"That gets me fired up" - Annika Sorenstam on Lexi Thompson playing in men's PGA Tour in Las Vegas
Annika Sorenstam, who once played in the PGA Tour, recently spoke about Lexi Thompson’s participation in the men's tour for Shriners Children’s Open. Having always supported young golfers, Sorenstam never leaves an opportunity when it comes to women's empowerment.
This time again, Sorenstam felt overwhelmed by what Thompson recently achieved. Although the 28-year-old golfer didn’t make the cut at the TPC Summerlin, she became the seventh-ever woman who got the opportunity to tee off against men in a tournament.
Henceforth, during her recent appearance on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio, Annika Sorenstam applauded Lexi Thompson's accomplishments. The 72-time LPGA Tour champion felt Thompson was impacting a lot of women with her work.
"She’s (Thompson’s) bringing this experience not just to the LPGA; she’s bringing it to a lot of athletes, a lot of women," Sorenstam said.
The 53-year-old star also felt 'fired up' by the 11-time LPGA Tour winner’s participation.
"It’s the people you meet and the mindsets you’re impacting. That gets me fired up. It really does. It sets the biggest picture," Sorenstam said.
Annika Sorenstam also took part in the Bank of America Colonial, a PGA Tour event in 2003. However, she missed making the cut due to poor chips and overall performance.
Annika Sorenstam talks about her experience of participating in the Bank of America Colonial
While Thompson was playing in the Shriners Children’s Open, Annika Sorenstam was asked if she had some experience to share from the time when she participated in a men’s tournament.
Sorenstam replied:
"That experience was so much more than the golf, so it’s hard to just say, you know, that there was a particular moment or incident that I remember the most."
The Swedish professional golfer further added regarding her poor scoring in the event:
"I’ve forgotten about that because it wasn’t so much about the score. It was about the memory, the journey, the experiences and the people that I’ve met. It’s just being in that position, testing myself. … So I would say, to me, it was just the opportunity of getting a chance to test yourself against the very best, and it made me a better player."