Season-low round lifts Sorenstam to win

SPRINGFIELD—Down five strokes when play began Sunday, Annika Sorenstam was the State Farm Classic champion when it ended.
Sorenstam shot a 62 to tie the LPGA record for the lowest final-round score by a tournament winner. She was 10 under for the day and 19 under for the tournament, two strokes ahead of Cristie Kerr (67).
Sorenstam had waited all year for this. Tee shots settled in the fairway, approaches stopped near the hole, putts found their way into the cup and mistakes simply did not happen.
"It's been an up-and-down year," Sorenstam said. "I have been trying to find my game. And today (it) clicked. That makes it more special because you remember the rounds where it hasn't clicked."
Third-round leader Maria Hjorth (70) fell out of contention with a double bogey on the 16th hole and finished tied for third at 16 under with Seon-Hwa Lee (69) and Il Mi Chung (69).
Sorenstam, meanwhile, seized the tournament.
She birdied four of her first five holes at The Rail Golf Club and ended it in similar fashion for her fourth victory this year and third on the LPGA Tour.
When it was all over, when her 20-foot putt from the back of the 18th green dropped into the cup, she waved to the raucous gallery. Then, she grabbed the ball and tossed it to a sky box. She was elated — and somewhat relieved.
She had tinkered with her swing.
She had searched for consistency.
And now, she had reason to smile.
"I didn't feel like I left too much out there," Sorenstam said. "A few putts, but it wasn't like I made big mistakes, which I have done previously this year. That, to me, is satisfying, too."
Her year began with a victory at the MasterCard Classic in March, but the next one didn't come until July, when she captured the U.S. Open.
Now, she has back-to-back dramatic victories.
Playing on her home course in Stockholm three weeks ago, Sorenstam beat Lorena Ochoa by one shot at the TPC of Scandinavia.
"I have played very well the last two weeks, and hopefully, that is a sign of things turning around and me finishing a stronger season," said Sorenstam, scheduled to play in the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic this week.
Sorenstam repeatedly pumped her fist and smiled on her way to becoming the fourth LPGA winner to shoot a final-round 62 and the first since Juli Inkster shot 10 under at the 2003 LPGA Corning Classic. Mickey Wright shot 9-under 62 at the 1964 Tall City Open, and Kathy Whitworth fired a 7-under 62 at the 1968 Holiday Inn Classic.
Sorenstam converted the birdie putt on 14, after her approach hit the pin, to go 16 under, and she birdied 15. Her approach on 17 stopped about 15 feet from the cup, setting up another birdie that knocked Sorenstam to 18 under.
The round ended in fitting fashion, with that putt from the back of the green.
"It was a lot of fun," said fellow Swede Nina Reis, who was grouped with Sorenstam for the first time over the weekend. "If I didn't win, I was rooting for her. She's great, and I'm never going to forget this day."
Sorenstam earned $195,000 for the victory and another $250,000 for winning the State Farm Series Bonus Pool with 426 points — 26 more than Kerr and Ochoa.—Agencies