BY CHIA HAN KEONG

CROWDS of golf fans gathered early at the Singapore Island Country Club yesterday.

Most stayed on through two rain delays at the final day of the Lexus Cup, but they were not really concerned about which team will win this matchplay tournament.

And Annika Sorenstam did not disappoint them.

The 38-year-old Team International captain, who will retire from competitive golf after next week's Dubai Ladies Masters, won the first singles match three and two against her Team Asia counterpart, Pak Se Ri.

In fact, the match can be seen as a microcosm of her professional golf career - equal parts rock-steady and brilliant.

The Swede was firm at the start, as a hesitant Pak stumbled through three bogeys in her first four holes.

Then, just as the Korean found her touch and made a minor comeback, Sorenstam unleashed her brilliance - three consecutive birdies from Hole 13 to 15 - to seal the win.

When it was all over at the 16th Hole, Pak went over to give Sorenstam a tight hug amid loud applause from the crowd.

Said Sorenstam: "I'm going to miss a lot of these. It has been more than 15 years of wonderful memories.

"There's still a bit of golf left.

I just want to soak it all in."

A wet tribute for Sorenstam's victory win

To add icing on the cake, her Team International snatched a thrilling 121/2-111/2 Cup victory, with the winning edge not decided until the final shot of the very last match in play.

Just like Sorenstam, three of her teammates - Suzann Pettersen, Natalie Gulbis and Christina Kim - found their touch late in their matches to eke out the vital points.

Perhaps it was fitting that Kim - who is as loud and bubbly as Sorenstam is cool and steady - sealed the victory.

The 24-year-old Korean- American trailed early on but clawed back to half her match against Japan's Namika Omata.

That half point was enough to give Team International the all-important 121/2-point winning mark.

Said Kim: "I was a little bummed out that I had to shoulder the pressure of getting the winning point.

"But I definitely wasn't about to let Annika bow out without a win."

She joked later in the media conference that for Sorenstam - who is planning to wed next year - the only thing that she has not achieved is making babies.

Amid the loud laughter, a smiling Sorenstam said: "I couldn't have asked for a better ending than winning the Cup with all my teammates.

"It's still giving me goosebumps."

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