Cromwell, Conn. ? Suzy Whaley has been busy getting ready for the Greater Hartford Open since becoming the first woman to qualify for a PGA event.

By the time the GHO begins July 24, Whaley will have played in four LPGA events, including a major, a Futures tournament and a U.S. Open qualifying event.

“It’s very difficult to juggle it all,” she said. “Part of the challenge for me is I don’t have the ability to practice as much as I would like. That doesn’t mean I’m not working as hard as I can in each area. At the end of the day, the time I commit will have to be good enough.”

The mother of two young girls and the pro at Blue Fox Run in Avon, Whaley qualified for the event when she won the Connecticut PGA Sectional in September.

Preparing for the GHO has meant extra work for Whaley. Not only has she intensified her conditioning, but Whaley’s had to travel to play golf because spring in Connecticut has been cold and rainy.

While Whaley became the first woman to qualify for a PGA Tour event, Annika Sorenstam will become the first woman to play in one in 58 years when she tees it up at the Colonial next week. Sorenstam received a sponsor’s exemption to play. Whaley will be monitoring the action on TV closely.

“I’ll be absolutely glued. I’ll watch every single shot,” Whaley said. “I’m already nervous for her. I want her to do great.”

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Schedule clash: Masters champion Mike Weir has traveled to Argentina, Japan and Mexico the last three years to play in the World Cup, a rare chance for him to represent Canada in a team competition.

The World Cup is in Kiawah Island, S.C., this year, but Weir has little choice but to take himself — and possibly his country — out of the tournament.

Because of scheduling problems created by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the World Cup will be played Nov. 13-16, one week before the Presidents Cup in South Africa.

“It looks like if I don’t go, Canada might not be able to qualify,” Weir said. “On the other hand, if I play in the World Cup, I lose a day and don’t get to South Africa until Tuesday. That gives me one practice round, and that’s not fair to the Presidents Cup team.”

The Presidents Cup — matches between the United States and an International team from everywhere but Europe — had been played in even-numbered years, but was pushed back to 2003 when the Ryder Cup was delayed.

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Giving Back: Laura Diaz and her teammates at Wake Forest made a pledge that if one of them made it big on the LPGA Tour, she would buy the women’s golf team a new van. Diaz never forgot. During the Wake Forest annual pro-am two weeks ago, Diaz gave coach Dianne Dailey the title to a new van. It has leather seats and a TV, plus a VCR and DVD player.

“It’s a wonderful gift,” Dailey said. “For Laura to give back to the university in this way really means a lot.”