Fort Worth, Texas ? Annika Sorenstam marched to the first tee and quickly removed her rain jacket, like a fighter taking off a robe after stepping into the ring.

At the start of her practice round Tuesday with Jesper Parnevik and Sergio Garcia, she needed to know what kind of match they were playing and how much money was at stake.

“Jesper asked me how many shots I wanted,” Sorenstam recalled. “And I told him, ‘I’m not here to get any shots.’ He didn’t say much more after that.”

Sorenstam did not walk into this cauldron at Colonial Country Club seeking strokes, much less sympathy. She only wanted to see how her game — the best in women’s golf — would stack up against the men.

After years of dreaming and three months of hype, she’s about to find out.

Thursday, Sorenstam will become the first woman in 58 years to compete on the PGA Tour.

“If I wait another week, three months or three years, I won’t be any more prepared,” Sorenstam said. “I’m ready to go.”