Sorenstam opens 4 shot lead

Annika Sorenstam had the round of a lifetime last year at Moon Valley, becoming the first woman to shoot 59 in an LPGA Tour event. Back where she made history, she put together a different kind of masterpiece Saturday.

Spurred by the pursuit of Cristie Kerr and Rachel Teske and battling poor conditions, Sorenstam dug down and shot a 4-under-par 68 to take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the Ping Banner Health.

``I made some great shots today,'' Sorenstam said. ``Much more solid. I felt like I was in control pretty much all day. I missed two short putts but, on the other hand, I made up for that on other holes. I'm very pleased. I mean, under par would have been great, and I was 4 under.''

Sorenstam has led or shared the lead in Phoenix six consecutive rounds, starting with the second round last year when she broke the 60-shot barrier.

She didn't get sole possession of the lead this year until her gritty play on a third blustery day pushed her 54-hole total to 11-under 205. She was 23 under at the same point in 2001, another of the six LPGA records she set or tied in the event.

In 34 previous tournaments in which she held the third-round lead, the Swedish star has gone on to win 20 and finished no lower than third in nine others.

``I feel comfortable in this position,'' said Sorenstam, who has won four of her last five tournaments and two straight this year -- the Australian Ladies Masters and LPGA Tour's season-opening Takefuji Classic.

``You know, I've been in it many times, and I love being the leader. So I think I'm just getting more used to it and more comfortable.''

Kerr, who has never won, is awed by Sorenstam's 32 LPGA Tour titles but isn't ready to concede.

``She's won a lot,'' Kerr said. ``I obviously put myself into position. I've just got to keep putting myself into position. If she keeps playing well and I keep playing as I have been, she may be a shot or two better. She's going to have to make some mistakes. She's human, so it is possible.''

Kerr and Teske shared the lead briefly, but couldn't keep up when Sorenstam began her stretch run with consecutive birdies on Nos. 12-14.

Kerr, who had two eagles, fired a 70 and was tied with Akiko Fukushima (71) at 209. Teske bogeyed two of the last six holes for a 71 and a 210 total.

My Hyun Kim (67) and Lorie Kane (69), who lost a playoff to Sorenstam in the season opener in Hawaii, were paired at 212.

Kim Saiki started the round tied for the lead, but double-bogeyed the second hole and had another double bogey on the next-to-last, finishing with a 78 and in a five-way group 10 shots out.

The start of play was held up until mid-morning to allow four players to finish the second round after a frost delay at the start Friday.

On a day in the low 60s when par would have sufficed to hold the lead, Sorenstam got her first separation from the field with birdies on the fourth and fifth holes, dropping to 9 under.

Kerr made a run by chipping in for an eagle on No. 4 and sinking a 7-foot eagle putt on the No. 8, picking up four strokes on the only par-5s on the front nine. That got her within a shot, but she gave that back with a bogey on the ninth hole.

Teske, playing in a threesome with Kerr and Emilee Klein, also eagled No. 8 and got to 8 under with a birdie on No. 9.

A hole later, Sorenstam bogeyed No. 10, backing into a tie with Teske.

Kerr made it a three-way race with a birdie on No. 12, but the situation only lasted as long as it took Sorenstam to cover the next half-fairway.

She holed a 23-foot birdie putt on the 12th, sank a short putt for birdie on No. 13 after missing an eagle opportunity when she misread the break and got to 11 under by hitting a pitching wedge within 5 feet for her fifth birdie of the round on No. 14.

``When I bogeyed the 10th hole I saw the three of us were minus-8, so I guess those birdies came in handy there,'' Sorenstam said.

From that point, she finished par-bogey-birdie-par.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page