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Open and shut case for Sorenstam

Annika Sorenstam, who recently became a naturalized U.S. citizen, holds her trophy on the 18th green after winning the U.S. Women's Open. It was her third U.S. Open victory, 10th major of her career and 68th career victory. She has won at least one major in each of the last six years. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Doug Ferguson Associated Press
Annika Sorenstam, who recently became a naturalized U.S. citizen, holds her trophy on the 18th green after winning the U.S. Women's Open. It was her third U.S. Open victory, 10th major of her career and 68th career victory. She has won at least one major in each of the last six years. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

NEWPORT, R.I. – Annika Sorenstam kept trying to convince herself the U.S. Women’s Open was just another tournament, despite reminders at every turn how much it meant and how long it had been since she won.

Tiger Woods kept calling her through the weekend to cheer her on. Every shot demanded so much thought. Then came the 18-hole playoff Monday against Pat Hurst, which turned out to be the easiest task Sorenstam faced at Newport Country Club.

By seizing control from the start, Sorenstam built a big lead early and made short work of Hurst, closing with a 1-under 70 for a four-shot victory and her third Open title.

No doubt, this was the sweetest.

“It’s been 10 years. It’s been 10 long years,” Sorenstam said. “But I’m very grateful and thankful.”

And there was no mistaking that silver trophy behind the 18th green, shining beneath a blazing sun over the tip of Rhode Island.

USGA officials carried it onto the green moments after Sorenstam tapped in for par to clinch the win.

It had been so long since her 1996 Open victory that Sorenstam didn’t even remember how to hold the trophy. She clutched it awkwardly at the front of the green, the Atlantic Ocean behind her, holding it in front of her face before shifting her hands to hoist it over her right shoulder and give photographers a clear view.

Sorenstam went the last four months without a victory, and old rivals Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak emerged anew by capturing the first two majors. All it took was one week at historic Newport for Sorenstam to deliver a defiant answer about the state of her game and that so-called slump.

“To come here this week, with not such a great season and then to win is pretty ironic,” Sorenstam said. “I wanted to approach it like it was any other week. I was just thinking, ‘Pretend it’s not the Open. Try not to think about the consequences of this tournament enjoy yourself.’ I think I did pretty good.”

She was at her best in the playoff from the very first hole.

Sorenstam hit a sand wedge that landed in the first cut of rough behind the green and spun back to 6 feet for birdie, which turned into a two-shot lead when Hurst’s wedge was heavy and spun off the green. Hurst left her first putt 10 feet short, didn’t even get her par putt to the hole and it was all downhill from there.

Sorenstam added another birdie at No. 3, and even when the 35-year-old Swede got sloppy with a poor bunker shot on the sixth that led to bogey, Hurst made double bogey.

“It hurts,” Hurst said. “You don’t know how many more chances you’re going to have.”

Sorenstam has plenty of chances in the majors, and this time she converted. She won her 10th major championship, tied with Babe Zaharias for fourth all-time and now she’s only five majors behind Patty Berg for most in LPGA Tour history.

But this wasn’t just another major.

The U.S. Women’s Open is by far the biggest event on the LPGA Tour, and Sorenstam figured she would pile up several titles after winning in 1995 and 1996.

But it has been nothing but frustration since then.

Juli Inkster overcame a two-shot deficit to beat her in 2002 at Prairie Dunes. Meg Mallon outplayed her at The Orchards two years later. Sorenstam sometimes beat herself, making bogey on the par-5 18th at Pumpkin Ridge to miss a playoff by one shot in 2003.

Sorenstam had won 63 times and seven majors since her last Open victory, establishing herself as the best in the game, missing only another U.S. Open title for validation.

The margin of victory was the largest in a U.S. Women’s Open playoff since Kathy Cornelius won by seven shots 50 years ago.

Sorenstam won for the 68th time in her career, leaving her 20 short of Kathy Whitworth’s all-time record. She earned $560,000 from the biggest prize in women’s golf, pushing her over $20 million for her career.