All Eyes on Annika at Women's Open

By GolfChannel.com Team

In 1960, Arnold Palmer drove the par-4 first hole at Cherry Hills Country Club en route to erasing a seven-stroke, final-round deficit and winning the U.S. Open.
 
Soon thereafter, the notion of a modern Grand Slam was born.
 

Palmer had captured each of the first two major championships of the season, and had designs on all four. His dream, however, died at St. Andrews, where he finished runner-up to Kel Nagle in the British Open.
 
Forty-five years later, Annika Sorenstam has arrived at Cherry Hills with hopes of doing what Palmer – and everyone else since – could not.
 
Since 1960, five players have won the first two majors of the season: Mickey Wright (1961), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Pat Bradley (1986), Tiger Woods (2002) and Sorenstam (2005).
 
And all have failed to secure that third victory – at least thus far.
 
Sorenstam has the opportunity at this week’s U.S. Women’s Open to again create history, as she attempts to become the first player – male or female – to win the first three legs of the modern, professional Grand Slam.
 
The 34-year-old Swede has not only won each of the first two majors this season, she’s captured nine total for her career. But this may prove to be her toughest test yet.
 
Sorenstam is only two weeks removed from winning the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, which means she has to reclaim her focus immediately. She also has to deal with the pressure of nearing in on the Grand Slam goal that she has stated each of the past two years.
 
“I know it’s going to be a lot of pressure,” Sorenstam said. “That’s the goal I set, and if I want to achieve my goal, that’s what I will have to accept.”
 
At 6,749 yards (par 71), Cherry Hills is the longest layout in the 60-year history of this championship.
 
It also joins Hazeltine and Winged Foot as the only courses that have hosted a U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Open.
 
Five for the Title:
 
Annika Sorenstam
The list of favorites really begins and ends with Annika. She won this year’s Kraft Nabisco Championship by eight strokes. She then won the McDonald’s LPGA Championship by three, despite playing the par-5s in 3 over and bogeying the final two holes. Sorenstam is a two-time winner of this event, having won back-to-back in 1995-96. But she has had more downs than ups over the last three years. In 2002, Sorenstam had a two-shot lead entering the final round, only to be passed on Sunday by a streaking Juli Inkster, who closed in 66. In 2003, she needed a birdie on the par-5 18th to win, but made bogey and missed out on a playoff by a shot. And last year, she started the final round tied for second with Meg Mallon, but couldn’t keep Mallon’s pace and finished second. So there is hope for everyone else – even if just a little.