STATELINE, Nev. — Golf legend and part-time Lake Tahoe resident Annika Sörenstam has arrived at the American Century Championship with a chance to make history.

The 10-time major champion enters this year’s celebrity golf tournament among the favorites after finishing third in 2024. Sportsbooks have listed Sörenstam at 9-to-1 odds to win, and a victory would make her the first woman to capture the American Century Championship title.

While the competition has intensified in recent years, Sörenstam said the annual event remains about much more than the leaderboard.

“When you are here, it’s more about your family and friends, and having a good time and playing the sport together,” she said.

Sorenstam’s decorated career has made her one of the most accomplished golfers in history. She has recorded more than 90 professional victories worldwide, including 72 LPGA Tour wins and 10 major championships. She also holds eight Rolex Player of the Year awards and six Vare Trophies.

Known as “Ms. 59,” Sorenstam remains the only woman to shoot a sub-60 round in an official professional tournament. In 2003, she became the first woman in 58 years to compete in a PGA Tour event when she played in the Colonial Invitational.

Country music star and fan favorite Jake Owen also praised Sörenstam’s impact away from the course.

“She’s a great golfer, but she’s way better of a human being than she is a golfer, and I can attest to that,” said Owen while recalling a conversation with his father about Sörenstam.

Although she stepped away from full-time professional golf following the 2008 season to focus on her family and business ventures, Sörenstam’s legacy has only continued to grow. Sörenstam founded ANNIKA Foundation in 2007 to create opportunities for junior, collegiate and professional golfers.

“We have given back almost $10 million to the sport,” Sörenstam said.

Whether or not she leaves Tahoe with the trophy, Sörenstam’s influence on the game continues to extend through her foundation.