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Annika Sörenstam (SWE) during pro-am before 2008 LPGA Championship- Author; Keith Allison-

Top 10 Facts about Annika Sörenstam

Annika Charlotta Sörenstam, born on October 9^th 1970, is a Swedish professional golfer and a sportswoman that’s regarded as one of the best female golfers in history. This is definitely not an easy feat especially given how this is a sports activity that’s widely dominated by males.

Annika has had such a successful golf career that she even has a foundation, an academy and a golf course under her name. With such an achievement, it takes years of dedication and actually being good at something that you can afford to have quite a legacy behind you. Thus, Annika is indeed an icon in the sports activity of golfing.

1. Annika is the female golfer with the most wins to her name

Annika Sorenstam- Author; Keith Allison-

At the end of 2008, before stepping away from golf in a competitive sense, she had won 90 international tournaments. This achievement made her the female golfer with the most wins to her name.

Additionally, she has also won 72 official Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournaments, inclusive of ten majors and 24 other tournaments internationally.

After turning age 50, she returned from her retirement and even added a win in the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

2. Achieved a career grand slam in 2003

Annika Sorenstam on the driving range on Day 4 of the Women’s British Open 2004 at Sunningdale Golf Club- Author; Cath Mudford-

In 2003, Annika Charlotta achieved a career grand slam winning by having each of the four tournaments recognized as major championships during the main part of her career.

Despite retiring from regular tournament golf in 2008, by the end of 2022, she still managed to top the LPGA’s career money list with over $22 million in earnings ahead of her closest rival.

3. Annika is the only female golfer to shoot a 59 in a competition

Annika at the LPGA Championship – Author; Keith Allison-

As a winner of a record eight player of the year awards and six Vare Trophies, Annika is the only female golfer to shoot a 59 in competition. She holds various all-time scoring records inclusive of the lowest season scoring average of 68.6969 in 2004.

4. She was the all-time leading points earner of the Solheim Cup between 1994 and 2007

Annika at the Women’s British Open Pro-Am at Royal Birkdale Golf Club- Author; Cath Mudford-

While representing Europe in the Solheim Cup on 8 different occasions between 1994 and 2007, Annika ended up becoming the event’s all-time leading points earner.

This is until her record by Englands’s Laura Davies during the Solheim Cup of 2011. Moreover, she was captain also of the 2017 European Solheim Cup team.

5. Played in the Bank of America Colonial

Annika Sorenstam on the practice putting green on Day 1 of the Women’s British Open at Sunningdale Golf Club- Author; Cath Mudford –

In 2003, Annika Sörenstam played in the Bank of America Colonial tournament and ended up becoming the first woman to play in a PGA Tour (Professional Golfer’s Association) event since 1945.

6. Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Presidential Medal of Freedom. Photo by Toma2552 –

On 7 January 2021, Annika received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump. This is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal.

It is an award usually bestowed by the president of the United States in order to recognize people who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavours.”

7. Annika showed interest in sportsmanship from a very young age

Child playing golf- Photo by Robert L. on

As a child, Sörenstam was a talented all-around athlete. In fact, she was nationally ranked as a junior tennis player. She even played association football in her hometown and was also such a good skier.

She was so good at skiing that the coach of the Swedish national ski team suggested the family move to northern Sweden in order to improve her skiing year-round.

8. She once tried to volunteer as a caddie while a teenager

A caddy- Image by Eric Ryu from

In 1986, while at the European Tour tournament in Stockholm, Annika tried to be a volunteer caddie but she was actually looked over and asked to stand in line with all the other candidates.

When all the male volunteer caddies had been chosen by the tournament professionals, three teenage girls were left without a bag. Annika was one of those girls. Goes to show how as much as it is a male-dominated field, she never gave up.

9. Annika was actually timid as a junior that she would deliberately miss scoring

Golf ball hole- Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Annika was so shy as a junior that she used to deliberately miss scoring spots at the end of a tournament in order to avoid giving the victory speech. Her coaches noticed and at the next match, they insisted that both the winner and the runner-up give a speech.

Annika Sörenstam, having no other choice, decided that if she were going to have to face the crowd anyway she might as well win. That’s how the deliberate misses stopped.

10. She came back as a senior in 2020

Annika Sörenstam- Author; Keith Allison-

After turning 50 in October 2020, Annika Sörenstam became eligible for the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

This tournament was played at the Brooklawn Country Club and she won by 8 shots. Ahead of the senior open, she played her first LPGA Tour event since 2008, thus working to finish 74^th place at the 2021 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. This win qualified her to play in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open. After all these years, she’s still got her grove seen in the way she continues to prove herself.