(31 August 2009 – North Plains, Oregon)
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Korea&aposs M.J.Hur, a rookie on the LPGA earned her first career win after beating Norway&aposs Suzann Pettersen and American Michelle Redman in a three-way playoff at the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola in North Plains, Oregon. Hur fired a career-best 7-under par 65 just to get in the playoff and secured the title on the second extra hole.
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rnIn a tournament where many players were shooting low numbers, it was Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist who took a 1-shot lead at 10-under par into the final round. Behind her were a host of players, with Pettersen and Redman on 8-under and Hur back at 6-under. Nordqvist could only produce an even par round that included 16 straight pars to finish.
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rnThe big moves came from Pettersen who had moved to 15-under par with seven birdies after 12 holes. At that stage she held a three shot lead and looked the likely winner. Hur had other ideas though as she put on a run of 7-under par in 7 holes from the 8th to get to 13-under. Redman moved to the 13-under mark after her fifth birdie of the day on the 17th. Pettersen then struck a horror stretch with a bogey at 14 and a double bogey on the par-5 15th. She then needed her 8th birdie of the day on the 17th to reach the playoff number of 13-under par.
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rnThe players headed back to the 18th where Pettersen had a 12-footer for her first title since 2007; however she “pulled it just a fraction.” Redman missed her par putt and was eliminated. Hur and Pettersen then played the 17th where the Norwegian “bailed out a little” on her approach and missed the green “on the wrong side.” She couldn’t get up and down and it left Hur with two putts for the victory. After her win she said, “It was my goal this year (to win) because I working really hard last winter training with my swing coach. It makes me really, really happy. It helped me a lot.”
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rnRachel Hetherington was the best-placed Australian returning two rounds of 68 on the weekend to finish tied 27th at 4-under par total 212; her best finish of the season. Lindsey Wright also made the cut but fired a disappointing final round of 5-over par 77 to slip down the leaderboard to a tie for 65th.
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rnThis week sees Katherine Hull return to Canada as defending champion at the US$2.75million CN Canadian Women’s Open. This year’s event will be played at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Alberta.
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Photo by Anthony Powter – Rachel Hetherington