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Sorenstam Seeking Open Title

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Hartford Courant

She’s the best female golfer since Patty Berg. Maybe the best ever.

But Annika Sorenstam hasn’t won a U.S. Women’s Open in 10 years.

“After winning in ‘96, the first few years after that, I put a lot of pressure on myself,” said Sorenstam, who begins play in the Open today at Newport Country Club. “I felt like I came out, won two in a row and thought, ‘Wow. I’ve got this. It’s a great championship.’

“I came out and expected the same thing, and it never happened. I felt like I beat up on myself. I’ve been close a few times, but you know, it’s tough. A lot of things have to go right to win this.”

Sorenstam has come close twice, finishing second to Juli Inkster in 2002 and to Meg Mallon two years later.

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Sorenstam has nine major titles -- Berg has 15 and Mickey Wright 13 -- and had won the first two majors of last season before stumbling home 23rd at the Open at Cherry Hills.

Thoughts of a Grand Slam had danced in her head.

“It did for the first day,” said Sorenstam, who has 67 victories. “I was prepared going into the event, but I just didn’t play very well. It was a tough golf course. It was a course where I could not hit the driver, and I had been driving it really well.”

Unlike 18-year-old tour rookie Morgan Pressel, who played her seventh practice round Wednesday, or 16-year-old Michelle Wie, who has been in town since last Thursday, Sorenstam got her first look at the Open course Tuesday afternoon.

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“I love the fact that the course is quite long,” she said. “I like the fact that we’re going to get some wind. It’s going to be a great course for this type of championship.”

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