‘The course kicked my booty:’ Annika Sorenstam misses cut as she finishes career at U.S. Women’s Open

Annika Sorenstam struggled over her two rounds at Pebble Beach, a far cry from her dominant performances throughout her illustrious career.

“The course kicked my booty,” Sorenstam said after her 7-over round of 79 on Friday.

The Swede shot an 8-over 80 in her opening round on Thursday, thus missing the cut by nine strokes at the U.S. Women’s Open in what will likely be her last major championship.

“I wish I would have finished a little better,” Sorenstam added. “I think it’s a really good setup. It’s a true test in so many ways. Great condition and just really fair. It just wasn’t meant to be, but everything else had been meant for me, and I’m just thankful for having the opportunity to be here.”

Sorenstam is easily one of the greatest golfers of all-time. She will finish her career with 72 career LPGA Tour victories. She also captured ten major championships, which ranks fourth all-time.

However, the women ahead of her all played in an entirely different era, with Mickey Wright being the most recent to play in 1966.

It’s only fitting that the woman who helped transform women’s golf ends her career at a course with such historical significance.

Pebble Beach has hosted six U.S. Opens, and the 1977 PGA Championship won by Lanny Wadkins. The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour is annually contested there each February.

Now the best female players in the world get to tackle the famous Monterrey track for the first time at the U.S. Women’s Open.

“To see how far women’s golf has come the last few years by playing courses like this, and I’m hoping there are young girls around the world that are watching this championship that are dreaming about one day playing on the LPGA or in a USGA championship,” Sorenstam noted.

“We’ve played some great courses in the past, but this is a course people fly around the world to come and play.”

Pebble Beach is indeed a special place. Tiger Woods won there. So have Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus.

Viktor Hovland won the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach, the fifth time the top amateur championship in the world was contested along 17-mile Drive.

But now, as Sorenstam rides off into the sunset, new and younger LPGA Tour stars such as Rose Zhang are ascending to the top of the female game.

And the best courses are now hosting these talented women at major championships as the LPGA continues to trend upwards.

“Whether it’s the courses, the purses, the arrangements, and everything about it. It’s just a notch up,” Sorenstam added. “That’s what the women deserve, and hopefully,y we can continue on this train. The women deserve it, no doubt, and it’s finally here, and let’s go up from here.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.