By Hank Kurz Jr.
Associated Press
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. ó Annika Sorenstam is on her way back, and a performance that harkened memories of her game before an injury-filled 2007 season suggests sheís close.
Sorenstam hit every fairway and almost every green in a 5-under-par 66 on Sunday that made her the runaway winner of the Michelob Ultra Open with a tournament-record 19-under 265 at Kingsmill.
She beat four others by a record-tying seven strokes.
iThatís the way I used to play,î Sorenstam said.
Two of the second-place finishers ó Jeong Jang and Christina Kim ó played with Sorenstam in the final threesome.
iShe hit a perfect iron shot every single hole,î Jang said. iAnnikaís back.î
iItís good to see she is where she was when she was No. 1,î added Kim, who also tied Allison Fouch and Karen Stupples. iItís just ó flawless is the best way to put it.î
Itís never flawless with Sorenstam, who believes that itís possible to make birdie at every hole in a round and shoot 54, but coming down the stretch she was very close. She had five birdies on the back nine, including three in a row, before making a bogey on the final hole.
iThatís about as good as I can hit my iron shots,î Sorenstam said. iMake a few more putts and get some distance on my drives and Iím going to tell you thatís as good as I can play.î
The victory was Sorenstamís third in eight events this season. Lorena Ochoa finished 12 shots back at 7 under.