FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ What in the World Is the LPGA Thinking? http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/what-in-the-world-is-the-lpga-thinking/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/what-in-the-world-is-the-lpga-thinking/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/what-in-the-world-is-the-lpga-thinking/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Lorena OchoaThe LPGA just outsourced its season.

Twenty-four events are on next year's incredibly shrinking LPGA schedule and 11 of them will be played on foreign soil, including the season opener in Thailand.

There also are tournaments in Singapore, France, Japan, England, Canada and Mexico.

One bonus: The U.S. Women's Open stays here.

Founded in 1950, the LPGA is the longest continuous-running professional women's sports organization in American history, but its future -- obituary? -- will be written in foreign dialect. Why? Because if selling women's golf in the land of the free and home of the NFL seemed difficult before, the LPGA hasn't seen nothing yet.

 

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]]> Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-18T16:27:00 00:00 Fowler Will Be Top Offseason Attraction http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/fowler-will-be-top-offseason-attraction/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/fowler-will-be-top-offseason-attraction/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/fowler-will-be-top-offseason-attraction/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler's dramatic play over the final month of the PGA Tour season makes him the player most likely to be watched through the offseason's qualifying progresses.

Fowler, 20, did not turn professional until late summer, but the former top-ranked amateur out of Oklahoma State, took advantage of three sponsor's exemptions to earn $571,090 in those three tries, a number that would have placed him No. 136 on the year's money list.

After finishing seventh and runner-up in his first two events, a strong performance at the Children's Miracle Network Classic could have put Fowler into an exclusive group of past players -- Tiger Woods is one of them -- to avoid qualifying school by finishing among the top 125 money winners as a non-member.

 

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]]> Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-17T16:38:00 00:00 Wie Wise to Enjoy What She's Got http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/wie-wise-to-enjoy-what-shes-got/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/wie-wise-to-enjoy-what-shes-got/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/wie-wise-to-enjoy-what-shes-got/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Michelle WieMichelle Wie claimed her first LPGA tournament title Sunday, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. To celebrate she did not mention a desire to be the first woman to play the Masters at Augusta National, did not unveil a plan to join the PGA Tour and did not ask for an exemption to the U.S. Open.

It's a start.

After a final-round 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Paula Creamer in Guadalajara, Mexico, Wie, 20, received a beer shower on the 18th green -- hey, just another college kid in Mexico. She then talked about the relief that came with the victory.

"For sure, it's definitely off my back," she said. "I think that hopefully life will be a lot better."

By all considerations, that will be entirely up to Wie.
More: Wie's Career in Photos | Wie's Homepage on Golf.com

 

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]]> Michelle WieMichelleWie Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-16T13:43:00 00:00 Joy and Heartbreak at PGA Finale http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/joy-and-hearbreak-at-pga-finale/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/joy-and-hearbreak-at-pga-finale/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/joy-and-hearbreak-at-pga-finale/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Stephen AmesLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- A sure sign something outside the norm was in the works Sunday afternoon at the Children's Miracle Network Classic came when Nicholas Thompson rolled in a nine-foot bogey putt on the final hole that would leave him five shots out of a playoff eventually won by Stephen Ames and broke into a fist-pumping, arm-slinging celebration.

"It could have been a double," Thompson said. "And I knew if I missed that, I didn't have a chance and I'm going to qualifying school. I knew making it at least gave me a chance."

Sunday's big prize at Walt Disney World was not as much the tournament championship as it was a secure future. Ames shot a final-round 64 and won his fourth career title, outlasting George McNeill and Justin Leonard in two playoff holes, but on this day you didn't have to get a trophy to feel like a winner.
More Coverage: Leaderboard | Photos | Money Leaders

 

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]]> Nicholas ThompsonStephen Ames Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-15T18:45:00 00:00 MacKenzie Loaded for Bear at Disney http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/mackenzie-loaded-for-bear-at-disney/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/mackenzie-loaded-for-bear-at-disney/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/mackenzie-loaded-for-bear-at-disney/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Just like most every PGA Tour player, Will MacKenzie is happy to pass along helpful advice to amateur pro-am partners and fans.

One MacKenzie tip you may never have heard from anyone else: "If you are being chased by a bear, you're supposed to just get down in the fetal position and let him rip -- pop you for about 300 stitches real quick and hopefully then leave and not eat you."

It is sage advice passed along by a skilled professional. While MacKenzie, fighting to save his tour card this week at the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney World, is no Jack Nicklaus, he does know bears -- Golden or otherwise.

 

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]]> Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-12T15:47:00 00:00 Big Names Scrambling for Tour Cards http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/beem-duval-among-those-scrambling-for-2010-tour-cards-at-pga-fi/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/beem-duval-among-those-scrambling-for-2010-tour-cards-at-pga-fi/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/beem-duval-among-those-scrambling-for-2010-tour-cards-at-pga-fi/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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David Duval
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The last (honest, they really mean it this time) tournament of the PGA Tour season, the Children's Miracle Network Classic that tees off Thursday at Walt Disney World, always provides an interesting scramble as golf's working class looks for one last seat on the life raft.
More From Golf.com: Adam Scott Might Stay on PGA Tour

 

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]]> Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-11T16:03:00 00:00 Rags to Riches: Golfer on Verge of $1M http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/10/little-known-kevin-streelman-sets-sights-on-1-million-payday/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/10/little-known-kevin-streelman-sets-sights-on-1-million-payday/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/10/little-known-kevin-streelman-sets-sights-on-1-million-payday/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Kevin StreelmanLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Kevin Streelman is 31 years old and playing his second season on the PGA Tour. After college golf at Duke, it took five years of mini-tours and other assorted minor-league labors before, in 2008, he advanced through all three levels of qualifying school to earn a place in the big leagues.

"Just four or five years ago, I didn't have much at all," he said. " About $400 in my bank account and pretty much ready to stop playing."

But on Sunday afternoon Streelman can become an instant millionaire. He'll get a freshly printed check to prove it.

"Definitely exciting," he said.

 

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]]> Kevin Streelman Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-10T16:36:00 00:00 Dreams Still in Sight for Ken Green http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/10/dreams-still-in-sight-for-ken-green/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/10/dreams-still-in-sight-for-ken-green/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/10/dreams-still-in-sight-for-ken-green/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- Ken Green, with the stump that used to be his lower right leg still tender and frail less than five months after the accident, eases himself out of a wheelchair and plops downward onto a mattress that lays flat on the floor. Although a stylish bedroom set fills the guest room, it has been pushed, for good reason, to the side to provide room for Green's ground-level living space.

"You have to pay attention when you get out of bed," Green says. "Because if you are not thinking and you step with the leg that's not there, it's not a good result."

Green allows himself a soft laugh. The RV crash in June took the lives of Green's older brother, Billy, long-time girlfriend, Jeannie Hodgin, and beloved German shepherd, Nip. It took his leg. It will not take his style.

 

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]]> Annika SorenstamArnold PalmerKen Green Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-10T08:30:00 00:00 Mickelson Hottest Player at Wrong Time http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/sleep-on-this-mickelson-hottest-player-at-wrong-time/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/sleep-on-this-mickelson-hottest-player-at-wrong-time/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/sleep-on-this-mickelson-hottest-player-at-wrong-time/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Although golf season never truly sleeps, the completion of Sunday's WGC-HSBC Championship in Shanghai, China, does, for all meaningful purposes, give fans the OK to nod off until at least January when the PGA Tour starts all over again.

With the exception of this week's final tour stop at Disney World, where the story is a scramble for a spot among the season's top 125 money winners and exempt playing status for next season, nothing remains on the calendar that could significantly alter the memory of 2009.

That means two interesting and late-developing trends will carry over to 2010, providing golf an unaccustomed offseason water-cooler subject to debate.

 

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]]> phil mickelson Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-08T12:54:00 00:00 Mickelson Rallies to Win in Shanghai http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/mickelson-rallies-to-win-in-shanghai/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/mickelson-rallies-to-win-in-shanghai/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/08/mickelson-rallies-to-win-in-shanghai/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Phil Mickelson won the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions event Sunday in Shanghai, rallying with a spectacular finish after almost being run down from behind.

And it was not by Tiger Woods.

 

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]]> phil mickelson Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-08T07:18:00 00:00 Phil Mickelson Leads in Shanghai, Tiger Woods Two Back http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/mickelson-leads-in-shangha-woods-two-back/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/mickelson-leads-in-shangha-woods-two-back/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/mickelson-leads-in-shangha-woods-two-back/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Golf keeps wanting to see a final-round tough-guy battle between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for a tournament title. It gets one and it's halfway around the world.

At the World Golf Championship - HSBC in Shanghai, China, Mickelson holds a two shot lead over Woods and fellow American Nick Watney going into Sunday's final round.

Mickelson shot 67 Saturday to go 14-under while both Woods and Watney posted 70s to stand 12 under.

 

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]]> phil mickelsonPhilMickelsontiger woodsTigerWoods Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-07T04:12:00 00:00 It's Worth the Wait for Lanny Wadkins http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/its-worth-the-wait-for-lanny-wadkins/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/its-worth-the-wait-for-lanny-wadkins/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/its-worth-the-wait-for-lanny-wadkins/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Lanny Wadkins wanted to make one thing absolutely clear. "It's great to be here," he said.

Wadkins was seated on a stage at the World Golf Village on Monday, or on top of the world. Definitely one of the two, and as far as Wadkins is concerned, the views are identical.

With his name now in the Golf Hall of Fame, Wadkins has finally fulfilled something that was long overdue.

Wadkins -- along with Irishman Christy O'Connor, Sr., Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal and former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower -- was being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

That was the good news. The bad was that it had taken Wadkins 14 years to get the call.
Golf.com: Wadkins Initial Frustration

 

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]]> Arnold palmerBen CrenshawChristy OConnorCurtis StrangeDwight D EisenhowerGreg Normanjose maria olazabalLanny WadkinsRaymond FloydTom Kite Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-02T19:22:00 00:00 Loss of Leg Won't Stop Army Vet From Being a Champion http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/loss-of-leg-wont-stop-army-vet-from-being-a-champion/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/loss-of-leg-wont-stop-army-vet-from-being-a-champion/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/loss-of-leg-wont-stop-army-vet-from-being-a-champion/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Donny Alson

TAMPA, Fla. -- The two men had met for the first time only a handful of hours earlier on a warm December morning last year while standing in the clubhouse at TPC Tampa Bay before a Birdies for the Brave charity golf event.

Donny Alston and Brad Bryant. Brad and Donny.

Alston, an assistant club professional at a public course about 45 miles away, called the chance visit with the Champions Tour player "a hoot.'' Making it even better, Andy Bean, another senior tour star, had been there, too.

 

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]]> Brad BryantBradBryantdonny alstonDonnyAlston Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-11-02T04:05:00 00:00 Big Challenge for New LPGA Boss http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/big-challenge-for-new-lpga-boss/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/big-challenge-for-new-lpga-boss/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/big-challenge-for-new-lpga-boss/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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It's not as if Michael Whan does not know what he's getting into.

Before being introduced Wednesday as the new LPGA commissioner, Whan, 44, served as North American vice-president/general manager of TaylorMade Golf. According to the LPGA's announcement, his business unit represented more than 70 percent of the company's worldwide sales and profit.

And prior to working at TaylorMade Whan spent time with Wilson Sporting Goods managing all aspects of the company's golf ball and glove business. He even brings experience heading Wilson's marketing department, two manufacturing facilities and the Research & Development division.

So what's a smart guy like Whan doing getting himself into a mess like this?

 

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]]> Carolyn BivensMichael WhanNancy Scranton Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-10-29T15:30:00 00:00 Rickie Fowler Earning His Stripes on Tour At Breakneck Speed http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/rickie-fowler-earning-his-stripes-on-tour-at-breakneck-speed/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/rickie-fowler-earning-his-stripes-on-tour-at-breakneck-speed/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/rickie-fowler-earning-his-stripes-on-tour-at-breakneck-speed/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler is two weeks into his PGA Tour career and by anybody's yard stick -- even one belonging to the guy with the big yacht -- things are going exceptionally well.

Fowler, only months removed from his sophomore year at Oklahoma State where he was the top-ranked player in both college and amateur golf, made his PGA Tour pro debut two weeks ago in Las Vegas by finishing seventh in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. On Sunday in Scottsdale, Ariz., he tied for second in the Frys.com Open, losing to Troy Matteson in a three-way playoff.

That means Fowler, playing on a pair of sponsor's exemptions, has made $553,700 in two tournament appearances. Not bad for a 20 year old.

 

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]]> Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-10-27T14:56:00 00:00 What's So Grand About PGA Slam? http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/whats-so-grand-about-pga-slam/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/whats-so-grand-about-pga-slam/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/21/whats-so-grand-about-pga-slam/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Y.E. Yang got together Tuesday and Wednesday in Bermuda to play 36 holes of golf.

They did this because each year the PGA of America invites the season's four major championship winners to some exotic site, puts up a boat-load of money and calls it the Grand Slam of Golf.

In the best of years, the ones when Tiger Woods shows up, the event can be mildly interesting because there always is a chance television will show a brief glimpse of "Privacy," the 155-foot, $28 million yacht he might have anchored in the harbor.

Most of the time, however, you get what this week so whole-heartedly provided: A reminder that golf all too often is its own worst enemy.

A good rule of thumb: If the final results do not count, there's no reason to care.

 

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]]> Angel CabreraLucas GloverStewart CinkTiger WoodsY.E. Yang Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-10-21T15:53:00 00:00 Little Tourney Gives Martin Laird Big-Time Opportunities http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/little-tournament-provides-laird-with-some-big-time-opportunitie/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/little-tournament-provides-laird-with-some-big-time-opportunitie/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/little-tournament-provides-laird-with-some-big-time-opportunitie/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Martin LairdWith little fanfare, and only the slightest bit of attention, Martin Laird's life changed big time Sunday.

Martin who?

That's how it works on the PGA Tour's Fall Finish, the rest of the season that follows the Tour Championship and comes when even serious golf fans are barely aware tournaments continue to be played. Guys not named Tiger or Phil or Ernie get to keep plugging while the stars with private jets take a break.

 

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]]> Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-10-19T11:39:00 00:00 Martin Laird Gets First PGA Tour Win http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/martin-laird-gets-first-pga-tour-win/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/martin-laird-gets-first-pga-tour-win/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/martin-laird-gets-first-pga-tour-win/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Martin Laird made birdie from five feet on the third playoff hole Sunday to win the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, played at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.

The 26-year-old Scotsman's first PGA Tour victory turned away George McNeill and Chad Campbell after all three players finished regulation play at 19 under.
More Coverage: Final-Round TPC Summerlin Leaderboard

 

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]]> martin laird Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-10-18T21:05:00 00:00 Scott Piercy Seeks First Tour Win on Home Turf http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/piercy-leads-pga-tour-event/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/piercy-leads-pga-tour-event/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/17/piercy-leads-pga-tour-event/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Scott PiercyScott Piercy was born in Las Vegas 31 years ago next month. He still lives there and earlier this week wife Sara gave birth to the couple's third child. On Sunday he will try to make his hometown the site of his first career PGA Tour victory.

The tour rookie shot 65 Saturday at TPC Summerlin and shares the 54-hole lead with Chad Campbell, who shot 67 and happens to be a former University of Nevada-Las Vegas player.

The co-leaders are 17-under and one shot in front of Martin Lard, who shot 67.
More Coverage: TPC Summerlin Leaderboard

 

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]]> scott piercy Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-10-17T19:19:00 00:00 Annika Sorenstam Enjoying 'New Life' http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/annika-sorenstam-enjoying-new-life/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/annika-sorenstam-enjoying-new-life/ http://golf.fanhouse.com/2009/10/15/annika-sorenstam-enjoying-new-life/#comments Mick Elliottby Mick Elliott

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Annika SorenstamAs the LPGA seeks to hire a new commissioner and deal with a shrinking schedule caused by economic and management woes, golf great Annika Sorenstam says global growth is key to the tour's survival, even if it means a lower profile in the United States.

"I'm all in favor of a more global expansion of the tour because that's where the demand is today," Sorenstam told FanHouse Wednesday afternoon. "I'm all about trying to grow our tour and create awareness around the world and get new fans.

"That's what I'm trying to push. Hey, let's just grow globally. That way we are going to raise the profile of the players, the product and what we have to offer."

 

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]]> annika sorenstam Mick Elliott mick-elliott 2009-10-15T18:45:00 00:00