Special aura hangs over Sorenstam's final tour

HAVRE DE GRACE, Maryland: Annika Sorenstam gave notice last month that this was her final year on the LPGA Tour, lending a special aura to the remaining majors on the calendar starting with this week's LPGA Championship.

Sorenstam, winner of 72 LPGA titles including 10 majors, has vowed to go out fighting and the 37-year-old Swede has been true to her word with three victories already and a goal to challenge world No 1 Lorena Ochoa for 2008 honors.

"I'm focusing on playing golf. I want to finish well," Sorenstam told reporters, adding that she wanted to lead the money-winning list and win Player of the Year for the ninth time.

Ochoa makes no secret of her admiration of Sorenstam, but wants to stamp her superiority on the game.

"I will miss her a lot. She was my motivation for many years, and I learned so much from her," Ochoa said. "I think we have great times together playing, and at the same time, I wish she would stay a little longer, to enjoy her more.

"I think a lot of us are going to try to enjoy her as much as we can, to really make each tournament a special one, having her next to us," the 26-year-old Mexican said.

"My goal is still the same. I want to finish No 1," added Ochoa, who is frontrunner for 2008 honors with six victories including the year's first major, the Kraft Nabisco.

Defending champion Suzann Pettersen said it was a treat to see Ochoa and Sorenstam in top form.

"They've both had a great start to the year," said the 27-year-old Norwegian, before cautioning that others might upset a possible Ochoa-Sorenstam duel.

"We're only in the beginning of June, and I think there's a lot of other players starting to really get warm and ready to take it to the next level."

World No 4 Paula Creamer said she was accustomed to being overshadowed by Sorenstam and Ochoa.

"I really think that I've always kind of been under the radar because Annika has always been the No 1 player in the world, and now Lorena is the No 1 player in the world," she said.

Sorenstam won the championship in 2005, the first year it was held at the Pete Dye-designed Bulle Rock course. It was her third LPGA Championship in a row after two wins at DuPont Country Club.

"I know I can do it. I've done it in the past," she said.

Agencies

(China Daily 06/06/2008 page23)