Sorenstam’s 5 Minutes Of Work

Southern Pines, N.C. – The exercise took all of five minutes. A 9-iron into the green, two putts from 25 feet, a par and a signature on the card.

Defending champion Annika Sorenstam completed her second round in the 62^nd U.S. Women’s Open at 7:35 a.m. Saturday, not satisfied with the 6-over-par 77 she absorbed at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club but hopeful that the adjustments she made over the closing holes Friday before weather intervened will continue to congeal.

"I got up for an hour to hit three shots," she said with a wan smile.

Annika Sorenstam takes one of her two putts Saturday morning on the ninth hole. (John Mummert/USGA)

Sorenstam was headed back to her rented home for breakfast and a nap before gearing up for the third round later today, whenever that might commence. The inward 35 she completed Saturday gave her a two-round aggregate score of 5-over 147, far from out of the championship but also far from acceptable.

"I looked at the computer yesterday, and I was somewhat surprised that I was right there (in contention)," the Swede, 36, said with a bit of wonder. "I need two good rounds. It’s the U.S. Open, so there are going to be high scores. It seems like everybody would have a tough time."

Sorenstam was one of them. Competing in her fifth event since taking time off for a bulging disc in her neck, the three-time Open champion looked headed for an early exit when she double-bogeyed the first hole of her second round, the par-5 10^th, and batted the ball all over in an outward 42. After chunking her third shot and settling for a par at the par-5 first, she realized she was getting ahead of the ball, and was able to get into a better rhythm. A 14-foot birdie at the eighth, her 17^th of the round, after a crisp 9-iron, got her back to level par on the front side.

"I just got off to a terrible start, and it just wasn’t a good day. I still don’t know why," she said. "Luckily, I bounced back and shot even par on the back. That didn’t put me too far behind. I just tried to make adjustments and start eliminating things one after the other. I hit it a little better."

Last night, she watched a tape of the telecast and noticed her backswing had gotten short, "so I have something today to build on."

If she plays, that is. The third round, barring further weather delays, is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. But the forecast isn’t promising. The forecast for scoring wasn’t bright either.

"This golf course, you cannot be a little off," Sorenstam said. "You really have to be precise with your shots. If you miss a target just slightly you can end up in some funny places, and that’s the same for everybody. So I’m hoping for a strong finish and we’ll see what happens. I’ve been around long enough to know, you have to stay patient.

That means also staying patient just waiting for her next time on the tee.

"When it comes time to play, I will make a turn. That will be the thought: make a good turn and go on from there."

Dave Shedloski is a freelance writer whose work has appeared on www.uswomensopen.com.