SORENSTAM WINS SIXTH CAREER
VARE TROPHY

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 20, 2005 – After watching other players hoist the Vare Trophy the past two years, Annika Sorenstam beefed up her 2005 schedule to ensure that she would meet the required 70 rounds this year to be eligible to win the LPGA's award for lowest scoring average.

Sorenstam was more than eligible. The 35-year-old claimed her sixth career Vare Trophy—second most in LPGA history behind Kathy Whitworth's seven—after rounds of 69-70-74-69 at the ADT Championship to finish with a 69.33 average, 1.5267 shots better than Cristie Kerr.

Sorenstam ended the previous two seasons with the lowest scoring average, but was not able to win the Vare Trophy because she did not play in 70 rounds. But this year, Sorenstam competed in 74 rounds and easily won the award. Sorenstam also won the Vare Trophy in 1995-96, 1998 and 2001-02.

Sorenstam's 69.33 scoring average is the fourth lowest in LPGA history and came via 52 rounds under par, with 42 of those rounds in the 60s. Sorenstam now owns the five-lowest scoring averages in LPGA history, setting an LPGA record in 2004 when she finished her season with a 68.6970 average.

“I have always been a person who crunches numbers,” said Sorenstam. “Stats mean a lot, it shows a lot of consistency. Having said that, I'm very proud.

“It's something I haven't won the previous two years since I've been cutting back on my schedule. Now that I'm back playing a full season, to win the Vare Trophy again means a lot.”

The award caps off a fantastic season for Sorenstam, who also won the Rolex Player of the Year Award and the ADT Official Money List title, both for the eighth time in her career. Sorenstam won 10 of 20 starts this year, including two majors, and successfully defended six out of eight tournaments.

She exceeded the $2 million mark in season earnings for the fifth consecutive year and is still the only player in LPGA history to eclipse $2 million in a single season. In the process, Sorenstam set or tied records for most consecutive rounds in the 60s (14), most consecutive wins in tournaments participated (5, from the 2004 Mizuno Classic to the 2005 Kraft Nabisco Championship), most consecutive wins at the same tournament (5, Mizuno Classic) and most wins at the same tournament (5, Samsung World Championship).

Sorenstam, who owns 66 LPGA titles, is the only Swede to have won the Vare Trophy and is the 11 th consecutive international player to win the award. Beth Daniel, 1994, was the last U.S.-born player to claim the honor.

This is the sixth season that Sorenstam has ended the year with a sub-70 average. Only three others players—Se Ri Pak (twice), Grace Park and Karrie Webb—have finished a season with an average below 70.