Annika Sorenstam: The world’s No. 1-ranked female player held her first news conference on Wednesday via telephone from Huixquilucan, Mexico. She’ll make her LPGA season debut Friday, when she defends the first of her 10 titles from 2005 in the MasterCard Classic honoring Alejo Peralta.

Chances are Sorenstam will prevail, considering she has won her last two season debuts, and three out of the last four. If not, there’s always next week’s Safeway International, where she will be going for a three-peat at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club.

“I have some wonderful memories of Phoenix, in general,’’ Sorenstam said of the tournament she has won three times, including in 2001, when it was played at Moon Valley Country Club. “Shooting 59 (in 2001), and winning there twice at Superstition Mountain.

“(The Safeway International) has the best players in the world there (the top 50 money-winners from 2005), and it’s a first-class event – one of the better stops on our tour. . . . I’d like to get off to a good start, and do what I did last year.’’

In 2005, the former University of Arizona star opened her season by winning three straight, including the first major of the season – the Kraft Nabisco Championship. And while she liked playing the Kraft Nabisco the week after the Safeway International, this year there is a one-week layoff between the two tournaments. “I don’t know if I like it, it’s just the way it is,’’ said Sorenstam, who makes it a habit never to offend.

The same can’t be said of some of her younger-and-brasher rivals, such as Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel. But when pressed about the brat pack, Sorenstam gave another carefully worded answer: “The competition is getting tougher every year. There is a lot of young players who are very hungry to take over the No. 1 spot.’’

Chances are the kids have a long way to go to catch the 35-year-old Sorenstam and her 66 career wins. Sorenstam also said she has “A lot more peace in my life’’ this year, a reference, presumably, to the divorce she went through last year with her ex-husband, David Esch. If that’s the case, look out wanna-be’s!

On her game plan: “I just try to play my game, focus on what I do. I try not to focus on a particular player. I have enough on my plate.’’

On the new women’s world rankings: “I think it’s great that (the) world rankings came out. It needs to be tweaked a little bit, but in a few months, hopefully, it will be accurate.

I think 15 events (minimum to be ranked) is not enough. It should be 30 events, or something like that.’’

PRO RANKS

Party time: The LPGA, which is doing its darndest to increase its star power in certain circles, sent a group of six players to the Oscar Awards on Sunday night in Los Angeles. Among those attending the notorious after-parties were Paul Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Jimin Kang, Cristie Kerr, Christina Kim and Stephanie Louden. Outfitted in designer gowns (what else?) they joined new commissioner Carolyn Bivens on the VIP circuit.

Sweepstakes: For those who can’t get enough of the “Daly Planet,’’ The Golf Channel is now sponsoring “A Day with Daly’’ sweepstakes, in which winners fly to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and spend the Monday following the Masters with Big John. The best part, however, might come later that night, when winners get the VIP treatment at a Hootie & The Blowfish concert. To enter, visit www.thegolfchannel.com.

NOTEWORTHY

Rated: Eight golf courses in Arizona recently made Golfweek’s “ America’s Best 100 Modern Courses’’ list. They included Desert Forest in Carefree (No. 23), The Rim in Payson (No. 45), Forest Highlands (Canyon Course) in Flagstaff, Whisper Rock in Scottsdale (No. 67), Stone Canyon in Tucson (No. 73), Quintero near Lake Pleasant (No. 79), Estancia in Scottsdale (No. 81) and Seven Canyons in Sedona (No. 99). All are private.

Futuristic: The Legacy Golf Resort in south Phoenix is the first such facility in the U.S. to offer wireless-motion technology called the K-Vest. The new kinetic academy is headed by Tim Suzor. A one-hour lesson with Suzor and the K-Vest costs $149. For information, visit www.kineticgolfacademy.com.