Annika makes it eight for the season at ADT
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2004 ADT Championship | Wrap | 22 Nov 2004
Annika Sorenstam held out a determined Cristie Kerr today to win what is effectively the LPGA’s Tour Championship, although more commonly known as the ADT Championship. The event was held in West Palm Beach in Florida.
To do so however Sorenstam had to survive a rather messy playoff with the Kerr, a bogey at the first extra hole sufficient to edge out the 27-year-old who botched her chance with a double bogey.
Kerr had trailed by one leading into day four but caught Sorenstam early in the round and actually went two ahead when arguably the greatest female golfer ever bogeyed the fifth. Sorenstam recovered quickly from that early mistake with consecutive birdies at the 6th and 7th to draw level again and they essentially matched strides from that point on.
Kerr, who is having by far her best season in 2004 with three wins, a runner up and six other top tens leading into this week, has often shown herself to be a big event player and she was not about to go away as Sorenstam tried to break clear.
Karrie Webb shared third with Sweden’s Carin Koch, continuing a return to form for the Australian. This was Webb’s fourth top ten in her last six starts indicating that she is approaching her best again. She might have liked to have gotten her timing a little better for a return to form, but she will look ahead to 2005 with a renewed confidence and vigour. Carin Koch has also found form the last few weeks with several top ten finishes.
For Sorenstam though this is her eighth LPGA win of the season and while not approaching her record eleven win year of 2002, it is nevertheless very impressive. It was her 56th win on the LPGA Tour with thirty three of those coming in the last four seasons.
She has finished the season with $US2.55 million more than $US1 million ahead of her nearest pursuer Grace Park. It is a bit hard to argue against her being the greatest female golfer of all time.
