An exhausted Annika Sorenstam turned to a course marshal late in the final round of the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic and said, "I'm done."
An hour or so later, Rachel Teske made sure she was.
PHOTO: AFP
Teske made a 35-foot birdie on the last hole to join a four-player playoff, then ended it by rolling in an 18-foot putt for birdie on the third hole of sudden death Sunday to win the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic.
Sorenstam, Lorie Kane and Jennifer Rosales each missed birdie putts on their third playoff holes as Teske captured her seventh career victory and collected US$150,000.
"I just felt like I walked straight into a wall," said Sorenstam, who had won her last two LPGA Tour events. "I kept eating carrots, energy bars, bananas and I tried to drink everything I could.
"My husband said, `What do you need?' I said, `I need a week off. Do you have one of those in your pocket?'"
Teske, who shared the lead with Jean Bartholomew at the start of the day, closed with a 69 to finish at 12-under 204. She made the playoff when her lengthy birdie putt at No. 18 slammed into the back of the cup, popped into the air and then settled into the cup.
"My thought was to get some pace on the ball, but I hit it way too hard," the Aussie said. "My caddie said coming up the 18th fairway, `Hit it in the middle of the hole.' Fortunately, it jumped up and went."
After making the winning putt, she pumped her fist.
"You don't get that many opportunities to win, so you have to make the most of them," she said.
Kane broke the tournament record with a 63 that included four birdies on the front side and five more on the back without a bogey.
Rosales' 68 provided the highest finish of her pro career. She tied for third at last year's British Open.
She could have won outright but missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole before missing from 16-foot after Teske had made hers.
"I had a chance," she said. "I just blew it, but it's not the end of the world.''
Sorenstam, who shot a 68, sagged at the finish and rested by sitting on her golf bag between shots.
"My knees have been shaking for the last three hours, so I'm ready to go home and take a break," she said.
She didn't birdie on the back nine despite numerous chances, missing a 7-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole that would have given her the win and avoided the playoff.
She also could have closed everyone out on the first playoff hole, but missed a 10-foot birdie putt.
After all four players parred the first two holes of sudden death, Rosales and Teske drove into the fairway, Kane found a bunker and Sorenstam hit her drive long but into the left rough. Kane blasted out to 20 feet short of the pin, Rosales' approach ended up 16 feet away, Teske hit to 18 feet and Sorenstam ended up 55 feet away on the right front edge of the 18th green.
Sorenstam's lengthy putt barely missed, burning the right edge of the cup. Kane then missed hers.
Teske deliberated a long time before hitting her birdie putt. Rosales, seeking her first career victory, was wide with her putt to remain in the playoff with Teske.
"Well, I'm happy and disappointed both," Kane said after her 63. "All you can do is give yourself chances, and today I did."
Four weeks ago at the Colonial, Sorenstam became the first woman in 58 years to play in a PGA Tour event. The following week, she returned to the LPGA Tour and won at the Kellogg-Keebler. Last week, she captured the year's second major -- and the fifth of her career -- at the LPGA Championship.
"This month has been a career for a lot of people," Sorenstam said. "I'm worn out, totally."
Teske was two shots back of Sorenstam after a bogey at No. 7, but saved her best for the stretch run with birdies on the final two holes.
Sorenstam began her round by rolling in an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole. She picked up another birdie at the fifth -- but was disappointed with it. Her 3-wood second shot ended up 6 feet from the pin on the par-5 hole, but she missed the short eagle putt.
She took the lead for the first time in the final round when she rolled in a 20-footer at the sixth hole.
With Bartholomew, Teske, Pak Se-ri and Kane all making charges, Sorenstam calmly hit a tricky downhill 5-footer at par-3 No. 9 to get to 12 under.
Kane picked up five birdies on the first seven holes of the back side to pull even with Sorenstam at 12 under. Rosales also birdied the last two holes, hitting a 4-footer on the 54th hole to grab a spot in the playoff.
Pak, the 1998 Giant Eagle winner, energized her round by holing a gap wedge from 106 yards for an eagle at the 11th hole to move within a shot of the lead. She fell back with a bogey at the 15th hole, finishing with a 68.
Beth Bauer shot a final-round 65 to jump into a tie for fifth with Pak and Catrin Nilsmark (66) at 10-under 206.
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