Inbee Park returned to number one in the world this week following her victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She’s just the eighth woman to hold the top spot in the world, which got us thinking back to who was the first when the rankings were introduced in 2006. Here’s a look back at who was the first women’s world No.1 and what else was happening in golf and around the world in 2006.
I Am Number One
Annika Sorenstam sat atop the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings when they were introduced in February of 2006. She won three times that season, topped off with some fabulous headwear at the MasterCard Classic.
She held the top spot for 60 weeks until April 2007. When Sorenstam retired at the end of the 2008 season she was third in the rankings.
The AP’s Female Athlete of the Year
Lorena Ochoa dominated in her third season on tour, winning six times in 2006. The Associated Press named her Female Athlete of the year and her play earned her Rolex Player of the Year honors, the Vare Trophy and the top spot on the money list.
Still Winning 23 Years Later
Juli Inkster notched her last victory on the LPGA Tour at the 2006 Safeway Classic. She won by two stokes ahead of Sarah Lee at 15-under par. Inkster is currently T-16 with Pat Bradley for most wins on the LPGA Tour at 31. Her first victory came 23 years earlier at the 1983 Safeco Classic.
On the PGA Tour
Phil Mickelson slipped on his second Green Jacket at Augusta National after winning The Masters by two strokes ahead of Tim Clark. Mickelson would follow it up with one of the most memorable finishes of his career at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot where he struggled on the 72nd hole, giving up his one shot lead and finished runner-up to Geoff Ogilvy.
In Other News…
The one billionth song is downloaded on iTunes with Coldplay’s “Speed of Sound,” Kobe Bryant scores a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest in a single game behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points, and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” is the fastest film at the time to gross $1 billion dollars at the box office.
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