Annika Sorenstam surges into lead

Annika Sorenstam is 18 holes from completing a trifecta.

Sorenstam put herself in position to successfully defend another title after a 4-under-par 67 in Saturday's second round of the $1 million John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic.

Entering the day four shots behind countrywoman Maria Hjorth, Sorenstam climbed to the top of the leaderboard with the low round of the day at the challenging Cedar Ridge Country Club course.

"This is a tough golf course," Sorenstam said. "I thought the pins were tough today. We had some wind, not a lot but just enough when it comes to club selection."

Through 36 holes, Sorenstam is 7-under 135 and one shot in front Australian Michelle Ellis (69) and Hjorth (72).

It is a familiar position for the best women's golfer on the planet, who is looking to defend a title for a fourth time this season. The Swedish superstar successfully defended crowns at the Safeway International and LPGA Championship and finished second at the Corning Classic.

Ellis started on the back nine and had a chance to share the lead with Sorenstam before a bogey on the par-4 eighth hole.

"I'm excited about it and haven't been in that position for a while," said Ellis, who battled a rib injury last year. "I feel a lot more relaxed out there and I'm swinging great and have been hitting a lot of greens."

Ellis is not intimidated by playing with Sorenstam in the final round.

"I've played with Annika before," Ellis said. "I've played with her in Australia on the final rounds and the weekend stuff like that. I'm not out there to play Annika. I'm out there trying to beat this golf course."

Following a tournament-record 64 in the first round, Hjorth played the first 11 holes at 1-under before a triple-bogey at the par-4 12th hole, where her tee shot was unplayable after landing in some trees. Her third shot landed in the rough and fourth went into a bunker.

"It was not too much damage," said Hjorth, whose two career wins both came in 1999. "It was just that triple-bogey that I had was a little bit unlucky. Just a bad break, but that happens. Other than that, I was really happy with my round."

France's Karine Icher (70) is two shots back. It is another five strokes to rising star Paul Creamer (71), Laura Davies (70) and Leta Lindley (70).

Icher tied Sorenstam for the lead with a birdie at No. 14 before dropping back with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 16-17.

"I know Annika can do everything, but it's challenging to be with her and playing with her group," Icher said. "She never missed a shot."

A six-time winner this year, Sorenstam began to find her rhythm in Friday's first round, with birdies on six of her final eight holes. She is not planning on changing anything for the final round.

"It's really a ball-striking type of course and that's my strategy," Sorenstam said. "I want to continue to do what I'm doing. Tomorrow I'll play my own game and see what happens."

 Annika Sorenstam 68-67-135 -7
 Michelle Ellis 67-69-136 -6
 Maria Hjorth 64-72-136 -6
 Karine Icher 67-70-137 -5
 Leta Lindley 70-70-140 -2
 Laura Davies 70-70-140 -2
 Paula Creamer 69-71-140 -2
 Suzann Pettersen 73-68-141 -1
 Sherri Steinhauer 71-70-141 -1
 Rachel Hetherington 68-73-141 -1
 Stacy Prammanasudh 74-68-141 E
 Shi Hyun Ahn 71-71-141 E
 Nicole Jeray 71-71-141 E
 Jeong Jang 70-72-141 E
 Diana D'Alessio 68-74-141 E
 Michelle Estill 74-69-143 +1
 Meena Lee 73-70-143 +1
 Michele Redman 72-71-143 +1
 Catherine Cartwright 71-72-143 +1
 Liselotte Neumann 70-73-143 +1
 Mi Hyun Kim 69-74-143 +1
 Celeste Troche 75-69-144 +2
 Tracy Hanson 73-71-144 +2
 Catriona Matthew 73-71-144 +2
 Il Mi Chung 73-71-144 +2
 Jimin Kang 73-71-144 +2
 Moira Dunn 73-71-144 +2
 Annie Young 72-72-144 +2
 Wendy Doolan 72-72-144 +2
 Karen Stupples 72-72-144 +2
 Christina Kim 72-72-144 +2
 Miriam Nagl 74-71-145 +3
 Joanne Morley 73-72-145 +3
 Siew-Ai Lim 72-73-145 +3
 Stephanie Louden 72-73-145 +3
 Maggie Will 71-74-145 +3
 Marcy Hart 71-74-145 +3
 Lee Ann Walker-Cooper 71-74-145 +3
 Karen Weiss 71-74-145 +3
 Rosie Jones 70-75-145 +3
 Charlotta Sorenstam 76-70-146 +4
 Becky Iverson 76-70-146 +4
 Nanci Bowen 74-72-146 +4
 Jackie Gallagher-Smith 73-73-146 +4
 Heather Bowie 73-73-146 +4
 Sophie Gustafson 73-73-146 +4
 Marisa Baena 77-70-147 +5
 Nancy Scranton 76-71-147 +5
 Silvia Cavalleri 75-72-147 +5
 Jamie Hullett 74-73-147 +5
 Candie Kung 74-73-147 +5
 Carin Koch 74-73-147 +5
 Karrie Webb 73-74-147 +5
 Dorothy Delasin 73-74-147 +5
 Patricia Meunier-Lebouc 72-75-147 +5
 Hilary Lunke 72-75-147 +5
 Young Jo 79-69-148 +6
 Riko Higashio 78-70-148 +6
 Hana Kim 76-72-148 +6
 Tina Barrett 75-73-148 +6
 Aree Song 75-73-148 +6
 Nadina Taylor 75-73-148 +6
 Ji Yeon Lee 73-75-148 +6
 Jennifer Rosales 73-75-148 +6
 A.J. Eathorne 73-75-148 +6
 Brooke Tull 73-75-148 +6
 Erica Blasberg 71-77-148 +6
 Joo Mi Kim 80-69-149 +7
 Mikaela Parmlid 79-70-149 +7
 Cindy Figg-Currier 75-74-149 +7
 Candy Hannemann 75-74-149 +7
 Helen Alfredsson 75-74-149 +7
 Cathy Johnston-Forbes 74-75-149 +7
 Johanna Head 74-75-149 +7
 Mardi Lunn 73-76-149 +7
 Dina Ammaccapane 70-79-149 +7
 Kris Tamulis 69-80-149 +7
 Failed to qualify
 Sung Ah Yim 79-71-150 +8
 Joanne Mills 76-74-150 +8
 Kristen Samp 76-74-150 +8
 Eva Dahllof 76-74-150 +8
 Becky Morgan 76-74-150 +8
 Emilee Klein 75-75-150 +8
 Brittany Lincicome 74-76-150 +8
 Emily Bastel 74-76-150 +8
 Yu Ping Lin 74-76-150 +8
 Kristal Parker-Manzo 73-77-150 +8
 Leslie Spalding 72-78-150 +8
 Jessica Reese 71-79-150 +8
 Hee-Won Han 80-71-151 +9
 Amy Hung 79-72-151 +9
 Penny Hammel 78-73-151 +9
 Lindsey Wright 77-74-151 +9
 Brandie Burton 77-74-151 +9
 Kelli Kuehne 77-74-151 +9
 Nancy Harvey 76-75-151 +9
 Patricia Baxter-Johnson 76-75-151 +9
 Young-A Yang 76-75-151 +9
 Katherine Hull 73-78-151 +9
 Lara Tadiotto 72-79-151 +9
 Audra Burks 72-79-151 +9
 Giulia Sergas 71-80-151 +9
 Katie Allison 82-70-152 +10
 Janice Moodie 81-71-152 +10
 Jean Bartholomew 77-75-152 +10
 Jenna Daniels 77-75-152 +10
 Sherri Turner 76-76-152 +10
 Stephanie George 76-76-152 +10
 Marilyn Lovander 76-76-152 +10
 Kris Tschetter 75-77-152 +10
 Reilley Rankin 74-78-152 +10
 Laurel Kean 74-78-152 +10
 Naree Song 72-80-152 +10
 Jennifer Gleason 79-74-153 +11
 Pearl Sinn-Bonanni 77-76-153 +11
 Beth Allen 77-76-153 +11
 Angela Stanford 76-77-153 +11
 Beth Bader 75-78-153 +11
 Heather Daly-Donofrio 81-73-154 +12
 Michelle Simpson 78-76-154 +12
 Vikki Laing 77-77-154 +12
 Angie Rizzo 77-77-154 +12
 Isabelle Beisiegel 77-77-154 +12
 Stacy Snider 77-77-154 +12
 Kim Williams 77-77-154 +12
 Angela Jerman 76-78-154 +12
 a-Elizabeth Janangelo 76-78-154 +12
 Ashli Bunch 75-79-154 +12
 Jill McGill 72-82-154 +12
 Jordan Cherebetiu 81-74-155 +13
 Kate Golden 80-75-155 +13
 Malinda Johnson 78-77-155 +13
 Kathryn Marshall 76-79-155 +13
 Tina Fischer 74-81-155 +13
 Beth Bauer 77-79-156 +14
 Joellyn Erdmann-Crooks 75-81-156 +14
 Shani Waugh 78-79-157 +15
 Bernadette Luse 81-78-159 +17
 Dawn Coe-Jones 80-79-159 +17
 Mhairi McKay 79-80-159 +17
 Sae-Hee Son 78-81-159 +17
 Aram Cho 84-77-161 +19
 Luciana Bemvenuti 81-80-161 +19
 Pamela Kerrigan 80-81-161 +19
    
    

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