Sorenstam defends Mizuno Classic golf

Agencies Otsu, Japan

Defending champion Annika Sorenstam of Sweden birdied the last two holes for a two-stroke victory to retain the US$1.13 million Mizuno Classic golf tournament on Sunday.

Starting the day with a one-stroke lead, Sorenstam once lost the lead with a double bogey on the fifth hole, but played solid for the rest of the round to win a three-way battle against South Korean stars Grace Park and Pak Se Ri.

Sorenstam ended with one eagle, five birdies against one double bogey for a five-under-par 67 on a three-round total of 15 under par 201, beating Park by two strokes and Pak by three strokes.

Another Korean, Gloria Park, started at a second place tie with Grace Park and finished the day with three birdies against two bogeys to take fourth place on 206, followed by Lorie Kane of Canada and Japan's Kasumi Fujii on 207.

"I thought it was very exciting and came down to the last few holes, but that's what I like. I like to be challenged, to see if I can reach 17 in two and make a birdie," said Sorenstam.

"That's the whole part that makes it so much fun. It's just doing it in the pressure when it comes right down to it. I wasn't sure (of winning) until I made the last putt."

It was Sorenstam's 10th title on the US tour and 41st overall, earning the Swede the winner's check of $169,500. Her score of 15 under par equaled the tournament record.

Her double bogey on the fifth hole left her tied with Grace Park and gave the lead to Pak, who scored three birdies on the first four holes and added two more on the seventh and eighth holes.

But Sorenstam eagled the sixth hole and birdied the seventh and 10th holes and held on to beat the Korean challenges, although she failed to finish the contest earlier when she missed another eagle on the 17th hole for a birdie.

Pak's par putt went past the edge of the cup on the 16th hole for a bogey to go two strokes down and her challenge ended when she missed a birdie putt by five centimeters (two inches) on the 17th.

Park kept her hope of catching up with Sorenstam by sinking a difficult putt on the 17th hole to trail by one stroke, but everything faded out as the Swede hit better shots on the final hole.

Pak finished with five birdies against one bogey for a 68, while Park shot a bogey-free four birdies, all on the back nine.

Meanwhile in Sotogrande, Spain, Welshman Bradley Dredge birdied the last two holes to take an unexpected one-shot lead after the Volvo Masters third round on Saturday as early pacesetters Colin Montgomerie and Angel Cabrera both faded.

Cabrera, four strokes clear overnight following scores of 63 and 72, crashed to a 76 as gusting winds battered Valderrama while Montgomerie, briefly co-leader at four under, slipped backwards with a one-over-par 72.

The 29-year-old Dredge, who has produced nine top-10 finishes in Europe this season, fired a level-par 71 to finish at three- under 210, with Montgomerie and Cabrera a further shot back in a tie for second.

England's Justin Rose, playing in his first Volvo Masters, was alone in fourth at even par after carding 73.

With most of the elite field of 65 struggling to cope in the swirling winds, the lead trio were the only players to complete 54 holes in under par.