KLINE RECEIVES GINN TRIBUTE
SPONSOR'S EXEMPTION
By Associated Press
MT. PLEASANT, S.C. -- Annika Sorenstam invited a talented teen golfer with a rare heart condition to help launch her tournament. Sorenstam awarded a sponsor's exemption to 14-year-old MacKinzie Kline for the $2.6 million Ginn Tribute, hosted by Sorenstam from May 31-June 3.
Kline, of Encinitas, Calif., is one of the top-rated junior golfers in the country. She'll play on the Arnold Palmer-designed RiverTowne Country Club Course at the Belvidere Resort.
Because of her medical condition, Kline can't walk long distances without becoming fatigued. The LPGA issued a landmark ruling allowing Kline to become the first player in the organization's history to ride a cart during her rounds. Kline, who'll also have oxygen at her disposal, was born without a spleen and a heart that has only one ventricle.
