Annika Sorenstam confirms she now loses to son Will, 14, in golf
Beth Ann Nichols- Annika Sorenstam's 14-year-old son, Will McGee, has started to beat her on the golf course.
- Sorenstam and McGee are competing as a team for the second time at the PNC Championship in Orlando.
Will McGee beat his mom on the golf course for the first time this summer.
McGee tried to downplay it when asked directly by Associated Press reporter Doug Ferguson, but there's an undeniable sense of pride. His mother, after all, is Annika Sorenstam, the greatest LPGA player of the modern era.
"He's done it a few times this year, and he's outdriving me now too," said Sorenstam. "It pushes me, what can I say? It's one of those feelings where as a parent, I'm psyched for him, but I'm also like, hmm, I want to keep going. I'm so competitive."
This week at the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, they're on the same team and one of the most popular duos at the family event. McGee, 14, has an enthusiasm for the game that's contagious and a heartwarming admiration for his mother.
There are 20 teams competing at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in the two-day, 36-hole tournament that features a scramble format. To qualify for the elite field, one member of each team must have won at least one major or Players Championship title, while their partner must not hold any playing status on a professional tour.
Sorenstam and her son made their PNC debut in 2022 and became instant fan favorites.
"The first time we played, I think I was a little bit more in control, telling him what to do, where to hit it and what to do," said Sorenstam, who won 72 titles, including 10 majors. "Now it's probably a little bit vice versa, which I'm proud of because he's got a really good sense for the game. He's been out here.
"I just love his attitude, that kind of free spirit, go for it. As you know, at that age you don't really have the fear. Therefore, I go out there and just kind of enjoy it with him."
McGee, who plays high school golf at Lake Highland Prep, used to go out there hoping for solid contact. Now he can work the ball and enjoys being creative. At her peak, Sorenstam said she was a grinder, perfecting her stock shot during practice sessions by hitting it over and over again. McGee, on the other hand, might not hit the same shot twice. She marvels at his short game.
"He likes to just work it all kinds of directions and hitting it high or hitting it soft," said Sorenstam. "So he has a very different feel than I do. I would say that nowadays, he can generate some speed. We'll hit balls next to each other, and I can hear that last minute, like a little acceleration. It frustrates me that I don't have that acceleration anymore. I would say that's what he has."
When it comes to making decisions this week, a wise McGee knows his place.
"I trust her game a lot," he said. "If she tells me what to do, I understand. I believe what she's saying is accurate because she's been around the game a long time. She knows what's right. It's hard to listen to her sometimes because she's my mom. I feel like I know better, but I don't."
As for those friendly competitions, McGee has now defeated his mom on more than one occasion, including a round at Trump Turnberry in Scotland.
"If she plays well and I play well, we're about the same," he said, "but she's a lot more consistent. If I play bad, she's going to destroy me."
They used to play for ice cream. If McGee lost, he had to do the dishes. Now the bets come with money on the line, but mom isn't giving anything away.
"As a parent, I love it. Every inch of it I love, but it makes me competitive," said Sorenstam. "We don't give putts. We don't hit one over. I would say that we're pretty serious when we play because there is -- I mean, I have a little bit of an ego too, but then I want to push him.
"Many times you could tell that he wants to beat me, and I don't give up, but when he does, it's truly earned."