BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -- Even Annika Sorenstam was amazed by
her dominating play after a long layoff.
Sorenstam won her fifth LPGA Tour event of the year Sunday,
closing with a 1-under 70 for a four-shot victory at the John Q.
Hammons Classic.
"I thought I played excellent for three days," Sorenstam said.
"It's a tough course. I'm just really surprised how well I hit it
and putt it."
Sorenstam had three birdies and a bogey 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.
"Luckily, my game got better and better everyday, and I really
felt comfortable playing here," said the Swede, winner of seven
worldwide titles this year who also had a four-stroke victory in
the event in 2002.
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.
"It's one of those courses you have to think your way around,"
Sorenstam said. "I did not hit a driver on every hole. I tried to
play smart and not overpower the course. I think that was the key
for me."
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 did practice for a week before the tournament.
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.
"I can't play every week because I get burned out and I don't
play well," she said. "You have to listen to your body."
Ahn earned $91,110 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.
"There are a lot of things I did good but there are more things
that I made a mistake and could be improved," Ahn said. "If I
tried a little bit harder and not went too aggressive, then I
probably would have got a higher score."
Defending champion Karrie Webb closed with a 72 and finished
tied for 17th place at 2-over 215.