LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Danielle Kang’s success from working with Butch Harmon was well documented. But her success from working with Annika Sorenstam? Well, Sunday could tell the story.
On Thursday, Kang took the lead at the Diamond Resorts Tournament with 64 opening rounds. Also in the arena this week, in the celebrity category are Sorenstam, winner of the 72-time LPGA Tour and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame . . Sorenstam, who are seventh among the celebrities after Round 1, revealed that she has been working with the five-time LPGA winner.
“We’ve been having a few phone conversations and just some sort of mental preparation,” said Sorenstam, who was in the group behind Kang on Thursday. “So it was fun to see her play. ”
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Kang isn’t the only LPGA player looking for lessons from the myth.
Sorenstam played the opening round alongside defensive champion Gaby Lopez. Growing up in Mexico, Lopez named Lorena Ochoa but she looked up to Sorenstam as well. The 27-year-old took the opportunity to learn from Hall of Famer on Thursday.
“We talked a lot about short-term goals,” Lopez said of her tour with Sorenstam. “She was in control in so many ways and was always asking herself, ‘How can I get better in this area, in this area? ‘Just breaking it down so that she feels she is achieving different goals in the short term to gain confidence, to be comfortable. ”
Many players in the field grew to watch Sorenstam, but most never got a chance to play alongside her in her lead. Sorenstam retired in 2008. Kang joined the Tour in 2012 and Lopez in 2016.
“I was talking to Gaby and she goes, ‘Tell me, how do you prepare and keep the focus for so long?’ ”Sorenstam said. “I’m trying to think. I’m all over the place, just trying to say what I remember. ”
Any lessons that Sorenstam can share are of benefit to those who get a chance to play with her, which is a learning experience in itself.
“When I was growing up, I wished I could be Lorena Ochoa or Annika Sorenstam,” Lopez said. “Today is probably one of the luckiest days of my life to play with her in a competitive tour. ”