Na, 21, Moving Up in the World

Kevin Na turned professional at about the same time as Ty Tryon and was about the same age, but he did so with a lot less fanfare.

He saved that for his career.

While Tryon floundered as a pro when he played the PGA Tour as a high school senior in 2002, Na, who skipped his senior year in high school and turned pro in 2001 at age 17, has begun to flourish. He credits a slower road. Na, 21, took on the Asian Tour before trying to tackle the PGA Tour.

He made it through qualifying school in 2003, was the youngest player on tour last year and is again this year. He finished 87th on the money list in 2004 with $901,158. This year, he’s 17th on the money list with $470,255 and two weeks ago in Phoenix, he was the runner-up to Phil Mickelson.

“Just playing the tour when you are 17 or 18, what Ty did, was unbelievable,” Na said Tuesday at Riviera Country Club, where he is entered in this week’s Nissan Open.

“I think one year, that teenage year and early 20s, you mature mentally and physically so much that one year makes a lot of difference. I had three years [of experience] when I came on tour so I think that helped me.”

Na, who attended Diamond Bar High and lives in Rancho Cucamonga, was born in South Korea but said he became an American citizen when he turned 18. He has designs of representing the U.S. in international competition.

Ranked No. 103 in the World Golf Rankings, he is 26th on the U.S. President’s Cup points list and 17th in Ryder Cup points.

“That’s one of my dreams, to play for the Ryder Cup team, and hopefully I will get my chance,” he said.

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Tiger Woods will tee off on the 10th hole at 7:50 a.m. in the first round Thursday and is paired with Jonathan Byrd and Kevin Sutherland. John Daly is two groups behind Woods with Shigeki Maruyama and J.L. Lewis. Fred Couples goes off of the first tee at 12:15 p.m. with Mark Hensby and Chad Campbell.

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Annika Sorenstam, the No. 1 women’s player in the world, has filed for divorce after eight years of marriage to David Esch.

“I want to confirm that I have filed for divorce,” Sorenstam said in a statement released to Associated Press on Tuesday. “We are working toward an amicable resolution and we appreciate the media’s respect for our privacy. I wish David nothing but the best for the future.”

Sorenstam, 34, and Esch, 35, met in 1994 at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix, where Esch worked for Ping. They got engaged at the end of 1995 and married on Jan. 4, 1997.

Sorenstam has won 56 tournaments and seven majors, and has earned more than $15 million on the LPGA Tour.

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Peter Jacobsen underwent surgery Monday to remove cartilage and a cyst on his right knee and is expected to be out four to six weeks.

Jacobsen, 50, had planned to split time between the PGA and Champions Tours this season. He was expected to play March 11-13 in the SBC Classic at Valencia Country Club, where he made his Champions Tour debut last year.

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Phil Mickelson announced that his guests at the Masters past champions dinner will be treated to lobster ravioli in a cream tomato sauce. It is a Masters tradition that the defending champion selects the menu for the annual dinner.