WASHINGTON: Hall of Fame golfers Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player, along with the late Olympian Babe Didrikson Zaharias, have been presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Thursday.
The award is one of the nations highest civilian honors. President Donald Trump has generally held public ceremonies when presenting the honor, but Thursdays event was closed to the media. The president had no public events listed on his schedule following the previous days mayhem at the Capitol where pro-Trump supporters stormed the building, forcing it into lockdown.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany released a statement on the awards, which for Sorenstam and Player had been previously announced last March.
Both are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Player, who is South African, won 24 PGA Tour events and 118 international tournaments.
Sorenstam, who is Swedish, completed her LPGA career with 72 tournament victories and was the dominant player of her…
