Sorenstam Has Chance to Hit LPGA’s Jackpot

Out here on the Strip, they’re busy figuring the odds that the leading money winner will also be the player of the year, finish with the lowest scoring average and win the last LPGA tournament of the year.

Hey, it could happen. Chances are better that Annika Sorenstam will accomplish the trick long before you see Siegfried and Roy working with dachshunds instead of white tigers.

Sorenstam, the 27-year-old Swede who is as cool as a Stockholm sidewalk in winter, can close out a nearly flawless year today if she can tie up a few loose ends in the ITT/LPGA Tour Championship.

After her third-round 67 Saturday at the Desert Inn, Sorenstam carries a one-shot lead over Nancy Lopez and Kelly Robbins into the final round of the $750,000 season-ending event.

Sorenstam took the lead with four consecutive birdies on the back nine, closed by slam-dunking a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th, then started looking for a palm reader to see the future.

It’s not something Sorenstam really likes to do herself.

“Thinking too much about winning kind of hurts me,” Sorenstam said.

Because this tournament revolves around money--only the top 30 money winners get in--let’s check the money race first.

Sorenstam leads Karrie Webb by $30,567. If Webb, who is three shots off the lead, wins the tournament, Sorenstam must finish at least sixth to win the money title.

Sorenstam can’t say she doesn’t know the score. Her husband, David Esch, gave her updates on Webb during the round Saturday. With all she knows, Sorenstam said it’s a matter of mind over money.

“It’s in the back of my mind,” she said. “It’s not hard to think about it, especially this week.”

But there’s more at stake for Sorenstam, a five-time winner this year.

* Player of the year: Sorenstam leads Webb by 51.59 points and will win it if she finishes at least sixth, should Webb win the tournament.

* Vare Trophy: Webb’s 70.01 scoring average leads Sorenstam’s 70.08. Because Sorenstam played 17 fewer rounds, she must finish at least five shots ahead of Webb to win the award.

The last player to win the LPGA’s triple crown? Sorenstam in 1995.

Sorenstam’s 54-hole total of 207 is nine under, one shot better than Lopez and Robbins and two ahead of Donna Andrews, Colleen Walker, Juli Inkster and Pat Hurst.

Lopez moved into position to win her 49th tournament with a rather uneventful one-under 71 that included 17 pars and one birdie.

Lopez put her round into perspective: “It wasn’t very exciting, it was just kind of ‘there.’ ”

Lopez’ husband, Ray Knight, was also there and made his presence known on the eighth hole. Lopez left a putt short and said to herself, “Hit it!” Knight said, “Yeah, hit it!”

Lopez laughed, then told Knight something.

“I said, ‘Take a seat.’ ”

Robbins followed up her 66 on Friday with a 69, even though she had only one birdie after the fifth hole. Last week, Robbins was back home in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., where it snowed.

She said the forecast for today’s last round is for birdies.

“I think there will be a lot of people making a lot of putts and I hope I’m one of them,” Robbins said.

Sorenstam, who is paired with Robbins in the last group, wants the same thing for herself. That would make winter vacation a lot more comfortable at her newly remodeled house at Incline Village, Nev., where Sorenstam might be able to recline with a few more trophies on the mantel.

Michelle McGann was forced to sit down in the third fairway when she felt ill, but recovered enough to finish at one-under 71. She is nine shots behind Sorenstam.