Sorenstam trails by 2 shots in farewell event

Lill Saether of Norway tied the course record with an 8-under 64 Saturday to take a 1-shot lead going into the final round of the Scandinavian TPC.

Maria Hjorth, a LPGA Tour regular from Sweden, had set the course record with another bogey-free round only a few minutes before Saether posted her lowest score ever on the Ladies European Tour.

Saether has a 36-hole total of 9-under 135. Hjorth shared second with Lora Fairclough of England, who shot 66.

Tournament host Annika Sorenstam, who is retiring in December, shared fourth at 137 with Johanna Head of England. Sorenstam shot 71, Head 70.

"I think I played well today," Sorenstam said. "I had many chances, but many putts stopped just short of the cup."

Saether, who is looking for her first tournament win, needed only 24 putts.

"My coach said, 'If you're in Annika's group during the final round I'll drive five hours from Oslo (Norway) and watch you play,"' Saether said. "I hope my coach will be here although I will not play with Annika."

Thousands of fans followed Sorenstam's group on the course.

"The support has been fantastic this week," Sorenstam said. "On some holes you feel it more than others. On the 18th, they did the wave."

Rainy weather postponed the second round Friday and the event was shortened to 54 holes. So Sunday's 18 holes will be Sorenstam's last round as a pro in Sweden.

"It's going to be very special, but I'm not going to prepare in a different way," she said. "I'm going to have dinner at home with my parents."

Sorenstam's parents still live where she grew up and started playing on a nearby golf course north of Stockholm at age 12. It's just an hour's drive from the tournament site.

The 37-year-old winner of 10 majors won the tournament six times between 1997 and 2006 during which time it was named the Compaq Open, HP Open and Scandinavian TPC Hosted by Annika.

Jill McGill, the only American LPGA Tour player in the field, was tied for ninth at 140 after a 71.

Catriona Matthew of Scotland is not defending her title in Sweden.

Helen Alfredsson of Sweden, the LET money leader who finished runner-up in the U.S. Open and recently won the Evian Masters, also skipped the tournament and instead played a men's event in Sweden hosted by ice hockey star Peter Forsberg.

Sorenstam will make her final competitive appearance in Europe in another LET event in Denmark on Sept. 5-7 before making her last start at the Dubai Ladies Masters on Dec. 11-14.