Alfredsson falls short in pursuit of elusive title

Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune

Helen Alfredsson hit out of the bunker on the seventh hole Sunday afternoon. Alfredsson shot a 2-over 75 and finished second, four strokes behind winner Inbee Park. Alfredsson did manage an eagle on the par-5 13th, but it was too late to help.

By MARK CRAIG, Star Tribune

Last update: June 29, 2008 - 11:12 PM

Helen Alfredsson's last chance to win a U.S. Women's Open might have died Sunday on the 10th green at Interlachen Country Club in Edina.

The 43-year-old Swede used a 5-wood to hit the par-5 green in two but then had one of her three three-putts, including a birdie miss from 4 feet.

After tapping in for par, she screamed at herself in Swedish and kicked her putter. "Yeah, that was the toughest one," said Alfredsson, who trailed eventual winner Inbee Park by three strokes then. "You cannot count on [the eagle], but I figured, 'OK, get the birdie and back to 5 under.' "

Alfredsson did eagle the par-5 13th, hitting the green from the left rough and making a short putt. But by then it was too late in what became just another close call for her.

In 1993, she led by two going into the final round before finishing second. A year later, she led by eight shots at one point in the third round but collapsed and finished ninth.

Alfredsson was tied for third heading into Sunday's round. She shot a 75, with 35 putts.

"It's nice that it's over," an exhausted Alfredsson said. "I'm getting too old for this."

Official wants to come back

Mike Davis, the U.S. Golf Association senior director of rules and competitions, was sitting in a golf cart alongside the 13th fairway when he was asked if he thinks Interlachen will be host to another USGA championship in the future.

"I sure hope so," Davis said.

Interlachen has no current plans to play host to another major event.

Yeah, she heard it

Annika Sorenstam created the two loudest roars of the championship. The first came when she eagled the tough par-4 ninth on Thursday. The second came when she holed out from 199 yards for eagle on the 18th hole Sunday.

Alfredsson was on the nearby 15th hole when she heard the roar.

Asked if she had heard that Sorenstam had eagled her last hole in a U.S. Women's Open before retiring at the end of this season, Alfredsson smiled.

"Did I hear about it?" she said. "Did anybody not hear? Yeah, I think we all heard, except the deaf people, I guess."

Winning score not that bad

Interlachen's famed Donald Ross design appeared in danger of being embarrassed when first-round leaders Pat Hurst and Ji Young Oh each shot 6-under-par 67s.

"The tendency is to look at that 6-under score and multiply by four and worry that the winning score might be 24 under," said Dave Mona, the general co-chairman for the championship. "But we knew the course would stand up."

Hurst went on to finish 3 over and tied for 24th. Oh finished 5 over and tied for 31st.

Angela Park was the second-day leader at 6 under. She finished 4 under and tied for third.

Stacy Lewis was the third-day leader at 9 under. She finished at 4 under and tied for third.

And winner Inbee Park shot 71 on Sunday, keeping the winning score in single digits.

Amateur Jessica Korda, the youngest player to make the cut, shot the low round of the day Sunday (69).

Park: 'I can do it again'

Only 14 players have won more than one U.S. Women's Open. Only four of them are still active. But the newly crowned 19-year-old champion already has her sights set on winning multiple times.

Park missed the cut in her first Open two years ago. She tied for fourth last season. And she won her first title of any kind since turning pro last year.

"I am very confident now," Park said. "I think I can do it again."

Unlike most South Korean players, who sometimes practice all day long, Park said she has averaged about four hours a day since she turned pro.

"As a Korean, I think I'm pretty lazy," she said.

Quick hits

• Park won $585,000 for finishing first. Cristie Kerr won $560,000 last season.

• Interlachen gave Park an honorary membership. She is the first to receive one since the late Patty Berg, a Minneapolis native who helped create women's professional golf.