Sorenstam's 59

Sunday, March 16, 2014, marked the 13-year anniversary of Annika Sorenstam's 59, the lowest round in LPGA tour history. During the second round of the Standard Register Ping tournament at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix, AZ, the Swede was inducted in a club with very few members -- the 59 club.

It was evident that the round was going to be special, right from the start. Beginning on the back nine, Sorenstam started out with eight consecutive birdies. Yes -- eight birdies and eight under par after eight holes. She was 12 under par after 13 holes.


Sorenstam's scorecard during the second round at the Standard Register
Ping Tournament.Starting on the 10th hole, she began
the round with eight straight birdies.

Keeping her game consistent throughout the round, Sorenstam knew she was on track to break 60. "I made such an incredible start," she told ESPN following the round. "I had a lot of thoughts in my head. I was trying to stay calm and hit the good shots, trying to hit it straight every time." On the 17th hole, a 476-yard par 5, Sorenstam drove the ball down the middle and hit a long iron to reach the green on the fly. The 20-foot eagle putt ran through a swale, stopping 8 inches away from the hole for a tap-in birdie. The spectators broke out in applause, and you could feel the tension in the air from the large crowd who now had started following the group.

On the 18th hole, Sorenstam again drove the ball down the middle, hit the green in regulation, and two-putted to finish this memorable round. She leaped into the arms of her caddie, Terry McNamara.

With a total of 25 putts on the 6,459-yard course, Sorenstam missed only one fairway and hit every green in regulation. She recorded a total of 13 birdies, no bogeys, and the rest pars. Her longest par putt was 3,5 feet. "You can use all the words you want -- impressive, simple," said Meg Mallon who played with her. "She put on a putting display, especially on the front side. She hit the right shots. It was the kind of round everyone dreams of playing."



Annika following her 59.

Sorenstam broke a number of records. Her score beat the previous low round of 61, held by Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak. At 13 under par, she also beat the score in relation to par by two shots, formerly held by Webb and Vicki Fergon. Her front-nine of 28 matched the existing record for nine holes, previously recorded by Mary Beth Zimmerman in 1984.

Making the moment even more special, Sorenstam played this round with her sister, the three-year-younger defending champion of the tournament, Charlotta.

Sorenstam remains, after being retired since 2008, the woman with the most wins in LPGA history with a total of 72. She has overall 89 professional wins, 10 of which are major championship titles. She was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003, and was also the first woman to break the $20 million earning barrier with her $22 million.

Sorenstam is perhaps better known competing in a PGA tour event. In 2003, she was invited to play in the Bank of America Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. This made her the first woman since Babe Zaharias, who qualified for the 1945 Los Angeles Open, to play in a PGA event, and it wasn't without criticism. Many players voiced their displeasure, but as usual, Sorenstam teed it up on the first hole and split the fairway in two. Playing from the men's tees, Sorenstam shot a first round 71 (+1) but missed the cut after scoring +5 over the qualifying rounds, mainly due to poor putting during the second round. She has since talked about how nervous she was during the event, but she was overall pleased with her performance. The same year, Sorenstam won both the LPGA Championship and the Women's British Open, becoming only the sixth player in LPGA tour history to complete the Career Grand Slam.