By Fred Altvater
Annika Sorenstam, who will captain the European Junior Solheim Cup Team in 2021 at , Sylvania Country Club, compiled several amazing statistics during her competitive years. She was the first woman to break the 60 barrier by firing a 59 in the second round of the Standard Register PING in 2001. She accepted an invitation to play in the 2003 Colonial, a stop on the PGA Tour, becoming the first woman to compete on the men’s tour since Babe Zaharias in 1945. She won consecutive U.S. Women’s Opens in 1995 and 1996, won the Vare Trophy seven times and was the first woman to end the season with a sub 70 scoring average.
But, can it be true given the depth of great young talent on the LPGA Tour, plus the ever-increasing purses, that Annika Sorenstam, who retired from golf over 12 years ago, still leads the all-time money list?
Michael Whan has done a fantastic job of revitalizing the LPGA Tour since its nadir in 2010. The 2020 season was scheduled to be its biggest ever with 33 tournaments, including the UL International Crown and the 2020 Olympics thrown in for good measure.
The globe–trotting women of the LPGA Tour were set to rack up the frequent flyer miles with big events spread across eight different countries, from Europe to Asia. More than 500 hours of coverage was to be aired on televisions around the world and the total purse available was over $75 million.
COVID-19 threw a severe monkey wrench into the original plan, but Whan and his staff were able to construct a schedule that allowed the pros to compete and still travel to Scotland for the Women’s Scottish Open and the AIG Women’s OPEN Championship.
Over her 16-year career, Annika won 72 LPGA Tour titles, including ten major championships, and amassed over $22 million in total earnings. Karrie Webb, also retired, is second on the career money list.
Christie Kerr, with $19.9 million, is third and Inbee Park ranks fourth at $16.4 million. Numbers 5, 6 and 7, Lorena Ochoa, Suzann Pettersen and Juli Inkster are retired, as well. Stacy Lewis is an active winner on tour but is $9 million behind Sorenstam in career earnings.
Of this list only 32-year-old Inbee Park, who is playing part time these days, has an outside chance of catching Annika, but she is still nearly $6 million behind and would need five, or six very good years to reach Annika’s $22 million.
Given inflation and larger purses, it is inevitable that someone will eventually surpass Annika, but her total earnings record has survived for over 12 years and looks good to set the standard for a few more.
