Sorenstam and Hurst to play-off for US title

NEWPORT, Rhode Island, July 2 (Reuters) World No 1 Annika Sorenstam and American Pat Hurst will face an 18-hole play-off for the US Women's Open today after finishing tied at the top on even-par 284 at Newport Country Club.

With the final 36-holes played on Sunday -- Thursday's play had been abandoned due to fog -- Sorenstam shot rounds of 73 and 71, while Hurst had a 75 and a great comeback 69.

The pair finished two shots ahead of 16-year-old Michelle Wie (73), South Korea's Pak Se Ri (69) and American Stacy Prammanasudh (72).

Sorenstam, tied for the lead with Wie and Brittany Lincicome going into the final round, looked set to take control when she opened with back-to-back birdies.

But she pulled her second shot into a creek at the seventh for a double-bogey and also dropped shots on the next two holes.

TYPICAL NERVE The Swede showed typical nerve in hitting back with birdies at the tenth, 15th and 16th before letting one slip away at the short 17th when she took three to get down from the edge of the green.

The error opened the door for Hurst who had started the final round two shots off the lead but opened smartly with birdies at the first and fourth and another at the eight, where she chipped into the hole from 40 feet.

She three-putted the ninth and bogeyed the 11th to lose some momentum, however, before making a birdie at the 14th.

At the final hole, she managed to get up and down from just short of the green to force the championship into another day.

The play-off for the 0,000 winner's cheque will take place this morning (0900 Eastern US time) and there will be sudden-death if they are still tied after 18 holes.

For Sorenstam, it is a chance to win a third US Women's Open -- the first two came very early in her career in 1995 and 1996 -- and a 10th career major.

''Tomorrow is another day and another chance,'' she remarked.

''It's going to be a different mind set. I'm looking forward to it.

''It has been a very long week, but this course is a true test of golf. It tests every department of the game.'' Hurst has one major, the 1998 Kraft Nabisco Championship, among her four LPGA victories. ''I felt pretty good out there today and I'm ready to go one more round,'' said the 37-year-old.

''I'd die to win this title. The butterflies were going and the juices were flowing today, but that's what you play the game for.'' For Wie, it was another close call. She has now had seven top 10 finishes from 11 majors, but this was her first in this championship.

REUTERS PM KN0922