GOLF ROUNDUP : Mallon’s Triple Bogey Opens Door for Sorenstam

Annika Sorenstam, capitalizing on a triple bogey at the fourth hole by third-round leader Meg Mallon, closed with a two-under-par 68 Sunday to win the 50th U.S. Women’s Open at Colorado Springs, Colo.

Sorenstam, a Swede who maintains a home in Phoenix, ran off three consecutive birdies and then survived bogeys at 15 and 16 to win by one.

She found her first LPGA Tour victory to be nerve-racking. “It was fun for a while, but it got out of hand,� she said. “I’ve been nervous before but never that nervous. On the back nine, I felt like my nerves were swinging, not me.�

Sorenstam’s birdies at Nos. 9-11 put her two shots in front, a lead she extended to three strokes, helping to offset her late fade.

Mallon had a chance to tie at No. 18, but missed a 20-foot birdie putt.

Sorenstam, who played at the University of Arizona, was the 1991 NCAA champion and the 1992 world amateur champion. Failing in her first attempt at tour qualifying school, she nonetheless won $47,000 in three LPGA events in 1993, earning her tour card late that season.

She was the LPGA’s rookie of the year in 1994 and had three second-place finishes over the last two seasons but never a tour victory until Sunday. She won two tournaments this summer in Europe.

*

J.C. Snead, who double-bogeyed the par-four 18th hole in 1992 to lose to Dave Stockton, parred it to force a playoff with course designer Jack Nicklaus, then birdied it on the first extra hole to win the Senior Players Championship at the TPC of Michigan in Dearborn.

“I think about that every time I play that hole, but I’ve birdied it a few times before today,� said Snead, who also parred No. 18 in the morning in the completion of the third round. “I hope the demons are gone.�

Snead set up his winning five-foot putt with a five-iron approach from 182 yards.

Snead, who had a four-stroke lead with six holes to play, shot a three-under 69 and Nicklaus, who caught Snead with an eagle on 17, had a 67.

*

Ted Tryba closed with a three-under 68 to win the Anheuser-Busch Classic at Williamsburg, Va., for his first victory on the PGA Tour. He earned $198,000 of the $1.1 million purse.