WOMEN'S U.S. OPEN NOTEBOOK

updated 11:42 p.m. ET June 28, 2008

EDINA, Minn. - Lorena Ochoa lined up for an 8-foot birdie putt on her final hole of the day, hoping to conclude a miserable day on a high note.

The putt was a few inches short, a fitting end to what has been to what has been a long, difficult U.S. Women’s Open for the world’s No. 1 player. Ochoa shot a 3-over 76 on Saturday and was 13 shots behind leader Stacy Lewis.

Even she knows it’s over.

“I’ve been struggling every day since the beginning and yeah, I’m frustrated,” Ochoa said. “It’s sad to see the tournament go and now I have to wait one more year.”

Her chance to climb back into the picture ended almost before it began Saturday when Ochoa, who started on the 10th tee, bogeyed 11 and 12, then missed an uphill 8-footer for a double bogey on the par-5 13th.

“I tried, but obviously the way I started didn’t help,” she said. I was four over after four holes. So it was just hard trying to come back all day and try to save pars. Just a really long round. I didn’t enjoy it very much.”

It’s been a trying few months for the dominant Mexican who won six of her first nine tournaments of the year and headed into the McDonald’s LPGA Championship thinking about the Grand Slam.

Ochoa’s uncle, Pedro, died of leukemia in May. Her maternal grandfather, Jorge Reyes, passed away during the LPGA and Ochoa didn’t find out until after she missed the playoff by one stroke.

She has been carrying that weight with her ever since, and it may have caught up with her at Interlachen.

Special coverage Tracking Ochoa Coverage of the golfing career of Lorena Ochoa, the LPGA's No. 1 player. NBCSports.com

“I’m not going to blame my score on that. Not at all,” Ochoa said. “But mentally, I’m a little bit weak. It seems that I’ve just had nothing going this week and I’m kind of frustrated and mad more than usual.

“I guess it’s a learning experience. I’ll try to finish it tomorrow and just be relaxed and continue my year.”

But not before a much-needed break. After she finishes on Sunday, Ochoa will take the next two weeks off, returning to Guadalajara to relax, spend some time with her family and regroup.

“I’m just trying to be positive and finish tomorrow with another good round and then we’ll see,” Ochoa said. “Then I can go home and relax and talk to my coach. I need to see things and put things in perspective and then we’ll go from there.”

Putt-Putting Along
In the final U.S. Women’s Open of her career, Annika Sorenstam is getting tired of wasting superb ball-striking by failing on the greens.

Special coverage Tracking Annika Coverage of the golfing career of Annika Sorenstam. NBCSports.com

The three-time champion needed another 32 putts to get through 18 holes on Saturday en route to a 1-under 72 and has putted 98 times in three rounds. She was seven strokes behind Lewis, but could be so much closer were it not for her struggles on the green.

Sorenstam missed a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 4 and a 5-footer on No. 6, but did roll in one from 20 feet to save par on No. 17.

“I’ve probably left a dozen, maybe two dozen (birdies), in three days,” Sorenstam said. “I’m just very, very disappointed.”

She may have found the solution to her putting problem on No. 9 — just don’t use the putter. Her second shot was far short of the green at the bottom of the steep hill leading up to the pin.

Sorenstam could only see the top of the flag from her position, then lofted a shot that landed high on the sloping green and rolled down into the cup, drawing a roar from the large gallery.

“I’m still in striking zone and I’m not giving up hope yet,” Sorenstam said. “Maybe it’s just saving it and I’ll make them all tomorrow.”

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