Back on LPGA turf, Sorenstam is dominant again.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Ann Killion

On Sunday, America's most famous golfer of the moment was back where she says she belongs. Back where she has always been, long before the nation noticed her. Back to the business of winning LPGA tournaments.

Annika Sorenstam won the Kellogg-Keebler Classic, shooting a 71 to beat her nearest competitor by three strokes. For her efforts, she won $180,000.

Not bad for three days of work. But her PGA Tour counterpart, Kenny Perry, earned $900,000 for winning the Memorial in Columbus, Ohio. Last Sunday, while Perry was winning the tournament Sorenstam made famous, Juli Inkster shot a 62 to win the Corning Classic and took home $150,000.

In the past eight days, Perry has won $1.8 million. Sorenstam, the golfer everyone is talking about, hasn't won even half that much all season, despite winning two tournaments and finishing in the top ten of all six events she has played. She has made $734,501 this year, which would put her at 47th on the PGA Tour money list, just below that household name, Aaron Baddeley.

This may well end up being Sorenstam's lasting legacy. Her new fame and elevated status can call some much-needed attention to the inequities in prize money on the men's and women's tours.

Of course, prize money is a function of sponsorship, and you can't force companies to put up money unless they think they're going to get a return on it. For a long time, the LPGA hasn't been considered a great investment or the spot for high visibility.