Sorenstam Targeting Women's Open

by Mulligan Stu on Apr 23, 2007 3:44 PM EDT

Annika Sorenstam might have lost her No. 1 world ranking today, but she seems to have found a target date for returning to the LPGA Tour: the U.S. Women's Open in June.

Last year's U.S. Women's Open champion is hopeful that nagging neck and back injuries will heal by the end of June to allow her to defend her title at the site of one of her previous U.S. Open championships.

"Pine Needles has a special place in my heart for several reasons," Sorenstam said Monday. "I love that whole area ... and I love coming back."

A bulging disk in her back and a ruptured disk in her neck have Sorenstam off to her worst start since 1999, but she was optimistic she'll recover well enough to try to become the third player to win four Women's Opens.

Doctors told her last week that she had improved by about 50-60 percent, Sorenstam said during a conference call during the U.S. Open's media day.