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Annika at the Colonial - we reveal all! |
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May 9, 2003; Source: AnyoneForTee.com World Exclusive Annika had cooked up something to make even Vijay sing, but her black bikini by Gobra curried no favours at the PGA  Annika Sörenstam wanted to shrug off her critics - and most of her clothes - by opting to wear a daring black bikini during the recent Bank of America Colonial Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas.AnyoneForTee gained privileged access to the Swedish star's training camp in the lead-up to the Colonial. In a worldwide exclusive, we can now unveil (left) the stunning, minimalist couture she had planned for her debut on the men's circuit. Sörenstam, the world's leading woman golfer, had caused outrage among elements of the men's tour with her decision to participate in the event. Fijian professional Vijay Singh said bitterly: "I hope she misses the cut. Why? Because she doesn't belong out there. She's taking a spot from someone else. If I am drawn to play with her, I will pull out."  [Editor's note: He wasn't but he did. Following his PGA Tour victory the previous weekend, Singh pulled out of the Colonial, claiming he'd promised his wife a week off if he won. Far more likely is that Mrs Singh got a sneak preview of Annika's bikini and decided to get her husband well out of harm's way... The spectators at the Colonial certainly knew where their sympathies lay (picture right).]Others disagreed with Singh's attitude. World number one Tiger Woods said he was unfazed about the prospect of a tigress earning her stripes. Describing Singh's comments as "very unfortunate", he added: "I don't think his is a widely-held view. My message to Annika is 'just go and play'."  But Annika had planned to do more than play. Her daring choice of golfing garb was sponsored by leading US sports bra company Gobra ("Supporting women's golf for 20 years"), which had offered her a US$1 million incentive if she made the cut and a further US$5 million if she won the tournament in her bikini. "It's vital that she knocks those with attitudes like Vijay off their games right from the start," a Gobra insider had told AnyoneForTee. "No wonder Vijay withdrew. Once he'd seen Annika's all-over tan, six pack stomach and Gobra sports bikini, he would have been swaying so much he'd have thought he was watching the palm trees back in his native Fiji. Now he probably is."Annika herself denied accusations of sex-ploitation: "There's also a very practical element to it. It's hot and humid at the Colonial, so I'll be far more comfortable than the men. The bikini is also perfect in case I find myself in the water or the sand."  But sadly, it was not to be. PGA Tour officials, afraid of crowd trouble as spectators fought to catch a glimpse of Annika's bikini-clad figure, banned the outfit as "inappropriate attire". Commissioner Tim Finchem told AnyoneForTee, "The ladies can wear short shorts or sleeveless shirts, even bare their tummies on their own tour, but we have no such navel tradition out here. If Annika wants a skins game, she must find it elsewhere." Faced with the choice of wearing rather masculine long-trousers and short-sleeved shirts or withdrawing from the tournament, Annika had no choice. She played bravely through her two rounds and won the hearts of the gallery, but she was no longer able to show the men what she was truly made of. As she holed her final putt of the tournament, the tears began to flow."I know now how Martha Burk must feel," sobbed Annika, leaving the 18th green. "I'm going to support her all the way against Hootie, and I know Gobra will support me, despite what happened here."  Annika Sörenstam would have been the first ever golfer to wear a bikini during a PGA event, a claim that didn't impress some leading pros."You'll never see me wearing anything like that," humphed the Walrus - veteran Craig Stadler - to a roar of collective relief from the Sponsor's tent. |
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