Golf story by Vinnie Mitchell, Wed, 23 Nov 2005 05:32:00 GMT


WEST PALM BEACH, Florida - World No 1 Annika Sorenstam ensured that she finished the year on a high with a facile victory in the Tour Championship at Trump International. This tournament marks the end of the LPGA women's golf season this year.

This victory gave Sorenstam her 11th victory this year and she finished it with a three-under-par 69 for a 72-hole total of six-under 282. She finished ahead of Liselotte Neumann (70), South Korea's Soo-Yun Kang (68) and American Michele Redman (68) on the way to her third title in four year at this tournament.

Since the past five years, Sorenstam has stamped her authority on the women's game and the 35-year-old is showing no signs of letting off in the future as well. "This has been another great season and this victory caps it off," Sorenstam said. "I have won a lot of big ones this year, two majors (Kraft Nabisco and LPGA Championship) and the World Championship, and this title ranks up there with the best." Her future plans are quite clear, "I want to win all four majors," she said. "I always want to achieve something that no one else has done. I won two this year and think it is possible to do the Grand Slam."

Sorenstam has already secured a record eighth LPGA player of the year award in 2005 as well as a sixth Vare Trophy for the season's best scoring average, 69.33. Additionally, she also won an eighth money list title at $3.8 million. This is the fifth time that Sorenstam has swept all of LPGA's major awards in a given year.

This particular win was her 66 career win and she is now fast closing in on the 88 career victories by Kathy Whitworth, which is the highest on the Tour.

More Sporting Stuff