WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Standing in the center of a sun-drenched 18th green, as waves of cheers rippled from a packed gallery, Annika Sorenstam hugged caddie Terry McNamara and took the flag from his hand.
She held it high, like a conquering hero, then slammed it into the hole.
"It’s over," she said.
Sorenstam’s tour career presumably ended Friday afternoon, when she failed to qualify for the third round of the ADT Championship. She shot a 3-over-par 75, putting her at 5 over for the week — two shots away from surviving the cut from 32 down to 16 for today, after which the field will be pared in half again before the final round battle for $1 million.
"All of a sudden, the time is here," Sorenstam said. "You’re standing there on the 18th fairway and it’s your last approach shot in an LPGA event. A lot of thoughts go through your head … and what’s been the coolest thing this week is all these people who showed up that I don’t know, my fans."
They showed up in droves Friday. When Sorenstam was on the 16th tee, hundreds crowded around her and playing partner Laura Diaz. At the same moment, about 100 feet away on the 11th tee, a gallery of exactly nine people watched a South Korean twosome.
Everyone wanted to see history, in case it really was the final round of Sorenstam’s 72-win, Hall of Fame LPGA career.
Even Lorena Ochoa — the defending ADT champion, who also didn’t advance to the weekend — showed up at the 18th green to give her friend and rival a farewell hug.
"I can’t imagine how she’s doing right now," Ochoa said. "But I guess it will come for all of us at one point. So we can only say that we enjoyed having her and thank you for everything."
Katherine Hull shot 71 to get to 5 under, making her the leader after two rounds, a fact that will be completely irrelevant this morning. The scorecards of the surviving 16 all get erased for the third round, and will again when the final eight play Sunday.
Angela Stanford finished 4 under, one shot ahead of Christina Kim, In-Kyung Kim and Paula Creamer, who was up most of the night before with the flu but shot her second straight 71.
Teen sets Euro Tour record
A 14-year-old golfer from Hong Kong became the youngest player to make the cut at an European Tour event on Friday, breaking the record set by Sergio Garcia.
Jason Hak shot 70 in each of the first two rounds at his home tournament, the $2.5 million Hong Kong Open, just making the par 140 cut.
Garcia, currently No. 2 in the world, was 15 years, 46 days old when he made the cut at the 1995 Turespana Open Mediterrania in Valencia, Spain.
Hak, based in Lake Mary, Fla., isn’t letting the record go to his head.
"I have no ideas of turning pro because it’s only one tournament," Hak said. "It doesn’t really tell the whole story."
Two share Pebble Beach lead
Defending champion Tommy Armour III eagled the 18th hole Friday at Spyglass Hill en route to a 1-under-par 71, joining Arron Oberholser in a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach (Calif.) Invitational.
Oberholser shot a 6-under 66 with seven birdies and one bogey — the day’s low round — at Spyglass Hill. He and Armour were at 7-under 137.
John Cook, who also played at Spyglass Hill and held a three-stroke lead after an opening-round 62 at Del Monte, had a 76 and was among five players at 138.
Champions Q-school
Robert Thompson shot a 2-under 70 on Friday in Coral Springs, Fla., to win the Champions Tour qualifying tournament, rallying on the back nine in the final round to finish one stroke better than third-round leader John Morse.
Thompson (7-under 281), Morse (282), Tom McKnight (285), James Mason (286) and Steve Thomas (286) all will receive full-exempt status for the 2009 season.
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