Aussie proves Annika beatable

VIENNA -- Rachel Teske, what an awesome Aussie.
There's something that Teske must enjoy about playoffs. She's done awfully well in them, especially against the player acknowledged as the best woman in the world.
Sunday at Squaw Creek Country Club, Teske defeated Annika Sorenstam -- again -- and Lorie Kane -- again -- and Jennifer Rosales in a tense three extra holes. She did so in terrific fashion, scoring birdies on the 53rd and 54th holes of regulation, smacking a 25-foot putt against the back side of the cup on No. 18, the second-to-last shot of the tournament, which put her in the sudden victory format.
Then, Teske made a difficult shot just out of a fairway bunker on the first extra hole to help make par, made par on No. 10, the second playoff hole, then won it with a terrific 20-footer back on No. 18.
That gave her two playoff victories against Kane, and, more impressively, three against Sorenstam.
The winner of seven career LPGA titles, now, Teske appears to be one of the few players who can not only play with Sorenstam, but beat her. That kind of competition can only be good for the LPGA.
On Saturday, Sorenstam was asked about her intimidation -- mentally speaking -- of other players. In other words, when she is lurking on the leaderboard is it a slam dunk?
Sorenstam's answer was, at least, politically correct: she didn't think so.
And on Sunday, Teske added an exclamation point of agreement.
Normally it's over
Sorenstam began the final round one shot behind co-leaders Jean Bartholomew and Teske. The Swede then birdied four holes on the front nine to take as much as a two-shot lead at the turn.
Such a rally would ordinarily put Sorenstam in a commanding position, but then a funny thing happened from hole No. 10 on -- her putts stopped falling.
Teske, meanwhile, rallied from a bogey on No. 7 -- only her third of the tournament -- with a birdie on No. 8. She made par on every hole until the final two, needing birdies to move from 10-under to 12-under.
On 17, she hit a magnificent 6-iron to within a foot of the cup and had a tap-in for birdie. Another couple of rotations on the ball and we would have been marveling at an eagle-birdie finish by Teske to win the tournament in regulation.
On 18, she used another 6-iron to get to within 25 feet.
Remember the old golf adage, "Never leave a birdie putt short"? Teske took that to heart, almost to a fault. Her putt careened straight up after hitting the back lip of the cup, and straight down, and she was in the playoff.
Teske played the course smartly, making 15 birdies and just the aforementioned three bogeys. She played the par-5 holes in 6-under for the tournament, and the par 3s in 2-under.
History of success
Teske has played regularly on the LPGA Tour since 1997. In addition to her seven career victories (and one in an unofficial tournament) she has 28 other top 10 finishes.
Last week, she finished tied for third at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, the second major of the season.
And she has proven to be a big-time player when the big money is on the line. In her last nine majors, Teske has finished in the top 20 six times.
Sorenstam, of course, has finished in the top five in nine of her last 12 majors.
So, no matter what Teske does, the Sorenstam bar is always raised just a little higher. But it's obvious that doesn't faze the Aussie.
But, when asked if she was in awe of Sorenstam, Teske replied: "In awe, no. I respect her."
Awesome.
XRob Todor is sports editor of The Vindicator. Write to him at todor@vindy.com.