AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Saturday morning, four female golf legends teed off the ceremonial first shots marking the first women’s golf competition played at Augusta National Golf Club.
“What a treat. All the hours you put in, all the dreams you have and…you come here.”
Annika Sörenstam spoke about many of the golfers playing in the Women’s Amateur today.
“Some of them I have seen 6 or 7 years in a row. It’s really nice to see them grow up. You know, the path from amateur to college and to see them here…it’s neat to see. It’s a motherly feeling,” said Sörenstam.
She also spoke about the personal connections made with the players.
“It’s more than just sharing a golf tip. A lot of it is personal. A lot of them go through pressure with parents, school, decisions. So, when you see them here, you go ‘you GOT it!’,” said Sörenstam.
Sörenstam said her big picture take away from this week’s tournament is that it’s a wave of something big on the horizon.
“I’m not just talking ‘girl’s golf’, I’m talking women’s sports. And I really think that the ripple effect will go further. It seems like a first class event already. It’s a good start,” said Sörenstam. “And the acceptance. That, to me, means a lot. The girls here are influencers and they’re going to talk about this event and it’s going to spread. We want greater participation. We want to increase the interest in the game of golf. These events cant do this.”