GOLF NEWS ARTICLE

Pink Panther Has Sights On Annika's
Spot.

Creamer will be big drawcard at Sun City.

Grant Winter The Star, Johannesburg, South Africa, 05 January 2006 Johannesburg, South Africa - Having world No 1 Annika Sorenstam of Sweden here for the 20-nation Women's World Cup at Sun City from January 20-22 is going to be a special treat for South African golf fans. But colourful whiz kid Paula Creamer is another player sure to attract plenty attention. Known as the Pink Panther because of her fondness for anything pink, the 19-year-old American has made a storming start to her career as a young professional. In her rookie season on the LPGA Tour in 2005 she won twice - the Sybase Classic (that victory, coming before her high school graduation, was achieved when she was still 18 making her the youngest multi-round champion in the LPGA history) and the Evian Masters in France which is co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour. But she wasn't finished. Picked for the Solheim Cup match against Europe, she starred for the victorious Americans - thrashing former world No 1 Laura Davies 7 and 5 in singles. And Creamer was a big winner in Japan too, closing with a 68 for a mind-numbing 54-hole aggregate of 19-under-par 197 in the NEC Karuizawa to hold off tiny Ai Miyazato (who masterminded Japan's victory in the 2005 World Cup at Fancourt). As if that wasn't enough, she captured the Master GC Ladies tournament, defeating Chieko Amaruma in a sudden death playoff. There is no official world ranking for women although, clearly, Sorenstam is No. 1 and, judging by what has transpired in Creamer's first year on the LPGA Tour, she is already No 2. And, goodness, can she putt - topping the 2005 putting stats on tour (alongside Sorenstam, Lorena Ochea and Julie Inkster). Creamer, 5ft 9in with brown hair and green eyes, started gold at the age of 10 although it was kind of by accident. "As a young girl I was an acrobatic dancer and becoming a golfer was furthest from my mind. But we lived on a golf estate and one day me and four of my dancing friends were invited to a golf lesson. It was terrific fun and I got hooked." Right from the start, Paula started "creaming" the opposition. She won 16 national class junior events in the US, was No 1 junior in 2003 and No 1 women's amateur in 2004. Now her goal is to be world No 1. "Right now," says Paula, "that's Annika and she has raised the bar by making me practice harder that I'd ever imagined. I've just got to outwork her." "People said I crazy to turn pro at 18, instead of going to college. But I would rather be No 1 in the LPGA than No 1 in college. So far it's been a whirlwind." And the pink? "Practically everything I have is pink. I wear pink on the golf course, at the movies, going to dinner. If I have a choice, I'll have a pink toy which I carry with me everywhere. I love shopping and I'm a cellphone junkie." Autograph-seekers love her because she's very obliging in this regard. "I get a tick out of it," she admits. "I've had guys asking me to sign their beer cans and their cigarette packets - with a pink pen of course!" SOURCE: By Grant Winter, as published in The Star, page 21, Johannesburg, South Africa, 05 December 2006. Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide by Mike Pedersen Click Image To Visit Product Website "I Recommend Mike's E-Book Unreservedly!" Mike Pedersen has done two different things very well: he has 1), written with authority, knowledge, and unquestionable expertise on how to get and to stay in shape specifically for golfers, and 2), he has done it in a pleasurable, easy-to-read, and crystal clear manner... The book is, first of all, very well organized--so you can start right from the beginning and take things at your own pace. Mike covers areas in addition to those you would expect, i.e., psychological factors, aging, motivation, enjoyment ...it is right there up front with the applicability to every step of a golf swing--from setup to the end of the swing--and the end of the whole round, for that matter. I recommend Mike's book unreservedly: it is the work of a true professional. All the more so given that its cost is the smallest fraction of the cost to obtain a personalized regimen, or compared to a few visits to a gym or health club. -George Hibbard Author, Golf's Critical Details www.PerfectImpact.com