Sorenstam may need close to miracle finish
By Eddie Pells
Associated Press
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — Annika Sorenstam described the low point of her U.S. Open experience succinctly: "8-iron, putt, putt, putt, putt."
Jack Dempsey • Associated Press
The high point, she believes, could still come today.
Annika Sorenstam is five strokes off the lead as she tries to win the third leg of the Grand Slam.
Despite a round of 2-over 73 that included an unseemly four-putt on the par-3 sixth hole, and despite trailing leaders Karen Stupples, Michelle Wie and Morgan Pressel by five strokes with 18 holes to play, Sorenstam was not surrendering in her quest to win the third leg of the Grand Slam.
"This is a chance I am not going to give up," she said. "I am going to fight to the end."
The fight will start with Sorenstam at 6-over-par 219 courtesy of a round yesterday in which she did, in fact, move one stroke closer to the lead but still failed to take advantage of the less-than-stellar rounds being shot by those in front of her.
Sorenstam closed the day tied for 16th, with 12 players between her and the leaders.
"Right now, I'm not really concerned how many players are between me and the leaders," she said. "I think plus-4 could be a good (winning) score tomorrow. Having said that, I am at plus-6. I know what I have got to do."
While a score of 2 under is certainly possible for Sorenstam, she has yet to break par in three tries at Cherry Hills.
Her third round started promisingly enough, with a 35-foot putt for birdie on No. 2, but the rest of the day veered between frustrating and downright messy.
There was a three-putt bogey on the third, the four-putt double on the sixth and on No. 9, a hack out of the rough that barely left the ground and traveled maybe 10 paces forward.
Sorenstam said she was happy with the decisions she made on the course, but it seemed like nothing quite worked, especially on the par-5s, which is where big hitters like her normally have the biggest edge.
"To be honest with you, I can't really take advantage of them anymore," she said. "Normally, par-5s are my strength, but here, I am laying up. My distance advantage really doesn't give me any benefits here."
Sorenstam knows she needs to do something dramatic today to keep her Grand Slam dream alive.
"I don't think I'm going to need a miracle round, but it needs to be good," she said.
