Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on March 23, the White House announced Friday.
President Donald J. Trump will present the honor in a ceremony.
I can’t wait to head to the @WhiteHouse in a couple of weeks. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/cbwyOiPrAZ
— Annika Sorenstam (@ANNIKA59) March 7, 2020
Sorenstam and Player will join Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Charlie Sifford and Tiger Woods as the only golfers to receive the award.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom recognizes “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the nation’s highest civilian awards.
Sorenstam, 49, won 72 LPGA titles, trailing only Kathy Whitworth (88) and Mickey Wright (82) as most in tour history. She won 10 major championships, trailing only Patty Berg (15), Mickey Wright (13) and Louise Suggs (11) as most in the history of women’s golf. Sorenstam won the LPGA’s Rolex Player of the Year Award eight times and the Vare Trophy for low scoring average six times. She’s the only woman to shoot 59 in LPGA history.
Player, 84, took pride taking the game around the world, winning 165 times around the globe, with 24 of those PGA Tour titles, nine of them major championships. He is one of just five men to win the career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.