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Sorenstam's ambitions fueled by 10-shot victory

LPGA Tour Charity Champioship Annika Sorenstam's motivating ambition is to become the first golfer, man or woman, to win all…

Tue May 17 2005 - 01:00

LPGA Tour Charity ChampioshipAnnika Sorenstam's motivating ambition is to become the first golfer, man or woman, to win all four majors in one year.

The Swede confirmed she was in a class of her own with a 10-shot win at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship at Eagles Landing on the outskirts of Atlanta on Sunday. Sorenstam has now won six of her last seven tournaments, and four out five this year. Her six-month unbeaten run came to an end with a tie for 12th in Virginia last week. Sunday's win could well mark the start of another long streak.

In her 12th season on Tour, a repetition of her 2001 win at Eagles Landing enabled her to reach another significant landmark. She joined Patty Berg as a winner of 60 LPGA titles and now only Kathy Whitworth (88) and Mickey Wright (82) have more.

Sorenstam, who now has 72 wins worldwide, dreams of winning the "grand slam" of majors. She made her intention clear last year before falling at the first, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, and has cautiously avoided using the phrase this year. Instead she says: "At this stage of my career, it's all about winning majors. It's about quality not quantity."

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This year, she set off on the trail of the big four with an eight-shot win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in California. Next month, she faces the double of the LPGA Championship (June 9th-12th) in Maryland and the US Women's Open (June 23rd-26th) in Colorado.

If all goes according to plan, she will then head to the Women's British Open at Royal Birkdale (July 28th-31st) ready to confirm that she deserves to be rated the greatest woman golfer of all time.

"We really shouldn't start talking of grand slams until I've won the first three," she cautioned. "You need an awful lot of factors to be right to win all four majors. But I'm just glad I've won the first one of the year and so still have the opportunity."

Having split from her husband during the past off season, Sorenstam seems even more focused on her achievements on the golf course. "Inside the ropes is where I feel happiest," she said. "I love what I do and, at the moment, I'm having a lot of fun on the golf course."

The leader by 10 going into the final round in Atlanta, it was a victory parade for the world number one as she shot 67 for 23-under 265.

Taiwan's Candie Kung, with two birdies to finish out a 65, finished runner-up on 13 under, while Cristie Kerr, the American who had ended Sorenstam's run the previous week, also shot 65 and was third on 12 under.