Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player receive Medal of Freedom from Trump

The ceremony took place in the East Room of the White House, in the presence of 50 to 60 people and "Went off without a hitch", one of the guests told GolfChannel.com. The event was not open to the press. WL Pate Jr, president of the Babe Zaharias Foundation, was to accept the medal in honor of Zaharias, who died in 1956.

Sorenstam and Player both played golf with President Trump in 2019. Sorenstam and Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) defeated Trump and Player.

They join Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Charlie Sifford and Tiger Woods, the only golfers to have received this honor.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom rewards "A particularly meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, to culture or to other important public or private enterprises". The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the nation's highest civilian honors.

Sorenstam, 50, has won 72 LPGA titles, edging Kathy Whitworth (88) and Mickey Wright (82) in tour history. She has won 10 major championships, edging out Patty Berg, Mickey Wright and Louise Suggs, having won 15, 13 and 11 victories respectively in women's golf history. Sorenstam has won the Rolex LPGA Female Player of the Year award eight times and the Vare Trophy with the lowest point averages six times. She is the only woman to score 59 in LPGA history.

After having been the ambassador for the return of golf to the Olympic Games in Rio., She has been, since January 1, the President of the International Golf Federation.

In the wake of the last big tournament of the year, the US Women's Open, Sorenstam has revealed that it has dusted off its clubs with the intention of returning to competition in 2021. But don't call it a comeback, Sorenstam says she's not interested in LPGA competitions, or even the Legends Tour, or the senior LPGA Tour.

However, the US Senior Women's Open, which takes place August 19-22 at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Conn., Is certainly in her sights for what would be her first professional start in nearly 13 years.

Gary Player, 85, is proud to have toured the world with 165 victories, including 24 on the PGA Tour, and nine in major championships. He is one of five men to have won all 4 Grand Slam titles in his career, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Zaharias, arguably the greatest female athlete of all time, having started playing golf at age 24 and winning ten major titles. She is also the only woman to have managed to carve out a place on the PGA Tour. In addition to her Hall of Fame golfing career, she won gold medals in the 80-meter hurdles and javelin throw at the 1932 Olympics.

To know more : https://www.whitehouse.gov/medaloffreedom/

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