will come from this ugly mess. Instead of everyone talking about that guy Tiger and the men's tour, there is actually some interest in women's golf. For that reason, maybe we should have more controversy in LPGA tournaments. It would probably be more interesting than, say, watching Inkster win by four shots.

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.

 

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