COLONIAL For Sorenstam and PGA, the day has finally arrived

The LPGA standout was 1-under par through eight holes.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- No more mulligans. No more practice. No more waiting for Annika Sorenstam.
After years of dreaming and three months of hype, Sorenstam finally teed off today in the Colonial, the first woman in 58 years to play in a PGA Tour event.
"I can't prepare any more," said Sorenstam, given a 500-1 chance to win by Las Vegas oddsmakers. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I've been practicing a lot the last few months and I want the day to come. It's here. So whatever happens, happens."
Not a trailblazer
Like everybody else, Sorenstam was ready to find out how she scored and how she coped with all the attention of being the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to play on the tour.
Sorenstam, the No. 1 female player in the world, was to start at the 10th tee with PGA Tour rookies Dean Wilson and Aaron Barber.
Her final practice round on the par-70 course ended on the 11th fairway Wednesday when the pro-am was called because of steady rain. She was at least 1-over par, having picked up her ball on a couple of holes.
"I worked a little on my swing and I was more calm," she said. "I hit some good shots. I love the golf course."
The 7,080-yard layout is a longer, tougher course than any she has played in competition. But two days of rain might have provided a break, making the normally crusty and firm greens more forgiving, allowing her to aim at the flag with long irons and her 7-wood.
"The course is obviously playing much longer, so the only good news is the greens are softer so I can fire more at the flag," she said. "I'm going to hit a few longer clubs than I expected."
Sorenstam will be under more scrutiny than any player since Tiger Woods made his pro debut in the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open.
And for the first time in years, Sorenstam is playing in a tournament she is not expecting to win. The 32-year-old Swede said she would be "so pleased" to shoot par.
Objective
Sorenstam isn't trying to prove she can beat the boys. She isn't suggesting that the LPGA Tour, where she has won 43 times and four majors, is no longer a challenge.
What a sponsor's exemption in the Bank of America Colonial is allowing her to do is find out how her game stacks up against the best in the world. She said a week on the PGA Tour will satisfy her curiosity.