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The victory is Sorenstam's 58th

Updated: March 22, 2005, 5:59 PM ET

Associated Press

SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN, Ariz. -- Annika Sorenstam has rallied to win in the final round 19 times.

AP Photo/Robert Scott ButtonAnnika Sorenstam shows off the 58th trophy she's won in an illustrious career.

She just couldn't recall many in more dramatic fashion than her repeat victory in the Safeway International on Sunday.

Sorenstam nailed a 4-wood second shot onto the green on the par-5 18th hole Sunday, made up the final shot of her comeback and forced a playoff with her birdie putt, then beat Lorena Ochoa with a par on the first extra hole.

"This is in the top three, for sure," said Sorenstam, who won her fourth straight LPGA Tour start. "Again, carrying 217 (yards), with the wind here, it was on the edge. I had to take a chance, I really did, and I think it just carried by inches."

Sorenstam made up four strokes in the last three holes and improved to 14-5 in playoffs. Ochoa was in her first playoff.

The victory -- Sorenstam's career 58th -- was her second in two tournaments this year and the sixth in her last eight.

She finished with a 2-under 70 to match Ochoa (74) at 11-under 277.

Juli Inkster (72) and Soo-Yun Kang (76) tied for third at 8 under.

Liselotte Neumann (71) and Rosie Jones (72) were a shot back, with Michele Redman seventh at 6 under after an impressive 67 on a blustery day.

Hawaii's Michelle Wie shot a 71 to tie for 12th. Also in her group at 4 under were Jennifer Rosales (70), the winner in Hawaii last month, and Siew-Ai Lim (74), who shared the first-round lead with Ochoa.

Sorenstam, the four-time LPGA player of the year and scoring record-setter, won her season debut in Mexico City two weeks ago, dashing the 23-year-old Ochoa's dream of a victory in her native land. It was more of the same this time, but with a twist.

Ochoa overcame three bogeys in the first six holes with three birdies in four holes midway through the round and was 14 under to Sorenstam's 10 under after birdieing the 15th hole.

But it was a train wreck after that for the rising Mexican star, who won twice last year and had 16 other top-10 finishes, winding up third on the money list behind Sorenstam and Grace Park.

"I saw Lorena climbing the leaderboard with more and more birdies, and I was trying really hard, but I couldn't make any birdies," Sorenstam said. "And it wasn't until the 16th that I heard that she double-bogeyed, and then 18, I realized, 'There's a big chance here."

Ochoa double-bogeyed the 16th hole for the second time in two days and two-putted from 7 feet for a bogey on the 17th.

She said she didn't fear No. 16, a 412-yard par 4, despite having lost three shots to par there in three previous rounds. But she drove into a fairway bunker, barely got her sand wedge over a transition area and three-putted from 15 feet.

"Even when I was putting for par, I just thought, 'Make two putts and let's get out of here," Ochoa said. "I wasn't even trying to make the putt too hard. But, I guess, too much adrenaline and just, you know, everything happened so quick."

Sorenstam took advantage, lofting her 4-wood within 22 feet, and two-putted for the tap-in birdie. Ochoa, playing in the last group with Kang, had the green to herself because Kang dunked an eagle on the fly to improve her paycheck.

Ochoa lined up an 8-footer for birdie while Sorenstam watched, but just missed, and both went back to the 18th tee for the playoff.

Ochoa put her tee shot in a long, narrow lake on the Prospector Course's only water hole, and the conclusion was never in doubt from there. Sorenstam was pin-high with her second shot again, sent a 25-yard chip across the green to within 7 feet and two-putted for par.

Ochoa didn't even putt after her attempt to save par with a chip from short grass left of the cup went 5 feet past, conceding Sorenstam's victory.

"I'm pretty upset, but I'm going to try not to be too hard on myself," Ochoa said. "I'm going to try to learn from this. You know, Annika is the best player in the world, and hopefully I come back next week."

Sorenstam was 18 under last year.

This year's $210,000 first prize boosted her to $390,000 on the money list and sent her LPGA-record career total past $16 million.

Singh blows chance to win, settles for consolation

Updated: March 22, 2005, 1:48 PM ET

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Vijay Singh returned to No. 1 in the world Sunday and couldn't care less.

Kenny Perry played it safe on 18 to win the eighth tournament of his career.

Kenny Perry lost a three-shot lead in three holes, but emerged the winner in the Bay Hill Invitational when Singh hit 7-iron off the rocks and into the water on the 18th hole to make double bogey, the second straight week he has blown a chance to win.

With Singh in the water, Perry went for the center of the green and lagged his 70-foot putt within 2 feet. He closed with a 2-under 70 and at age 44 became the oldest winner of Arnold Palmer's tournament.

Last week, Singh missed a 2½-foot par putt on the second extra hole in the Honda Classic to lose to Padraig Harrington. The Fijian made a spectacular charge at Bay Hill, with two birdies and a clutch par to erase a three-shot deficit and reach the 18th hole with momentum on his side.

From 174 yards in the middle of the fairway, he posed over his shot as it descended against the hazy sky, then bent over in anguish as it crashed off the rocks and splashed into the lake.

"It stunned me," Perry said. "I expected him to come up close. It was a big break for me. I just aimed left and played it safe. I knew I could three-putt."

The only consolation for Singh was replacing Tiger Woods at No. 1 in the world.

With Woods chopping his way around Bay Hill to finish out of the top 20, Singh only had to finish fourth to return to No. 1 in the world ranking.

"Big deal," Singh said. "I lost the golf tournament."

For the second straight week, Singh watched someone else pose with the trophy. And for the second straight week, he declined to come into the press center for an interview as a joint runner-up.

Perry finished at 12-under 276 for his eighth career victory, worth $900,000, and giving him loads of confidence coming into the first stretch of big tournaments.

The other consolation prize went to Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland.

He never seriously challenged for the lead, but the 25-year-old turned in a flawless final round that produced the best round of the tournament. He closed with a 6-under 66 to finish tied for second, which gets him into The Players Championship next week and likely will earn him a spot in his first Masters.

The top 50 in the world after The Players Championship next week are eligible for the Masters, and McDowell is expected to move into the low 40s.

"It would be a dream come true, really," McDowell said. "The Masters ... I've watched that tournament since I was a boy. For me, it's the pinnacle of the golf world."

U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen opened with a 78 and was tied for 93rd. He thought about pulling out, but stuck around and wound up fourth after closing with rounds of 67-68-70, including a birdie on the 18th.

Woods needed to mount a semblance of a charge to have any hopes of staying No. 1, but he went the other direction. By the time he played six holes, Woods already had three bogeys and two balls in the water. He birdied two of his last three holes for an even-par 72 to finish at 1-under 287.

He was only three shots behind after two rounds and was surprised that his swing deserted him. But he was not worried about his game with the Masters looming. And he was not bothered by losing his No. 1 ranking after two weeks.

"It's all about winning. I'm sure he (Singh) feels the same way," Woods said. "No. 1 is just a number. If you win a bunch of tournaments each year ... the ranking will follow."

Ernie Els also had a chance to be No. 1 with a victory at Bay Hill, but his hopes fizzled with a 77 in the second round. The Big Easy closed with a 70 and joined Woods in a tie for 23rd.

Perry won for the first time since 2003, when he went on a tear during the summer with three victories in four starts. But as well as he played on a difficult Bay Hill course, he needed some help at the end.

Perry had a three-shot lead when Singh holed a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 15, and Perry had to make a 10-footer for par to keep a cushion. After a 20-minute wait on the par-5 16th, Perry saw a big advantage disappear.

Singh was in the rough and had to play short of the water, while Perry went just over the back of the green. Singh's wedge landed some 25 feet behind the hole and stopped 10 inches away for birdie, while Perry chunked his chip and settled for par. Perry then chipped 8 feet by the hole on the par-3 17th and missed it coming back, the end of his lead.

Ultimately, Singh restored his hope.

"If I had to do it again, I probably would have hit a different club, played a little bit safer and hopefully see if Kenny made a mistake," Singh said. "But that's not the way I play. I play aggressive and I went for the flag. I just came up a little short."

Divots
Tiger Woods failed to break 70 all week, the first time he has done that on the PGA Tour since the 2003 Tour Championship. ... Darren Clarke looked like a human popsicle stick Sunday with bright orange pants and a shirt. ... Fred Couples was 4 under through his first six holes and two shots off the lead. He bogeyed his final three holes for a 72 and finished in an 11-way tie for eighth.