Sorenstam Has Them Gasping

RANCHO MIRAGE —  Three tournament titles in as many tries. Five tournaments entered in 2001, no finish lower than second place. Last week, a record round of 59. This week, a victory in the first major of the year.

The planet’s hottest golfer at the moment sat cross-legged in a white terry cloth robe Sunday afternoon and was asked by a reporter if Tiger Woods could now be called “the male Annika Sorenstam.”

Sorenstam, not yet fully dried from her post-victory lake dive at the Nabisco Championship, blushed and paused and smiled and finally replied, “I don’t think so. But thank you.”

Riding a wave of near-flawless golf she concedes she can’t explain, Sorenstam shot a three-under-par final round of 69 at Mission Hills Country Club to overtake third-round leader Rachel Teske and win her first LPGA major championship since the 1996 U.S. Open.

With a seven-under 281, Sorenstam finished three strokes ahead of the field. Five golfers tied for second place, including the last two winners of the Nabisco Championship, 2000 titlist Karrie Webb and 1999 winner Dottie Pepper. Also at 284 were Teske, completing her first top-10 finish at a major, Janice Moodie and Akiko Fukushima.

Pat Hurst, who won this event in 1998 and began the day one stroke off the lead, shot her second consecutive round of 74 to finish tied for ninth at 286, five strokes behind Sorenstam.

“I just . . . I just . . . I can’t believe it,” Sorenstam stammered as she tried to comprehend the events of the last three weeks: sweeping through tour stops at Tucson, Phoenix and Rancho Mirage, firing a record 59 in the second round at Phoenix--a one-woman desert storm.

“It is a dream come true. I really don’t know why all this is happening to me, but I am very, very thankful. I mean, this is what a golfer dreams about. I am a lucky one, and it feels great.”

Sorenstam captivated the crowd at Mission Hills--and caused several golfers to stake out the bridge alongside the 18th green once their rounds were done, wanting to catch Sorenstam’s final steps to the title.

One was Moodie, who said she hung around because Sorenstam “is on such a high right now, it’s just so fun to be around her.”

And to stay close enough on the leader board, Moodie said she has been forced to emulate Sorenstam’s rigorous fitness regime, which includes 750 sit-ups a day.

“She got me doing 500 situps,” Moodie said with a laugh, “and I hated her for it . . . I was hurting.”

Sorenstam has also thrown down a gauntlet no American has been able to pick up in 2001. The Nabisco was the LPGA’s eighth event of 2001. All eight have been won by foreigners.

Pepper, the highest-ranking American at Mission Hills, was asked about this disturbing trend for the home side.

“You know, I’m really tired of that question,” Pepper shot back. “I’m playing the best golf of my career, and that’s the end of the story.

“It’s a long year. If you want to end the year at (eight) weeks, that’s fine, but I’m not going to. I feel the best I have ever felt about my golf game. I’ve made some swing changes, I’ve made a teaching change and I’m ready to rock. I am ready to get into this year and finish it.”

Pepper, who put together four rounds of 71, noted that she was “the only player in the field with four rounds on the board under par. I just struck the ball beautifully. It was pretty impressive, even in my estimation.”

Still, Pepper never pulled closer than two strokes of Sorenstam, who matched Pepper’s self-described “textbook golf” and then some. Even Pepper admired it.

“I hope the golf world and the sports world in general does give her the credit and the LPGA credit for what is happening,” she said. “She has played really spotless golf for three weeks--and nearly spotless golf for the five tournaments that she has entered.

“I just hope it doesn’t get bypassed because we are up against the TPC and because Tiger won last week--the week she happened to shoot 59.”

No, the word is bound to get out. Sorenstam might not covet the same space atop the marquee as Woods, might not share the same goal of global domination. But Sunday, still flushed with the thrill of victory, Sorenstam issued a challenge to Woods.

“I know Tiger does a lot of situps and I have challenged him,” she said. “But he hasn’t said yes yet.”

She smiled.

“So, maybe he is home doing some.”

*

RESULTS

-7 (281)

Annika Sorenstam

72-70-70-69

Earnings: $225,000

-4 (284)

Karrie Webb

Janice Moodie

Dottie Pepper

Akiko Fukushima

Rachel Teske

*

ALSO

PGA

Tiger Woods leads entering today’s finish of the rain-delayed TPC. D11

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Nabisco Championship Yearly Results

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YEAR PLAYER SCORE PURSE WINNER’S SHARE 1972 Jane Blalock 213 (-3) 110,000 20,050 1973 Mickey Wright 284 (-4) 135,000 25,000 1974 Jo Ann Prentice* 289 (+1) 179,000 32,000 1975 Sandra Palmer 283 (-5) 180,000 32,000 1976 Judy Rankin 285 (-3) 185,000 32,000 1977 Kathy Whitworth 289 (+1) 240,000 36,000 1978 Sandra Post* 283 (-5) 240,000 36,000 1979 Sandra Post* 276 (-12) 250,000 37,500 1980 Donna Caponi 275 (-13) 250,000 37,500 1981 Nancy Lopez 277 (-11) 250,000 37,500 1982 Sally Little 278 (-10) 300,000 45,000 1983 Amy Alcott 282 (-6) 400,000 55,000 1984 Juli Inkster* 280 (-8) 400,000 55,000 1985 Alice Miller 275 (-13) 400,000 55,000 1986 Pat Bradley 280 (-8) 430,000 75,000 1987 Betsy King* 283 (-5) 500,000 80,000 1988 Amy Alcott 274 (-14) 500,000 80,000 1989 Juli Inkster 279 (-9) 500,000 80,000 1990 Betsy King 283 (-5) 500,000 90,000 1991 Amy Alcott 273 (-15) 600,000 90,000 1992 Dottie Mochrie* 279 (-9) 700,000 105,000 1993 Helen Alfredsson 284 (-4) 700,000 105,000 1994 Donna Andrews 276 (-12) 700,000 105,000 1995 Nanci Bowen 285 (-3) 850,000 127,500 1996 Patty Sheehan 281 (-7) 900,000 135,000 1997 Betsy King 276 (-12) 900,000 135,000 1998 Pat Hurst 281 (-7) 1,000,000 150,000 1999 Dottie Pepper 269 (-19) 1,000,000 150,000 2000 Karrie Webb 274 (-14) 1,250,000 187,500 2001 Annika Sorenstam 281 (-7) 2,500,000 225,000

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* Won sudden-death playoff