Playing by her own rules again

Annika Sorenstam is skipping this week's Canadian Open.

EDMONTON — The 2007 CN Canadian Women’s Open has attracted possibly its strongest field in history, but it couldn’t lure one of the game’s biggest draws, Annika Sorenstam.

“She’s still nursing an injury and decided to take the week off to nurse it,” Sean Van Kesteren, the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s tournament director confirmed Wednesday. .

“We understand that. We have such a great field that, to be honest, it’s a non-factor for us. We have all 25 of the top 25 players (on Tour this year) joining us.”

Sorenstam has won 69 LPGA events, including 10 majors, and more than $20 million US in prize money. She has played only nine times this season because of a recurring back injury that forced her to withdraw from two events earlier this season.

It is, however, the fourth straight year she has skipped the Canadian event. LPGA rules state that next year she will have to play the event.

Annika giving the finger to a LPGA Tournament. Just not as blatantly as the Swede did to last year's Tournament of Champions. That week Annika played in a Pro-Am in Florida, rather than the Alabama LPGA event.

As to when LPGA rules would require Annika to play the Canadian again, I called LPGA HQ in Florida. It's one in every four years, so Sorenstam was required to play this year not in 2008. The LPGA official did state that exceptions are allowed for reasons like injury etc.

Yes Annika has a bad back, as the above article stated. However, Annika also played the last three weeks in a row. How bad was her back then.

Canada isn't very happy at being snubbed either. Dan Barnes of CanWest News Service writes-

EDMONTON - Maybe our IKEA store doesn't have her favourite knasters, smyckas and fjelldals.

Maybe she's a close friend of Lauren Pronger. Or Mrs. Peca. Or Mrs. Nylander.

Or maybe, it is just an unfortunate series of other events.

I really don't know why Annika Sorenstam avoids Canada like the plague. But whatever, ahem, drives her from our lushest fairways like a nasty duck hook every summer, it has struck again. We've been snubbed for the fourth straight year by the Swedish superstar. The CN Canadian Women's Open, all set for Edmonton's Royal Mayfair starting Aug. 13, unveiled its fancy schmancy lineup on Wednesday and Sorenstam was conspicuous by her absence.

She hasn't been seen in these parts since the 2003 Open in Vancouver, where she pulled out after shooting plus-one through six holes. She was exhausted. Not from the six holes, from the previous couple of tournaments, which included her controversial appearance on the PGA Tour.

"I tried my best to play today and I apologize to the fans but I need to go home and get better," she said then.

What she apparently meant was, 'I need to go home and never come back.'

She skipped the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Canadian tourneys, citing scheduling conflicts. Well, that excuse is starting to get thinner than one of my wedges. This week she's in her native land at another tournament with her name on it, the Scandinavian TPC Hosted by Annika. And if that's the alleged conflict this time, she should be ashamed of herself.

Good to see I'm not the only one in the MSM who doesn't see Annika as some God. Annika was a hypocrite for her reaction towards Michelle Wie's withdrawal in South Carolina,(Something Barnes notes also) a cheat on the golf course at the LPGA Championship(and probably the ADT also), and classless towards tournaments and a tour that made her both rich and famous. Maybe people will finally begin to wisen up to Annika Sorenstam. It is long overdue in my opinion.

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