By Dave Shedloski

Cherry Hills Village, Colo. – Annika Sorenstam can be forgiven for not being well-versed in golf history because she’s been so absorbed lately by trying to make it.

Sorenstam still has her eyes fixed on the calendar year Grand Slam in women’s golf, but she might need an historic final-day rally on Sunday to achieve it after she endured another frustrating walk through Cherry Hills Country Club in the 60th U.S. Women’s Open. The reigning champion of the Kraft Nabisco and LPGA championships shot a 2-over-par 73 Saturday and with a 219 total trails a trio of leaders by five strokes with 18 holes remaining.

Annika Sorenstam, during the third round, is hoping to get her putter on the right path by Sunday. (John Mummert/USGA)

"I’ve got 18 more holes to play and I am going to give it my all," said Sorenstam, 34, who has 62 LPGA victories, including six in eight starts this year. "This is a chance I am not going to give up. I am going to fight to the end. I’m just hoping for a great day tomorrow."

Fortunately for Sorenstam, there is plenty of history on her side in her quest for an epic comeback.

Start with her own personal history. Six players have overcome a five-stroke deficit to win the U.S. Women’s Open, including Sorenstam, who was the last to do it in 1995 at The Broadmoor in nearby Colorado Springs. Her successful defense in ’96 was achieved with the second-lowest final round by a winner, a 66 at Pine Needles Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C. Then there’s the LPGA record 10-shot deficit she overcame to win the 2001 Office Depot tournament in Los Angeles.

"It wasn’t the U.S. Open but it was a tournament with the same type of field," said the determined Swede, who 19 times has come from behind to win, including twice this year.

Sorenstam might derive additional karma from the tournament course, a storied venue on which Arnold Palmer cemented his legendary reputation as golf’s ultimate closer. It was in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills that Palmer shot a final-round 65 to erase a seven-shot deficit and win what was then the second leg of the men’s professional grand slam.

Palmer drove to the fringe of the first green to ignite a charge of six birdies in seven holes. He passed 14 players to claim his only U.S. Open title.

Sorenstam has to pass 15 to win her third U.S. Women’s Open crown.

Asked if she knew the details of Palmer’s final round 45 years ago, Sorenstam replied: "No, I don’t. Tell me."

She listened intently to the brief description of Arnie’s epic run before responding, "I know what I have got to do then."

The question is, does she have enough of a game this week to shoot a number low enough to win or at least force a playoff? Lorena Ochoa’s second-round 68 is the best of the championship. Sorenstam has yet to break par. Her putting has been suspect the entire week, and it hurt her again Saturday when she four-putted the par-3 sixth hole and also had a three-putt at the third hole.

The LPGA’s second best putter ranks 50th in putting out of 62 players who made the cut.

Still, few believe she doesn’t have a chance yet.

"It depends on the rest of the field, but there’s nothing wrong with her game that she can’t put it together the last day," said compatriot Pia Nilsson, who coached Sorenstam for 14 years. "I am surprised she hasn’t put it together yet this week, but she can still do it. She is at 95 percent and she just has to be 100 percent to do it."

"Under the pressure and the nerves if anyone could do it, it would be her," said Karen Stupples, who at 1-over 214 is tied for the lead with amateurs Michelle Wie and Morgan Pressel. "Anything can happen out there."

Sorenstam, the runner-up two of the last three years, can’t afford for just anything to happen. She has no more room for error.

"I am running out of holes," she admitted. "I need to get off to a good start tomorrow. I need to climb on that leaderboard and show them I am still here and I am serious. I don’t think I’m going to need a miracle round, but it needs to be good."

She’s come to the right place.

Dave Shedloski is a free-lance writer whose work has appeared previously on www.uswomensopen.com.