HARRIS COUNTY - HSA INSIDER
A weekly look at all things Houston sports from the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority: Another breakthrough for Annika Sorenstam
Patti Smith
May 4, 2018, 7:17 am
Annika Sorenstam will break another barrier. Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
The Harris County – Houston Sports Authority Insider will take you inside Houston Sports each Friday because #WeAreHoustonSports!
It all started with a phone call.
Lee Trevino started out by saying that 56, 57, 58 and 59 didn’t matter.
But his wife Claudia’s 60th birthday?
She wanted to go on a trip and it coincided with Trevino’s annual commitment to play in the traditional Saturday Greats of Golf at the Insperity Invitational with fellow Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
Bryan Naugle, the executive director of the event, paused for a moment as he was retelling the story. Then he chuckled as he delivered the punch line, which was vintage Trevino.
“I love ya buddy, but you’re not worth a divorce.”
Naugle didn’t skip a beat. He prides the event on being innovative and creative, so he picked up the phone and called Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, who didn’t hesitate.
She said absolutely. She was in.
Talk about perfect timing. Not only is Naugle celebrating the 15th year of the Insperity Invitational this week at The Woodlands, but it also happens to be the15th anniversary of Sorenstam’s appearance in the PGA TOUR’s Colonial National Invitation.
Add in the Masters’ recent announcement of a women’s amateur event next spring and the fact that Champions Golf Club will host the 2020 Women’s Open and . . . Well, it’s not a bad time at all to have the best female player in modern times to be the first woman to play in your Greats field.
She flew in Thursday with Nicklaus and Player for a tournament event and will be paired with them Saturday. It’s a fun event that will have Annika, the Golden Bear and the Black Knight compete in an 18-hole scramble format against three other teams composed of Tom Weiskopf, David Graham and Tony Jacklin; Dave Stockton, Larry Nelson and Hale Irwin; and Fuzzy Zoeller, Charles Coody and Bill Rogers.
“This is the first time I will have the opportunity to play in the same group with Jack and Gary, so I cannot wait to get to The Woodlands and have some fun with these men who were among my golfing heroes,” Sorenstam said.
“It is a tremendous honor to be included in this prestigious group of 12 players. This doesn’t only promise to create special memories for the spectators, but it will be a day I will cherish for the rest of my life as well.”
In 2003 she was saying similar things about playing at Colonial.
That week it was all about Annika – no last name needed – as the focus not just of the golf world, but the world, was on Fort Worth. She drew a satellite compound of alphabet news networks. Everyone was there to watch her test herself against some of the best on the PGA TOUR on a course she had never played, just seen.
Suddenly, she wasn’t just the standard the LPGA players measured their skills. She was making history.
That she headed home after two rounds didn’t really matter. She shot 71-74-145 and missed the cut by four shots. She also exposed her weakness – putting – but won the respect of the players and the golf world.
She brushed away tears in her post-round press conference that Friday saying, “I’m glad it did it, but this was way over my head. I wasn’t as tough as I thought I was.’’
Actually, she was. With a few more rounds at Colonial Country Club, she might have made the cut. Instead, she simply climbed her Mt. Everest.
“I’ve climbed as high as I can,’’ she said at the time. “And it’s worth every step of it.”
She was 32 at the time and talking about the next phase of her life – a family. She wasn’t going to split time raising children and playing events as Juli Inkster and others have done.
Five years later, she retired having won 72 tournaments, including 10 majors.
Today, her ANNIKA Foundation conducts five major golf events for juniors on four continents and she’s a go-to interview for everything on the game. Not just the women’s game.
So when the Masters announced it’s first women’s event ever, she weighed in.
“As a little girl, knowing you have a chance to play on the greatest stage, it would’ve sent me to the range,” she told Golf Channel. “It’s heaven on earth, there’s no doubt about it. Now you get these young girls who will have their dreams come true.”
Saturday, she’ll get the chance once again to break a barrier – albeit a smaller one. It’ll be history and those girls will be watching. And dreaming.
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X-factor matchups for Houston Texans to make statement rebound versus Colts
Oct 24, 2024, 6:10 pm
Indianapolis (4-3) at Houston (5-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Texans by 6.
Against the spread: Indianapolis 6-1; Houston 3-3-1.
Series record: Colts lead 33-12-1.
Last meeting: Texans beat Colts 29-27 on Sept. 8, in Indianapolis.
Last week: Colts beat Dolphins 16-10; Texans lost to Packers 24-22.
Colts offense: overall (16), rush (14), pass (17), scoring (18).
Colts defense: overall (29), rush (31), pass (23), scoring (T12).
Texans offense: overall (11), rush (15), pass (10), scoring (14).
Texans defense: overall (2), rush (8), pass (4), scoring (17).
Turnover differential: Colts plus-2, Texans plus-3.
Colts player to watch
RB Jonathan Taylor. Despite the Colts optimism each of the past three weeks, Taylor has continued to sit out. Now, he appears to be close to fully recovered from the sprained ankle that knocked him out late in the victory over Pittsburgh on Sept. 29. It’s unclear how much Taylor will play — or how effective he’ll be — but having Taylor in the backfield will only make QB Anthony Richardson's ability to run more of an option.
Texans player to watch
QB C.J. Stroud. The second-year pro looks to bounce back after throwing for a career-low 86 yards without a TD pass last week. The Texans are focused on improving his protection after he was sacked four times and hit another seven in the loss to Green Bay. He’s been great at home this season, going 3-0 with 936 yards passing.
Key matchup
Houston RB Joe Mixon vs. the Indianapolis run defense. Mixon has had at least 100 yards rushing in each of the three full games he’s played this season. The former Bengal, who is in his first year in Houston, had 115 yards rushing and ran for two touchdowns last week for his 10th career game with at least two rushing scores. Now Mixon, who ran for a season-high 159 yards and a TD in Week 1 against the Colts, will face a run defense which ranks 31st in the NFL by allowing 159.9 yards a game. Indianapolis has allowed at least 185 yards rushing three times this season, capped by 188 yards last week against Miami.
Key injuries
Indy’s injury list finally appears to be shrinking. Richardson (right hip) and Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly (calf) returned last week against Miami. Taylor is scheduled to return Sunday at Houston and All-Pro DT DeForest Buckner (sprained ankle) returned to practice Wednesday. WRs Michael Pittman Jr. (back), Josh Downs (toe) and Alec Pierce (shoulder) have continued to play through their injuries, leaving one big question mark this weekend — LB E.J. Speed (knee), who missed last week’s game. … Houston LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and S Jimmie Ward (groin) missed Sunday’s game and could be out again this week after missing practice. ... LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) and CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) returned to practice after missing time but coach DeMeco Ryans wouldn't say if they'll play Sunday.
Series notes
Houston has won three of the past four matchups, the past two by a total of six points — both in Indy. ... This will be the third meeting between these franchises in an eight-game stretch. ... Stroud and Richardson were selected two picks apart in the 2023 NFL draft and they developed a friendship while preparing for the draft. But they’ve only played against one another twice. Richardson won the first meeting in Week 2 of 2023, rushing for two scores in Houston before leaving with a concussion. Stroud won the rematch in September.
Stats and stuff
Sunday will mark the second matchup this season between Colts DBs coach Ron Milus and his son, Texas defensive assistant Ryan Milus. ... The Colts have won four of their past five since starting the season 0-2. ... Indy is 4-9-1 in division games since the start of the 2022 season. But the Colts can even the season series with Houston and pull into a tie for the AFC South lead with a victory. ... Indy’s 31 plays of 20 or more yards this season are the fourth most in the NFL this season. ... Pittman needs 2 yards receiving to reach 4,000 in his five-year career. ... Taylor needs 78 total yards to pass Hall of Famer Lenny Moore (6,040 yards) for No. 4 in franchise history. ... Richardson and 39-year-old Joe Flacco have thrown a total of 10 TD passes this season. ... Pierce leads the NFL with an average of 25.5 yards per catch and has a league-high five receptions of 40 or more yards. ... Colts DE Laiatu Latu’s two sacks are tied with Jonah Elliss of Denver for the most among NFL rookies. ... LB Zaire Franklin leads the NFL in tackles with 78. ... CB Jaylon Jones is one of seven players to pick off two passes in a game this season. His eight passes defensed are also tied for No. 5 in the league. … The Texans have forced seven turnovers combined in their past two games. … Houston WR Stefon Diggs has had at least 65 yards receiving in four of his past five games. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two games against the Colts. … WR Tank Dell, who didn’t have a catch last week, had seven receptions for 72 yards a touchdown in the previous game against the Colts in Houston. … DE Danielle Hunter has had a sack in two straight games. … DE Will Anderson has had at least one tackle for loss in three straight games and at least one sack in his past two. He is tied for sixth in the NFL with 6½ sacks this season. … DT Tim Settle had two tackles for losses and a sack last week. … LB Neville Hewitt led the team with a season-high nine tackles last week and had an interception. … S Calen Bullock is tied for first among rookie in the league with three interceptions. He had an interception in the first meeting with Indianapolis. … CB Derek Stingley had six tackles, including one for a loss and defended a pass last week. ... LB Devin White, a Pro Bowler in 2021 with Tampa Bay, signed with Houston on Wednesday.
Fantasy tip
Mixon should be a good pickup this week against Indy’s struggling run defense after he’s combined for 217 yards rushing with three rushing TDs and one touchdown reception in the two games since returning from injury.