Annika Sörenstam Background   Joined LPGA: October, 1993 Birthday: October 9, 1970 College: University of Arizona Height: 5'6" Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden Residence: Stockholm, Sweden Exempt Status: Exempt

Sörenstam, who started playing golf at the age of 12, enjoyed a very successful amateur career. She was a member of the Swedish National Team from 1987-92, was the World Amateur champion in 1992, runner-up at the 1992 U.S. Women's Amateur and was the second-low amateur at the U.S. Women's Open the same year. In addition to winning seven collegiate titles during her career at the University of Arizona, she was the 1991 College Player of the Year, NCAA champion in 1991 and runner-up the following year, 1992 PAC-10 champion and a 1991 and 1992 NCAA All-American.

Prior to joining the LPGA Tour she competed on the WPG European Tour, where she was the 1993 Rookie of the Year. In 1995, Sörenstam won Sweden's most prestigious award in sports -- the Athlete of the Year. In 1994 Sörenstam was Rolex Rookie of the Year and became the second foreign player to win the honor. She is the only player besides Nancy Lopez to have won Rolex Rookie of the Year followed the next year (1995) by Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy.

In 1996 Sörenstam successfully defended her 1995 title at the U.S. Women's Open, where she recorded four rounds of par or better, 70-67-69-66, and surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings. In 1996 she won of her second consecutive Vare Trophy for lowest season scoring average with 70.47. She won the 1997 Rolex Player of the Year Award for the second time in three years. For the third consecutive year, she finished the season in the top-three on the season money list. In 1998 she again won player of the year (for the third time in four seasons), and she won the Vare Trophy for scoring average by becoming the first woman to break 70.

Sörenstam's accomplishments have continued in the new millennium. 2001 turned out to be one of her finest seasons, with eight victories en route to her fourth player of the year award. Perhaps her defining moment came in the second round of the Standard Register PING, when she shot a 59.

Sörenstam was a member of the 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000 Solheim Cup teams.