Sorenstam clinches Hammons Classic

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma:

World number one Annika Sorenstam won her fifth LPGA Tour event of the year, closing with a 1-under 70 on Sunday for a four-shot victory at the John Q Hammons Classic in Oklahoma. Sorenstam entered the final round at the Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, with three stroke lead over the competition. At 9-under-par on the 10th hole, her approach was in perfect position for another birdie, but Sorenstam missed the putt and settled for par. However, the 34-year-old responded on the next hole with a long putt for birdie to get to 10 under for the tournament. The other players never really pushed Sorenstam in Sunday's final round. Back in the pack was Shi Hyun Ahn made a par putt on the 13th hole to stay at 4-under. Sorenstam did give a stroke back with a bogey, but made up for it with another birdie putt on the 14th hole to get back to 10-under-par. Leading candidate Hyun Ahn's approach shot on the 14th hole set up another birdie for her, as she when on to close with a 69 and was second at 5-under 208. The Korean is a leading candidate for tour rookie of the year with six top-five finishes in 19 starts. The shot of the day belonged to Karen Stubbles, who chipped in from a greenside bunker on the 16th hole. The birdie moved her to 1-under-par. Meanwhile, Briton's Joanne Morley, in the final group with Sorenstam, closed with a par on the 18th hole. She had closed to within a stroke very early in the round, but fell apart and bogeyed five of six holes during one section of the round. Morley went on to finish with a 76, at even-par for the tournament. After rolling in a bogey putt at the 18th, Sorenstam smiled and threw the ball into the gallery. Sorenstam earned (US Dollars) 150-thousand (t) for her 53rd career LPGA title. She has started just 13 of 24 LPGA events this year and hadn't played since winning the Hewlett Packard Open on August 8.(AP)