Dominant.
That's probably the perfect word to describe Annika Sorenstam and her career on the LPGA so it's fitting that she was selected by ESPN The Magazine to be part of their "Dominant 20" to celebrate the magazines 20th anniversary with the 20 most dominating athletes of the last twenty years.
Annika checked in at number six and is the first female listed. Tiger Woods took the number one spot while Lebron James checked in at two. Elite company to say the very least.
Annika won 73 times during her distinguished LPGA career including 43 times during a five-year period from 2001 to 2005. She posted a season scoring mark of 68.6974 in 2002, which still stands to this day as the lowest scoring average in LPGA history.
"I was excited to see my name on the ESPN list," said Annika. "I always pushed myself hard and loved challenging myself to be the best I could be. Obviously, I am very proud of my accomplishments and I'm happy to share my passion to try and inspire the next generation of female golfers."
Annika was one of only five women on the list. The other four are Marta (Soccer), Serena Williams (Tennis), Lauren Jackson (WNBA) and Allyson Felix (Track & Field).
She posted 207 top 10 finishes during her career and earned over $22 million on the course, which is the most in LPGA Tour history.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Annika," said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. "She is truly deserving of this recognition and it further validates her stature as one of the best athletes of her generation - male or female.”
Her lasting sign of dominance may be the 59 she shot in the second round of the Standard Register Ping in 2001. She is the only women to ever post a 59 and the number and her name are discussed weekly when a player starts strong.
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