Golf: Swings and bunkers of marriage

Swede Annika Sorenstam had been considering starting a family. Picture / Reuters

American Tiger Woods married a Swede and cynics said it affected his game. Swede Annika Sorenstam is divorcing her American husband and she seems to be going from strength to strength.

Woods certainly lost his No 1 status as he prepared for his wedding to Elin Nordegren in October last year, but married life must suit him because he has already won twice on the US PGA tour this season.

Sorenstam, who is virtually unchallenged as No 1 in the women's game, met David Esch in 1994 at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix, where Esch worked for Ping. Seven years later, Sorenstam shot 59 at Moon Valley, becoming the first woman to hit golf's magic number on tour.

They got engaged at the end of 1995, after Sorenstam burst onto the LPGA scene by winning the US Women's Open. They married on January 4, 1997.

Sorenstam filed for divorce in Orange County, Florida, in February but it seems to have sharpened her resolve rather than upset her game. The Swede, who is 34, in recent years had hinted at an early retirement to start a family, but her rivals will have to wait.

She goes into this week's Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first of the year's four women's majors, high on confidence after retaining her Safeway International title in Phoenix, Arizona, on Monday.

The world No 1 edged out Mexico's Lorena Ochoa in a playoff at Superstition Mountain to clinch the 58th title of her career, her fourth in a row on the LPGA Tour and her second this year.

She set herself to try for a Grand Slam of the four majors last year but failed at the first hurdle when she didn't win the Nabisco. In fact, her only major was the LPGA Championship.

She says she will be aiming for the Slam again this season and insists the upheaval in her personal life has sharpened her focus on golf.

In her first tournament of the season she won in Mexico by three shots after a final round of 68, including five birdies in a row.

Last weekend at Phoenix, she profited from a late collapse by the youthful Ochoa, who led by four shots with three holes to play. The world No 1 won the playoff, when Ochoa hooked her tee-shot into the water.

For the Swede, it was her sixth win in her last eight starts and her career earnings now top US$16 million ($21.7 million).

Last year's Nabisco was won by Korean-born Grace Park from 19-year-old Thai rookie Aree Song with Sorenstam eight shots off the pace in a share of 13th.

All those young Asian girls - and their parents - practising on New Zealand courses take their inspiration from results like those. Maybe in 10 years' time, Sorenstam will be ready to step aside.

Western Bay Finance has taken up the naming rights to the long-running junior fundraising tournament held annually in the Waikato.

The tournament will be known as the Western Bay Finance Golf Classic and will be staged at the St Andrews course on Sunday, May 22.

A full field of 200 players will take part in the Ambrose team event, with each team featuring a representative player.

The tournament has raised more than $120,000 over the 18 years that it has been held.

The North Island men's amateur championship starts at New Plymouth today. Last year at Hamilton, Bay of Plenty's Josh Geary won by two shots from Kevin Chun (Titirangi) and Leighton James (The Grange).