Sorenstam gains 5th win of 2004

Annika Sorenstam won her fifth LPGA Tour event of the year, closing with a 1-under 70 for a four-shot victory at the John Q. Hammons Classic.

Sorenstam had three birdies and a bogey Sunday in the final round for a 9-under 204 total, winning the event for the second time. She had a three-stroke lead entering the round and played steadily on the narrow fairways and sloping greens of Cedar Ridge Country Club while her challengers struggled.

Shi Hyun Ahn closed with a 69 and was second at 5-under 208. Candie Kung also had a final-round 69 and was third at 3-under. Mi Hyun Kim (67) and Heather Bowie (69) tied for fourth at 2-under 211.

After rolling in a bogey putt at the 18th, Sorenstam smiled and threw the ball into the gallery.

``I'm very happy,'' said the Swede, winner of seven worldwide titles this year who also had a four-stroke victory in the event in 2002. ``Luckily, my game got better and better everyday, and I really felt comfortable playing here.''

Joanne Morley, in the final group with Sorenstam, closed within a stroke of the lead after opening with two birdies. But she bogeyed five of the next six holes, missing a 3-foot par putt at the third and a 6-footer at the fifth. She also missed the fairway at the par-4 7th and went on to finish with a 76, at even-par 213.

While Morley struggled, Sorenstam sank a 12-foot putt for birdie at the par-3 6th to increase her lead.

Sorenstam earned $150,000 for her 53rd career LPGA title. She has started just 13 of 24 LPGA events this year and hadn't played since winning the HP Open on Aug. 8.

Sorenstam spent her time off either ``chilling'' in Lake Tahoe, Nev., or cleaning up her Orlando, Fla., home after Hurricane Charley.

She admitted to feeling a bit rusty coming in, but her game didn't show it. She opened with a 66 on Friday and added a 69 on Saturday.

Ahn earned $91,325 as runner-up of the $1 million event that moved to Cedar Ridge after three years at Tulsa Country Club.

Ahn, a leading candidate for tour rookie of the year with six top-five finishes in 19 starts, birdied Nos. 2, 5, and 7 to move to 5 under, within four strokes of Sorenstam. But Ahn bogeyed No. 8 and fell off the pace.

Defending champion Karrie Webb closed with a 72 and finished tied for 17th place at 2-over 215.

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