Suzann Pettersen strips down for ESPN the Magazine’s ‘Body Issue’
Suzann Pettersen is one of the top golfers on the planet, but what a lot of people don't know about her is that she not only spends countless hours working on her game, but her body as well.
As a Golfweek story mentioned back in 2010, Pettersen built a $40,000 gym in the basement of her Orlando, Fla., home, to keep her body in peak shape year-round. There's no question the time she's put in at the gym has paid off in a big way. Pettersen has a major championship and is currently ranked No. 6 in the world, so clearly she's doing something right.
ESPN the Magazine apparently recognized the hard work the Norwegian was putting in off the course and offered her the chance to showcase her athletic physique in the upcoming "Body Issue," which hits newsstands on Friday.
[Related: Women's MMA star Ronda Rousey bares all in ESPN's 'Body Issue']
"A lot of the best athletes in the world have done it, and I thought it was great to be asked. I thought about it, being naked and all, but I never really considered not doing it," Pettersen told USA Today. "I just had to make sure that I was comfortable in doing it. It's as natural as it gets. It's health at its peak."
If you're not familiar with the "Body Issue," it's ... well, we're pretty sure from you figure out from the above phone. Pettersen and 26 other high-profile athletes took the time to show off their physique for the magazine.
Needless to say, shooting a photo without any clothes wasn't as easy as a tap-in putt, but Pettersen was able to get through the shoot and noted afterwards that it was a memorable experience.
[Related: Olympians featured nude in ESPN's 'Body Issue']
"There was a big crowd, we'll say, for the shoot. But they are professional, and I was probably the only one there who felt a little awkward," she told USA Today. "The photographer asked me if I felt comfortable being naked in front of a camera, and I went, 'Well, here I am.' You kind of get used to it. It's like a role game. You do what they ask and that's it.
"This was a great opportunity for me. If they present the photos in the right way, which I'm sure they will do, there's not going to be anything to be embarrassed about or to criticize."
Pettersen joins fellow LPGA golfers Belen Mozo, Sandra Gal, Anna Grzebien and Christina Kim who appeared in past "Body Issues."
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
• Tim Brown: N.Y.'s All-Star angst tempered by R.A. Dickey's calm, NL's romp
• Carmelo Anthony talks about Team USA's chances of winning gold
• What's really at stake for NHLPA in collective bargaining with NHL
• Y! Finance: Eight things you shouldn't keep in your wallet
