Young golfers shine with Sorenstam, Hamm

SEAGROVE BEACH — Ivey Kelly’s shot on the 10th hole was so good that not even Annika Sorenstam could top it.

Kelly was among 20 local junior golfers who teed it up Friday with the LGPA Tour icon and soccer legend Mia Hamm in a 10-hole match at Origins Golf Club at Watersound. The tourney helped kick off the ANNIKA Experience, a two-day charity event that celebrates active lifestyles and wellness education.

The youngsters each played one hole on Origins’ par-3 setup, either on Team Annika or Team Mia. After watching the other golfers take their turns, Kelly’s opportunity arrived on the last hole. The 15-year-old from Niceville said she had to take a deep breath before taking aim and unloading her tee shot.

The ball sailed toward the flag and landed closer to the hole than Sorenstam’s had. For one shot, Kelly was better than a 10-time major champion.

“I may have been at the moment,” she said with a wide grin. “But she is definitely someone that I will always be honored to play with. Not a lot of people get the chance to do anything like this.

“My heart is beating.”

Nineteen other junior golfers knew the feeling.

Well, maybe not Caroline Craig. With the cameras rolling, cameras popping and a large crowd watching her every move, the 9-year-old from Niceville calmly buried a birdie putt on the fifth hole. She gleefully raised a fist, got a high-five from Hamm and a hug from Sorenstam.

“I was thinking about where it would go and when it would break, so I had to putt it at the edge of the cup,” Craig said.

On a morning perfect for golf, Sorenstam and Hamm strolled from hole to hole with the gallery, often stopping to pose for photos with admiring fans. Before the match they led a golf clinic, doling out nuggets of wisdom on their respective sports and lifestyles and swapping some stories.

Sorenstam admitted that tennis was her first sport of choice. As a child, she found golf “slow” and “for old people.” Hamm got involved in sports knowing full well she wasn’t going to be a singer or dancer.

“I can only echo that thought because I can’t sing, either,” Sorenstam said.

On the course, there was no doubt who was the pro, as Sorenstam effortlessly looped her tee shots onto the greens. Taking a cue from her laid-back demeanor, Destin’s Kyle Andre playfully asked her if she needed help lining up a putt while the 17-year-old caddied for her on the fourth hole.

After an inauspicious start, Hamm whacked a superb tee shot on No. 4. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and soccer Hall of Famer threw up her hands in relief and went on to find the green several times.

As for shots of the day, Ginny Shipman delivered one of the best on the first hole. The 16-year-old from Panama City put her shot onto the green and it stopped within reasonable birdie distance. Like Kelly, she was closer than Sorenstam.

“It was amazing,” Shipman said. “I was very nervous and I hit the shot, and all the nerves went away. (Sorenstam) said, ‘Congratulations, it was a great shot. It was better than mine.’ ”