Taking the Low Road

How Annika Sorenstam’s life has changed since she shot the first 59 in LPGA Tour history last week at Phoenix:

* She is signing a lot of golf balls with her name and adding “59.”

* She is smiling a lot more.

* She is the favorite to win the Nabisco Championship, which begins today at Mission Hills Country Club.

Of course, Sorenstam has been called the favorite here before in the LPGA’s first major, but when you throw a 59 at the field the way she did in the second round of the Standard Register Ping and wind up at 27 under par--50 under par and two victories in her last two tournaments--then her credentials improve in a hurry.

Not only that, but her intimidation factor is nearly off the charts. Or so it might seem. Sorenstam nearly fell off her chair giggling when she was asked what the intimidation factor of a 59 might be.

“I hope a lot,” she said.

Consider the fate of Phoenix runner-up Se Ri Pak. She played the weekend in 63-67 and still lost by two shots, largely because Sorenstam played the first two days in 65-59.

Said Pak: “I shoot 25 under and still I can’t even win the tournament? That’s not normal to happen.”

No, it isn’t. Then there is Nabisco defending champion Karrie Webb, who shot a respectable 11 under at Phoenix and nearly got trampled. She wound up tied for seventh and wondering what hit her.

All Webb has done this year is finish second twice on the LPGA Tour, win once and finish second once in Australia, then listen to how everybody hangs their heads around her. Pretty soon, she’s going to hear about the slump she’s in.

That’s what happens when you win seven times, two of them majors, which is what Webb accomplished last year.

“I just haven’t put anything together, all at once,” Webb said, lamenting her game. “A putt here or there and I wouldn’t be talking about this.

“In the eyes of many, if I win three, I’ve had a bad year.”

On the other hand, there is no question that it has been a great year so far for the LPGA. All right, it has only been a couple of months, but already there have been six winners in seven tournaments--none by U.S. players. This should be seen as balance, not a slight, of course. The NFL would call it parity and celebrate by throwing a giant cocktail bash at the Super Bowl.

However, LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw felt compelled to rush to the aid of the U.S. players and predicted that an American would certainly win an LPGA event before the year is out.

“The death of the American women’s golfer has been greatly exaggerated,” Votaw said.

Say, what was Mark Twain’s handicap, anyway?

If Sorenstam, Webb and Pak are the Big Three this week, they might have a lot of players trying to get in their way. Lorie Kane won in Japan and has four other top-10 finishes. Pat Hurst tied for seventh last week and should play well at Mission Hills. Laura Davies, who changed the shafts on her drivers and hopes to find the fairway this week, is always a potential winner.

That is to name only a few, although every discussion about this week begins with Sorenstam. She says she is ready, especially because of the confidence she feels when putting.

“This is the tournament I’ve been waiting for and now it’s here, so I’m really excited about that,” Sorenstam said.

“I’m making a lot of putts. It’s been so solid overall. I look forward to getting up to the green and making putts. Before I didn’t even want to get to the green.”

That’s a 59 talking right there. Sorenstam said it will take a couple of months for the magnitude of what she did at Phoenix to sink in. Until it does, she has this week at Mission Hills to tide her over. Sorenstam admitted that she has played a few rounds on the course, now that she and husband David Esch are property owners at Bighorn.

And as the proud owner of a 59, Sorenstam has only one other wish: to find her scorecard. She has no idea where it may be, but if she finds it, she wants to frame it.

Isn’t that what you do with works of art?

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THE FACTS

* What: Nabisco Championship

* When: Today through Sunday

* Where: Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage

* TV: Today-Friday, ESPN, 12:30-2:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, ABC, 1-3 p.m.

Watch the Birdies

Annika Sorenstam’s first nine holes last Friday were on the back side of Moon Valley Country Club at Phoenix, a par-72, 6,459-yard layout. Here were the 13 birdies in a record round of 59:

* No. 10, 534-yard par five: sand wedge to nine feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 11, 157-yard par three: nine-iron to seven feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 12, 394-yard par four: eight-iron to 30 feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 13, 488-yard par five: seven-wood to 18 feet, two putts, birdie.

* No. 14, 355-yard par four: sand wedge to four feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 15, 177-yard par three: seven-iron to 11 feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 16, 414-yard par four: seven-iron to 10 feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 17, 360-yard par four: sand wedge to 18 feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 1, 349-yard par four: sand wedge to nine feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 2, 169-yard par three: seven-iron to 22 feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 3, 336-yard par four: sand wedge to 12 feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 4, 486-yard par five: four-wood short of green, chip to 1 1/2 feet, made putt, birdie.

* No. 8, 476-yard par five: seven-wood to 25 feet, two putts, birdie.