Notebook: Sorenstam Is Lurking
By Alex Miceli
North Plains, Ore. - Four-time major winner Annika Sorenstam moved
into contention in the Women's Open with a bogey-free 4-under par
67 Saturday in the third round.
The two-time Open winner is now only three shots back of leader
Hilary Lunke going into Sunday's final round.
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| In a moment of frustration Saturday, defending
champion Juli Inkster tosses her club after a chip on No. 18
was less than satisfactory. Inkster was 3-over 74 in the third
round. (John Mummert/USGA) |
"I'm very happy with the way I played today and I think I'm in
good shape for [Sunday]," said Sorenstam of her four-birdie performance.
"I played some great golf today and I putted very well. So with
that going in for [Sunday], I think I'm in great shape."
Sorenstam changed her putting grip from left-hand low back to conventional
and it has paid dividends on the faster Women's Open greens. In
the last two days, Sorenstam has needed only 27 putts and in the
first three rounds. She has not had a single three-putt.
"I have more feel with right hand low," said Sorenstam. "Once I
got some breaking putts, I found it very tough with left-hand low.
And last week and this week I knew it was going to be big breaking
putts and I needed some feel."
Sorenstam had not played particularly well in the first two rounds
and teed off Saturday almost two hours before the leaders. But even
from eight shots back, where she began Saturday, Sorenstam said
she felt she was in a good position.
"I had a great tee time today," said Sorenstam. "Playing under
the radar, a little earlier, no sun, the greens are little more
receptive to shots. Didn't feel like it was as bouncy today. So
I just felt like it was a good day for me to go low. And that's
exactly what happened."
In her 1996 Women’s victory, she was leading after three rounds.
In 1995 she was in fourth place entering the final round. In both
those occasions she had a final round in the 60s - a 68 in 1995
and a 66 -- her lowest career round in the Women's Open -- in 1996.
"When I won in ‘95 it was kind of a fluke," said Sorenstam.
Lunke Looks Ahead
Hilary Lunke's best finish in a Women's Open was 56th in the 2000
Open at The Merit Club. She had never broken 60 in seven rounds
of Open competition. Her best round was a 73 and she had two rounds
in the 80s.
With three rounds of 71-69-68, Lunke now holds a one-shot lead
over Angela Stanford and could potentially make her first professional
victory a major.
If she holds on, Lunke will join 25 other players who have made
an LPGA major their first win and 13 other women who have made the
Women's Open their first major, including Donna Caponi in 1969,
Laura Davies in 1987, Annika Sorenstam in 1995 and Liselotte Neumann
in 1988.
Nicholas Penalized
Alison Nicholas, the 1997 U.S. Women’s Open Champion, was penalized
two strokes on the seventh green Saturday for touching her line
of putt with a golf tee. She was removing a spider with the
tee. The Rules of Golf state that a player can only touch
the line of putt with her hand or a club.
Injured
Dottie Pepper withdrew midway through the third round with an injury.
Last year Pepper underwent left shoulder surgery, but felt pain
in a different area of the shoulder. On Saturday, paired with Laura
Diaz, she was 5 over for the round when she left after completing
the eighth hole.
"This is very frustrating," said Pepper. "The last
shot I hit was perfect, too – 270 yards down the fairway on No.
4. I knew something wasn’t right and was starting to get some tingling
in my fingers, so that was enough."
Pepper scheduled an appointment for Monday in Columbus, Ga., to
have the shoulder checked out.
Alex Miceli is a free-lance writer from the Golf Press Association.
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