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Going for four All eyes on Sorenstam as she takes shot at history
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Annika Sorenstam is rested and ready to continue her Tiger Woods-like assault on the LPGA Tour record book. The Swede begins her quest for a fourth consecutive victory Thursday in the Office Depot hosted by Amy Alcott at Wilshire Country Club. A victory would tie Sorenstam with Hall of Famers Mickey Wright and Kathy Whitworth as the only LPGA players to win four consecutively scheduled tour events. The LPGA record for consecutive victories is five by Nancy Lopez, although she took a week off after three straight wins. "If I could pull this off, it would be incredible and I could make history," Sorenstam said Wednesday. She won the Nabisco Championship, the year's first LPGA major, on March 25 following victories in the Standard Register PING and Welch's/Circle K. Sorenstam already put her name in the record book by shooting a 59 in the second round of the Standard Register. Her 72-hole total of 27-under par also was a record. "It's taken me a few weeks to let it sink in and understand what it meant. I'm so happy and proud that I did it," she said. "Now I want to figure out how I did it and do it again." Sorenstam had time to consider her sizzling start to the season during the tour's two-week break after the Nabisco Championship. She leads the money list with $636,448. "I've gotten my motivation back, especially after the 1999 season when I finished fourth on the money list," she said. "I knew that's not where I wanted to be. I knew I needed to put in some hard work, mostly on my chipping and putting." Sorenstam watched the Masters, and recognized the look on Woods' face as he held off David Duval and Phil Mickelson. "He looked so relaxed instead of being so tense in between shots. I can relate to that feeling," she said. "The key at the Nabisco was I was really tired from two weeks [of playing] and I knew I had to preserve my energy. I played conservative on certain holes and aggressive on other holes. It's like an on-and-off feeling." Woods is skipping this week's PGA Tour event in South Carolina, leaving much of the limelight to the LPGA. Sorenstam doesn't mind comparisons to Woods, or the attention he generates. "What Tiger has done is pretty remarkable. What I've done, I'm very happy with," she said. "Last year it was Karrie's [Webb] year and everything was compared to Tiger. If we can ride the wagon on that, it's only good for our Tour. It's a compliment." The 144-player Office Depot field includes eight of the top 10 LPGA players, including No. 3 Se Ri Pak. Pak took Sorenstam to the wire in Phoenix and finished 25 under to come within a stroke of the old 72-hole record. Pak changed her caddie, coach and swing after failing to win last year. It paid off with a victory in the season-opening tournament. "This year looks like everything is all set -- mental, swing, coach, caddie. Everything," Pak said. "My swing feels great and my stroke feels great." Sorenstam won't have to contend with rival Webb, who is on a four-week break. "I know she's home practicing and when she comes back, she's going to be as ready as ever," Sorenstam said. The tournament, which runs through Saturday, replaces the Los Angeles Women's Championship, played the last two years in Glendale and Simi Valley. Laura Davies won last year's rain-soaked event, four days after undergoing Lasik eye surgery. Davies, known for her length off the tee, is worried about her driver on the 6,531-yard, par-71 Wilshire course. "Everything else is fine, but if I can't hit my driver, some of my advantage is gone," she said. "It concerns me right now, but I'm sure I will get things worked out." But the designated defending champion is Grace Park, who won the Kathy Ireland Greens.com Classic in South Carolina last year. That event changed names, dates and sites this year to become the latest Los Angeles stop on the LPGA Tour. The 54-hole event features an $800,000 purse, with $120,000 going to the winner.
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