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By Greg Hardwig
Naples Daily News
Annika Sorenstam is back playing with the boys, albeit in a different format.
Three years after becoming the first female in 45 years to play in a PGA Tour event, Sorenstam will play in her third challenge season tournament, The Franklin Templeton Shootout at Tiburón Golf Club from Friday through Sunday.
 | | Sorenstam: "This is a great honor for me to be invited to such a great tournament, and I've been watching this on TV for several years." |
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Sorenstam played in the Skins Game in 2003, 2004 and 2005, but this is her first appearance in a multiple-round tournament with men since the Bank of America Colonial in 2003.
"Obviously, I'm thrilled to be here," said Sorenstam, who will play with Fred Couples in the 12-team unofficial PGA Tour event. "This is a great honor for me to be invited to such a great tournament, and I've been watching this on TV for several years."
Sorenstam has been part of the Skins Game foursome with Couples in each of the past three years. She also followed him at The Masters several years ago.
"It made it even more special for me to get a chance to play with Freddie here," she said. "I want to thank him for wanting to play with me. It's going to be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to a great week."
"She hits the ball like a machine; it doesn't curve, it's unbelievable, and I have a lot of respect for her game," Couples said. "I actually enjoy watching her play."
The purse is $2.75 million with the winners splitting $675,000. Merrill Lynch is in its first year as title sponsor, replacing Franklin Templeton Investments. USA Network has the telecast today, with CBS Sports taking over on the weekend for the final time. NBC Sports takes over next year.
The 54-hole tournament has three different formats -- modified alternate shot today, better ball on Saturday and a scramble on Sunday.
 | | Couples: She hits the ball like a machine; it doesn't curve, it's unbelievable, and I have a lot of respect for her game." |
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Couples and Sorenstam realize that today's alternate shot, which is routinely the most taxing for any group, will be the key.
"The alternate shot, it's a very stressful day," Couples said. "I've played in Ryder Cups, Presidents Cups, she's played in Solheim Cups, and there's a little bit of a bonus that we both tee off on every hole."
The golfers playing with Sorenstam this week are happy to see her, especially Kenny Perry, who teamed with John Huston to win the title last year by a stroke over Couples and Adam Scott. Perry did rather well in the Bank of America Colonial in 2003, the event Sorenstam played in and missed the cut by four strokes.
"I'm the answer to the trivia question, 'Who won the week Annika Sorenstam played on the PGA Tour?'" Perry said.
Sorenstam and Couples aren't the only interesting pairing.
Tournament host and founder Greg Norman is playing with Nick Faldo, 10 years after his collapse at The Masters allowed Faldo to win the title. And two of the tour's longest drivers -- John Daly and J.B. Holmes -- are playing together as well.
But two of the lesser-known players in the field could be the favorites. South Africans Trevor Immelman, who finished seventh on the money list, and Rory Sabbatini teamed together to win the World Cup in 2003.
"I think if we play well, we've got a good chance, but you never know with this sort of a format," Immelman said. "Any team can strike fire and play well. I think the two of us are really just going to have some fun and see what happens. We're not getting too worked up about it or anything."
"I'd say that Trevor and I know each other's games well," Sabbatini said. "We have very similar games in a lot of fashions, and I think this format suits us very much. We obviously have experience with it. I definitely think we'll be tough out there."
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