CC reunites Sorenstam, Wilson

LEHI — When the 11th annual Sorenson Champions Challenge tees off today, it will be a reunion of sorts for two golfers, Annika Sorenstam and Dean Wilson.

It was back in 2003 that Sorenstam made history by becoming the first woman to play in a men's PGA Tour event at the Colonial Invitational in Texas. While Sorenstam gained a lot of notoriety for her effort, so did Wilson.

The former BYU golfer was one of her partners for her two rounds, and he received praise for the way he welcomed Sorenstam and made her feel comfortable in the all-male domain.

"It was a funny way to meet," said Sorenstam Monday before she teed off in the pro-am. "We've kept in touch, and I look forward to playing with him again."

Sorenstam and Wilson tee off today at 10 a.m. in the $475,000 two-person scramble tournament with Sorenstam playing with her sister, Charlotta, and Wilson teamed with PGA Tour regular Charley Hoffman who is a friend of Wilson's in Las Vegas. Wilson's regular partner, Mike Weir, with whom he won the event in 2003 and 2004, had a conflict this week.

"It's good to see her again and it will be fun," said Wilson, who noted that they played together in a golf event about three years ago.

"It's great. We've sent text messages to each other. Every time she'd win a tournament, I'd give her a call and I think she won 10 times that year after we played together. She called me when I won."

Sorenstam is excited to be playing with her sister, who also plays on the LPGA Tour, calling it "sisterly love on the golf course again."

Earlier this year, Sorenstam announced that this will be her last year of competitive golf. She didn't say whether this would be her last appearance at the Champions Challenge, but she plans to go out with a bang this year on the LPGA Tour.

"I'm playing consistent golf right now and I've won three times already," she said. "I'm very happy. My last year is going to be great."

"I know she'll be staying busy," Charlotta said. "I'm impressed the way she did it, going out on top. She deserves it. She works hard."

The other group likely to garner a lot of attention today is the final group with Jack Nicklaus and his son, Mike, and Johnny Miller and his son, Scott.

Johnny had to miss Monday's pro-am because he had to stay in San Diego for the exciting playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. He rushed home Monday night to be at the pro-am dinner and will play today.