The person responsible for one of the most exciting weeks in Colonial Country Club history is returning.
No, it’s not a former champion of the tournament now called the Charles Schwab Challenge – or even someone who made the cut in that prestigious competition. But it is someone who made headlines around the world and put Colonial on the tip of almost every tongue in America – including a lot of folks who don’t know a putter from a sand wedge.
Annika Sorenstam, the only woman ever to play in a men’s professional tournament at the club, is coming back to Fort Worth for this year’s Schwab Challenge. She will be the keynote speaker May 23 for Executive Women’s Day (EWD) – since 2013, one of the premier events held during tournament week. The program brings together hundreds of local business leaders and innovators for corporate dialogue, networking, idea sharing and development.
Sorenstam is expected to reminisce about her historic experience at Colonial and also share information about her current passion, the ANNIKA Foundation, which she created in 2008 upon retiring from professional golf. The foundation develops and empowers the next generation of women around the world through the game of golf by providing opportunities in women’s golf at the junior, collegiate and professional levels while teaching young people the importance of personal development, including living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition.
Her keynote speech is sure to be inspirational for all those in attendance.
She was an inspiration to me, even though I was still a few years away from becoming an avid golfer when Sorenstam came to town to play at Colonial in 2003. I was thrilled then, and still am, that she made Fort Worth a part of history.
I wish I could say I met Sorenstam, but I did not. Like many, however, I felt the impact she made despite playing only the first two rounds of the tournament, missing the cut and failing to qualify to compete on the weekend.
When she entered the field at Colonial, it had been almost six decades since a woman had taken on the men in a PGA tournament. In 1945 Babe Zaharias made the cut at the Los Angeles Open, and folks were hoping for similar heroics from Sorenstam.
Well, not all folks. Some of the male players took offense at her presence in the field. Vijay Singh even threatened to pull out of the tournament if he was paired with her. Scott Hoch said he hoped what Annika and everyone learned was that she could not play with men.
But some players made a concerted effort to come to her defense. Phil Mickelson was quoted as saying golf wasn’t just a game for the best men but for the best players and that Annika was clearly one of the world’s best players.
Sorenstam’s opening round of 71 placed her ahead of a couple dozen male golfers. And even though she faltered in Round 2 with a 74, she only missed the cut by four shots.
In fact, her appearance at Colonial was never about her winning. It was about the world’s best female golfer – the greatest ever most say, myself included – coming to town, having some fun and seeing what might happen.
She would go on to win a half dozen more women’s majors, finishing her career with 10 in all and 97 total professional championships before retiring in 2008. In her final tournament, she notched a seventh-place finish. She was, indeed, the machine that first-round playing partner Aaron Barber called her that week in Fort Worth.
She had numerous chances to play in other men’s tournaments, but chose instead to dominate her own field. However, that one week two decades ago will forever be remembered in Fort Worth, Colonial, and pro golf lore.
In addition to showcasing the 20th anniversary of Sorenstam’s historic tournament appearance, Executive Women’s Day 2023 will mark the launch of a new partnership with Fort Worth Colonial Charities to support local charitable organizations that align with the purpose of the Executive Women’s Day program. Fort Worth Colonial Charities – the Charles Schwab Challenge fundraising arm – has generated more than $185 million in cash and services for over 175 local organizations during the past two decades through the tournament’s Birdies for Charity campaign and grants.
To kick off the new Fort Worth Colonial Charities/EWD partnership during this year’s event, the Women’s Center of Tarrant County and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County will be the first beneficiaries of the fundraising campaign dubbed “Help A Sister Up” (HASU).
“This year presented an opportunity to establish a new direction for EWD’s singular luncheon event,” said EWD Chair Julie Butner. “This is an excellent example of empowering women to use their wealth and power to uplift other women and girls in our local community. I am pleased with our first-year fundraising results of nearly $75,000 and grateful for the support of our newly formed EWD Board of Directors.”
Rob Hood, president of Fort Worth Colonial Charities, added, “We are very excited to partner with this great business event in order to spread our charity impact even more. The supporters of this event have really stepped up this year in this new charity effort and I believe it will only get bigger and better each year.”
The Charles Schwab Challenge gets underway at Colonial Country Club May 22 with a number of pre-tournament events and festivities leading up to four days of championship golf May 25 through May 28. Ticket information is available on the tournament’s website.