The Week March 13-19
One-upmanship
Tiger Woods had never birdied the 72nd hole to win a tournament
until his trey at Bay Hill's onerous 18th nipped Phil Mickelson.
In the 'Zona
Annika Sorenstam's 59, the LPGA's first, rightfully got all the
attention, but check out this number: She's made 53 birdies in
two weeks.
Hale to the Gramp
Hale Irwin had 29 Senior wins while he was a proud papa, but his
record-breaking 30th victory was his first as a grandfather.
More Old News
Also aging gracefully was Des Smyth, 48, whose W in the Madeira
Island Open makes him the oldest winner in Euro tour history.
PGA Woods snapped an eight-tournament losing streak--the third
longest of his career--and won his first title of the year (and
25th overall) at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando....
Mickelson topped the field in birdies (23) and eagles (three),
but made 11 bogeys and two doubles.... NBC showed Sunday's round
on tape delay because tee times were bumped up four hours to
avoid a storm that never materialized.... John Ingram, the
president of the NAACP's Hilton Head Island, S.C., chapter,
resigned because he disagreed with last week's decision by the
state NAACP to stage a protest at the April 12-15 WorldCom
Classic on Hilton Head over the flying of a Confederate flag on
statehouse grounds.
LPGA Sorenstam, who set a tournament scoring record in her win
at the Welch's/Circle K in Tucson two weeks ago, made LPGA
history at the Standard Register Ping at Moon Valley Country
Club in Phoenix. In addition to her 59, Sorenstam's 27 under
(261) eclipsed the previous record of 26 under set by Karrie
Webb at the '99 Australian Ladies Masters.... For the second
week in a row Sorenstam topped Se Ri Pak, by two shots.
SENIOR Thanks to a closing 65, the low round of the week,
Irwin stormed to a five-shot win over Allen Doyle and Tom Watson
in the Siebel Classic at Coyote Creek Golf Club in San Jose....
Irwin's daughter, Becky Meyer, gave birth to his first
grandchild, Dylan Spencer, on Feb. 12.... Coyote Creek is one of
seven Senior tour courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, who
finished fourth despite ranking 69th in putting in the 75-player
field.
ALSO Smyth, who beat John Bickerton by two at Santo de Serra
Golf Club, was 20 days older on the date of his victory than the
European tour's previous oldest winner, Neil Coles, was when he
won the '82 Sanyo Open.
COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOTT HALLERAN/ALLSPORT Herstory Sorenstam, who started on the back nine, ran off eight straight birdies during her 59, the lowest round ever in women's golf.
UP and Down
Annika Sorenstam ESPN
The Slam The Slump
Hale Irwin Lee Trevino
May March
Patty Sheehan Pat Bradley
