Recap: Past four major championships

2007 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

When: June 28 to July 1

Where: Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club; Southern Pines, N.C.

Par/yardage: 71/6,664

History: It's the oldest women's major, beginning in 1946.

Winner: Cristie Kerr, 5-under-par 279

Winning prize money: $560,000

What happened? Kerr completed her third round early Sunday, shooting a championship-low 5-under 66 to take a one-shot lead over three players, including No. 1-ranked Lorena Ochoa. Kerr then shot a steady 1-under 70, while Ochoa bogeyed the 17th and 18th holes to shoot 71 and finish two shots back in a tie for second with 18-year-old rookie Angela Park.

Where was Annika? She never recovered from a 6-over 77 in the second round, finishing tied for 32nd.

Quoting the champion: "I don't know if slighted is the right word; maybe 'overlooked a little bit.'" -- Kerr, then 29 and in her 11th season, when asked if she had felt slighted because of the hype surrounding the LPGA's younger American stars.

2007 BRITISH WOMEN'S OPEN

When: Aug. 2-5

Where: St. Andrews, Old Course; Fife, Scotland

Par/yardage: 73/6,638

History: Became a major starting with the 2001 tournament. Began in 1976 and has been part of the LPGA Tour since 1994.

Winner: Lorena Ochoa, 5-under-par 287

Winning prize money: $320,512

What happened? Ochoa was a wire-to-wire winner, opening with a 6-under 67 and hanging on for a four-shot victory over Jee Young Lee and Maria Hjorth. Ochoa won the next two LPGA Tour events to become the first since Sorenstam in 2005 to win three in a row.

Where was Annika? She was 3-under par and trailed leader Ochoa by three strokes through 36 holes, but finished 77-76 to tie for 16th at 4-over 296.

Quoting the champion: "All week I saw myself lifting the trophy on the 18th green, and I did it. It was my time." -- Ochoa, then 25, on how it felt to win her first major.

2008 KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP

When: April 3-6

Where: Dinah Shore Tournament Course, Mission Hills Country Club; Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Par/yardage: 72/ 6,673

History: Became a major in 1983, 11 years after its beginning.

Winner: Lorena Ochoa, 11-under 277

Winning prize money: $300,000

What happened? Ochoa shot a final-round 67, won by five strokes and took about 25 friends and family members with her on the traditional champion's leap into Poppie's Pond. Sorenstam and Suzann Pettersen tied for second, shooting final-round 68s, but finishing five strokes behind.

Where was Annika? Sorenstam was only two shots behind Ochoa through 36 holes, but almost withdrew in the third round because of a stomach virus. She grinded out a 73 before going to a nearby hospital to receive intravenous fluids and antibiotics.

Quoting the champion: "I thought for a moment, 'Maybe I should try to do something funny, like a flip or something.' But no, no, no. Too dangerous. So I did the regular jump. You always worry about the jump, but once you win, I don't care.'' -- Ochoa on her greenside leap into Poppie's Pond.

2008 LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

When: June 5-8

Where: Bulle Rock Golf Course; Havre de Grace, Md.

Par/yardage: 72/6,633

History: Established in 1955, this major is the second-longest running tourney in LPGA history.

Winner: Yani Tseng, 12-under 276; won a four-hole sudden-death playoff with Maria Hjorth.

Winning prize money: $300,000

What happened? Tseng, a 19-year-old rookie from Taiwan, started the final day four shots behind the leader. But she shot 68 and made a 5-foot birdie putt on the fourth playoff while standing up remarkably well to a triple-digit heat index and the pressures of playing in the final threesome with Sorenstam and just behind a group that included Ochoa.

Where was Annika? She grabbed the solo lead Sunday with a birdie on the fifth hole, but shot 71 to finish 11 under, tied for third.

Quoting the champion: "I couldn't believe it, I just won a major. I'm a rookie. And everything just came so fast." -- Tseng on her feeling after making the winning putt.

MARK CRAIG