On Sunday at the Emirate's Majlis course Sorenstam closed with a 70 to win the Dubai Ladies Masters by two strokes over Laura Davies and Iben Tinning, "It's a little light in the tunnel," Sorenstam said. "It's been a tough year and I'm still working a lot on my game." Even with 69 LPGA victories and more than a dozen others overseas, Sorenstam had to relearn that sensation of being under pressure in the final round.
"Being in the last group on the last day; there is extra pressure and I haven't had that in a long time," Sorenstam said. "It's something that you have to train and get used to again so I think it was very important. To be able to finish and walk home with the trophy, just getting the job done, means a lot to me. It's going to carry on for next year. I need that and so this is a very special win in many, many ways." The final event of the Ladies European Tour season ended with Sophie Gustafson pf Sweden winning the New Star Order of Merit money list with earnings of 222,081.47 Euros, edging Germany's Bettina Hauert by 2,218 Euros. Hauert was voted as the LET Player of the Year after two wins, two runners-up spots and a debut appearance in The Solheim Cup. Sweden's Louise Stahle won the Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year Award to join Davies, Sorenstam, Webb and Pettersen as past winners.
Woods, meanwhile, rolled over the field at the Target. He turns 32 on Dec. 30 and, remarkably as it seems, appears to be getting better. Tiger plays more like Jack every year, evolving into the kind of mistake-free player that won 18 professional major championships for Nicklaus. Woods has learned one of the keys Nicklaus figured out: You only have to shoot 65 when you need 65 to win. Otherwise, play fairways and greens and make the field catch you.
Fairways and greens has always been the strategy employed by Sorenstam. We will see more of that from her in 2008, but we might also see something new. The talent on the LPGA might provoke Sorenstam to play a little more aggressively. "I used to be able to shoot 68 and win," she said this year at the British Open. "Now so many players are going low." That realization could very well mean we will see Sorenstam attack a lot more pins next year.
Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam both won tournaments over the weekend. I have a feeling that's something we are going to say much more often next year than we said this year. And saying it now is a reminder of something for which all golf fans should be extremely grateful: We've had the privilege of seeing two of the best ever play the game at the same time. That's a thought that should help us all have a happy holiday.
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