Skin-king Couples shows Sorenstam how it's done

Annika Sorenstam, right, of Sweden and Fred Couples of the US share a laugh on the 11th green during the Skins Game on Sunday at the Trilogy Golf Club in La Quinta, California. PHOTO: AFP

Annika Sorenstam earned another US$50,000 on Sunday but finished second to Fred Couples, the grand master of the Skins Game who won his record fourth championship.

Couples won all but US$25,000 of his US$605,000 on the final day of the 18-hole, made-for-television event.

Sorenstam, the first woman to compete in the 21-year history of the game, earned US$225,000. Phil Mickelson was third with US$170,000. Mark O'Meara won nothing, one year after earning US$405,000 to take the title.

Couples birdied the 17th three times.

Four playoff holes were needed to award the US$200,000 "Super Skin," which initially was at stake on the par-5, 575-yard 18th. Couples clinched the title when he and Mickelson birdied the second playoff hole, the par-3 17th, and Sorenstam didn't.

But Couples and Mickelson needed two more playoff holes to end it. Couples' 20-footer for birdie, again on the 17th, added US$200,000 to his day. His first time on the 17th, Couples won a US$140,000 skin by sinking a 55-footer for birdie.

Couples, in his 10th Skins Game, ran his record career earnings in the event to US$2.875 million.

Sorenstam was the first-day leader with US$175,000, thanks to one of the most spectacular shots ever in the game -- a breathtaking, 39-yard eagle out of the bunker on the par-5 ninth hole.

She made it two skins in a row by knocking in a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole Sunday, the par-4, 378-yard 10th.

Sorenstam was the obvious favorite of the big gallery at the Trilogy Golf Club, which opened in February.

"I'd love to do it again," Sorenstam said. "I'm just sad that it's over. I wanted to play some more."

All day, Sorenstam seemed to be in the middle of the fairway.

"We talked on the course about how impressed we were that every shot she seemed to hit was headed for the pin," Mickelson said.

He also was impressed with her distance off the tee.

"I was surprised at how far she hit the golf ball," Mickelson said. "I think if she were to attempt to play the men's tour full-time -- not that she would, but if she were going to -- I don't think distance would be a hindrance for her."

On the last hole of regulation, O'Meara matched Mickelson's birdie, and that sent all four back to the 18th tee again. This time, all four missed reasonable birdie putts, including a 6-footer by O'Meara and 4-footer by Mickelson.

So all four trudged to the par-3, 226-yard 17th. This time, Sorenstam and O'Meara were eliminated when Couples and Mickelson made birdies.

Both birdied the 18th -- the third playoff hole -- and Couples was ready to split the US$200,000.

"I'm gettin' tired," he exclaimed. "The Presidents Cup tied!"

But it was back to the 17th to finish it off.

Couples missed short birdie putts that would have given him skins on the 12th and 13th holes, then recovered with a longer putt for a US$240,000 skin -- the biggest of the event -- on the par-4, 412-yard 14th.

Mickelson got off to a horrible start, blasting his tee-shot into the bushes to the left of the fairway on the 10th, then knocking it over a construction out of play on the third.

He recovered with a 10-foot uphill putt for birdie and a US$70,000 skin on the par-3, 173-yard 15th hole.