Annika Sorenstam gains 10th victory of season

Donald Trump knows a thing or two about closing the deal, and as he stood behind Annika Sorenstam on the 17th tee and watched her 7-iron take flight toward the flag, he had no doubt the ADT Championship would end like so many other tournaments.

"That should do it," Trump said as the ball landed 8 feet away.

Sorenstam closed out another remarkable season with her 10th victory of the year, pulling away with a birdie she needed on the 16th hole, then hitting laser shots into the toughest greens at Trump International for a 3-under 69 and a two-shot victory.

A week that began with Sorenstam being questioned by 19-year-old rookie Paula Creamer over a drop ended Sunday with the 35-year-old Swede posing with another trophy and trying to decide how this year ranks among her best.

The list is long.

Sorenstam swept the major awards -- player of the year, money title and Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average -- for an unprecedented fifth time. She went over $2.5 million for the third time, and her 66th career victory moved her closer to the career record of 88 held by Kathy Whitworth.

"I'm more than pleased," Sorenstam said. "I don't want to use the word relieved, because it means so much to win this championship, but it's been a tough week. To top this great season off with a win against the best players in the world, it just doesn't get much better than this."

It was hard work, no doubt.

Liselotte Neumann, whose victory in the 1988 U.S. Women's Open was an inspiration to Sorenstam as a teenager in Sweden, overcame a three-putt bogey on the ninth and a 7-iron into the water on No. 10 that led to double bogey.

She rallied with three birdies on her next five holes to regain a share of the lead, but she knew she was in trouble when she heard the crowd cheer behind her on the 16th green and saw Sorenstam retrieving her ball from the cup.

Needing a birdie to force a playoff, Neumann ran her putt from off the front of the green about 6 feet by, then missed it coming back for a bogey and a 70. She finished two shots behind, along with Michele Redman and Soo-Yun Kang, who each shot 68 and had an outside chance to win if Sorenstam were to stumble.

They all knew better.

"She's hard to catch," Neumann said. "You just know she won't make too many mistakes, and you know you have to make birdies."

Sorenstam knew she needed a birdie when she misjudged the distance on her wedge to the par-5 15th and had to settle for par. All she had left were three tough holes, trouble waiting on all of them.

"I came to No. 16 knowing I had three holes, and I had to do something," Sorenstam said. "My caddie said, 'Just make one birdie and you'll be fine."'

She is obedient, if nothing else.

Sorenstam hit her sand wedge behind the flag on the 16th, using the steep ridge as a backstop, then rolled in the slightly breaking, downhill putt and tossed her putter in the air to celebrate.

But her work was not done. The par-3 17th is a disaster waiting to happen, framed by a huge waterfall behind it and water hazards on both sides. Even though she had a perfect club for the yardage to a back pin, negative thoughts were creeping into her mind.

"It's a tough shot," she said. "I kept telling myself, 'If you're going to win this championship, you have to hit this shot. You can't get away with it.' You absolutely have to trust the yardage, you absolutely have to trust the club and swing to your target. Once you're past that hole, it's a big sigh of relief."

Trump was impressed, getting into his cart and heading back to the 18th for the trophy presentation.

Sorenstam finished at 6-under 282, the highest winning score since the ADT Championship moved to Trump International in 2001. She became the first player to successfully defend her title in the LPGA's version of the Tour Championship since it began in 1996. Sorenstam now has won this tournament four times.

The victory brought her $215,000, putting her more than $1 million ahead of Creamer on the money list.

Sorenstam shouldn't have to send any statements, but it was hard to miss this one. Creamer, who has said she wants to overtake the Swede at No. 1, questioned a drop Sorenstam took in the first round and fueled the rivalry with comments like, "It's her conscience."

Creamer shot 71 and tied for sixth, six shots behind.

The battle Sunday was against Neumann, a friend who shares the same coach in Henri Reis.

Sorenstam began the final round one shot ahead, but Neumann immediately applied pressure with three straight birdies starting on No. 2, no putt longer than 10 feet. Sorenstam had a chip-and-putt birdie on the par-5 third, then a 25-foot birdie on the fifth to keep pace.

Neumann blinked first, hitting into the water at No. 10, but she wouldn't leave quietly.

As Sorenstam was walking up the 13th fairway, she asked her father the size of her lead -- two shots. When she got to the 15th green, the leaderboard showed her in a tie.

Neumann had an 18-foot birdie putt on the 17th green and knew Sorenstam was about to putt on the 16th. The cheer told her all she needed to know, but she looked back for confirmation.

"I turned around and saw her hand her putter to her caddie, so I knew she made it," Neumann said. "I pretty much figured I had to make the one on 17. I was a little disappointed when I didn't."

Sorenstam has won 43 times over the last five years, and is third on the all-time list with 66 victories. At this rate, she would need fewer than three years to beat Whitworth's record.

"I'm still 22 away, and it sounds like so much," she said. "But then again, I'm on my way."

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