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10MAN · 06-07-2003 12:18 AM

Annika turns down Riegger, says she respects PGA Tour
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Associated Press

WILMINGTON, Del. -- Annika Sorenstam was amused by a PGA Tour journeyman who challenged her to an 18-hole match for $1 million.

But John Riegger will have to prove his point to someone else.

"I'm not interested,'' Sorenstam said Friday at the LPGA Championship.

Sorenstam already had her day against the guys, becoming the first woman in 58 years on the PGA Tour when she played in the Colonial two weeks ago. She had respectable rounds of 71-74 and missed the cut by four shots.

"It's quite an interesting topic, and everybody is coming up with some ideas,'' Sorenstam said. "I did want I wanted to do, and I had a great time doing it. It was the biggest challenge of my life, and that's where I want to leave it at.''

Riegger didn't want to let it go, offended that Sorenstam could even dream of finishing 100th on the PGA Tour money list if she were to play 30 times.

Riegger hasn't come close to doing that in the 18 years since he turned pro. He has only one top 10 in 144 tries on the PGA Tour and has never finished higher than 140th on the money list. His career earnings are just over $1 million.

The quote in question came last week in Chicago. Coming off a whirlwind performance at the Colonial, Sorenstam was pressed to estimate how she could do if she played a full schedule against the men -- although she had said she wouldn't play the PGA Tour again.

"If I played there all year and I played 30 tournaments, and I choose the 30 tournaments, who knows? I think I'd be in the top 100 on the money list,'' she said. "Maybe I'm dreaming, but I feel very good about my game and my chances.

"But that's not something I want to try.''

Riegger said he had backers in Las Vegas who would put up the $1 million, although he never said who they were and later suggested the event could be a pay-per-view situation.

Sorenstam heard about the challenge Thursday night from her agent, and she read about it in the newspaper Friday morning. "I thought it was quite funny,'' she said.

Then she went out and shot a 7-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead in the LPGA Championship.

"I thought everything would die down,'' Sorenstam said. "I have a lot of respect for those guys. I didn't mean to offend anybody.''