Sorenstam, Webb out of hunt for once

7/9/2001

Annika Sorenstam entered the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic as the defending champion. She also was the leading money-winner with an LPGA Tour-high five victories.

Karrie Webb was second on the money list, and her two wins - both majors - had come in the past five weeks.

Sorenstam and Webb still are 1-2 in earnings on the LPGA Tour, but both players were nonfactors in the Farr Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club.

Webb shot a 2-over-par 73 yesterday and finished in a four-way tie for 23rd place with a 4-under 280 total that earned her $9,623.

And Sorenstam shot a final-round 1-under 70, placing her in four-way tie for 47th at even-par 284 to pocket $3,623.

Sorenstam still tops the LPGA money list with $1,147,947 despite her disappointing Farr finish, and Webb remained second with $1,121,751.

However, No. 3 Se Ri Pak made up considerable ground on Sorenstam and Webb after winning the Farr Classic for the third time in four years. Pak's $150,000 payday pushes her earnings to $958,992.

“It's been a tough week in many ways, but that's the way it goes sometimes,” Sorenstam said. “I wasn't really happy with my golf.

“I felt good coming in here, so I don't really know what happened to change that the first few days. And, with Mr. Callaway's death and everything, it's been a tough week.”

Callaway Golf founder Ely Callaway, a close friend of Sorenstam and her major sponsor on the LPGA Tour, passed away earlier in the week after a bout with pancreatic cancer. Sorenstam was shaken by the news of Callaway's death and never seemed to recover. She hit just 40 of 56 fairways in four rounds and 50 of 72 greens while averaging 257.5 yards per drive.

Sorenstam admits she has plenty of work to do to get her game back in order. She has not won on the LPGA Tour since early May.

“Today, I hit a lot of greens, (Saturday) I hit a lot of greens, so that's better,” she said. “It's a little more than that, but I really don't know what it is. Hopefully, by playing the next two weeks, I'll get better.”

Webb, who won the U.S. Open in early June and the McDonald's LPGA Championship three weeks later, hit 41 fairways this past week at Highland Meadows and 50 greens while averaging 269 yards off the tee.

Webb hit only 8 of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in yesterday's round.

“I hit the ball pretty good all week except for today,” Webb said. “Today was not a very good round. It was just an average round for me.”