Sorenstam earns 10th major title July 4, 2006 GolfWeb Wire Services NEWPORT, R.I. -- Annika Sorenstam gets pep talks from Tiger Woods and awe from her opponents. When she was done with Pat Hurst in their U.S. Women's Open playoff, there was nothing for the runner-up to do but ask for an autograph. Advertisement "She's a Hall of Famer," Hurst said Monday after Sorenstam ran away with their tiebreaker for a 10th major title. "She's a class act in women's golf and she's very good for us. Someone like that, you want them on your side, and she is." In an anticlimactic finish to a grueling weekend, Sorenstam took a two-stroke lead after one hole and made it five by the turn. She finished with a 1-under 70 to beat Hurst by four strokes and earn a third Women's U.S. Open title -- her first since back-to-back wins in 1995-96 that seemed to signal many more to come. "It's been 10 years," Sorenstam told the crowd after accepting the trophy on the 18th green. "It's been 10 long years." Since then, even as she established herself as the best in women's golf, Sorenstam has stumbled in the U.S. Open. She gave up a two-stroke lead to Juli Inkster in 2002; she bogeyed No. 18 in '03 to miss a playoff by one stroke; she was simply outplayed by Meg Mallon in '04. Sorenstam went four months without a victory this year, cueing talk of a slump, even though she was sixth on the money list before nearly doubling her season earnings - and going over the $20 million mark for her career -- on Monday with her $560,000 check. "When I came out on Tour, I did it quickly, my first year and second year, and I said, `Wow. This is going to be great,"' she said. "I worked so hard to do it again, and it just never really happened. I was close a few times, but I could never get it done. "So to come here this week, with not such a great season, and then to win is pretty ironic." Sorenstam was among the leaders after every round, and each day brought another call from Woods to cheer her on. The two are now tied with 10 major titles apiece. "When I get my phone back, I'll find a way to remind him," she said. "He's been on vacation, and for him to tune into women's golf, I think, says a lot." Sorenstam had a chance to win in regulation before her 30-foot birdie putt on the tournament's 72nd hole Sunday evening skipped over the right edge of the cup. That put her and Hurst, who has won five times in her career to Sorenstam's new total of 68, in an 18-hole playoff. On a sunny and hot day that followed four days of fog, rain and wind, Sorenstam pulled into the lead on the first hole and never relinquished it. She hit a sand wedge that landed in the first cut of rough behind the green and spun back to 6 feet; she converted for birdie. Hurst's wedge was heavy and spun off the green, then she left her first putt 10 feet short and didn't even get her par putt to the hole. Sorenstam added another birdie at No. 3, and though she bogeyed the sixth, Hurst double bogeyed. Hurst gained a stroke with a too-little-too-late birdie on No. 18 before Sorenstam tapped in for par, kissed the shaft of her putter and placed it behind her neck, raising her head to the skies in relief. With her 10th major, Sorenstam tied Babe Zaharias for fourth all-time and moved just five majors behind Patty Berg for most in LPGA Tour history. Sorenstam has won a major in each of the last six years, the second-longest streak in LPGA history behind Mickey Wright. Sorenstam also is 20 victories behind Kathy Whitworth's all-time record of 88. The margin of victory was the largest in a U.S. Women's Open playoff since Kathy Cornelius won by seven shots 50 years ago. Hurst was solid all week as she tried to join Joanne Carner as the only players to capture the U.S. Junior Girls, U.S. Women's Amateur and the U.S. Women's Open. Instead, she dropped to 0-4 in career playoffs; three of those losses were against Sorenstam. "It hurts. You don't know how many more chances you're going to have," Hurst said. "I definitely am tired. I'm spent." On the 17th green, she knew it was over. She told her caddie she was disappointed. He told her she should be proud of herself; she said she was. And in the 18th fairway, she asked Sorenstam for a signed ball. "Pat, you can ask for anything, any time," Sorenstam told her. "Do you have to wait for the 18th hole at the U.S. Open?"