(Prattville, Alabama)
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Mexico&aposs Lorena Ochoa has claimed her seventh title of the year in a playoff at the Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Maxxforce in Prattville, Alabama. American Cristie Kerr and Taiwan&aposs Candie Kung were the two players left disappointed after being unable to overcome the competitive Mexican in extra time.
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On a final day where any one of 15 players could have ended up in the playoff, it was Kerr and Kung who managed the birdies at the right time with both players making birdie at the 72nd hole in regulation to force their way into the playoff. Ochoa, who struggled over the back nine, managed a par at the last to force the playoff to three players.
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Kerr was the first player to be eliminated from the playoff after she left her approach shot short and 3-putted from 40-feet while Ochoa and Kung made regulation two-putt pars. The two players walked back up 18 where it was Kung’s turn to three-putt from 40-feet to virtually hand the trophy to Ochoa. It was Ochoa’s 24th title of her career and the US$210,000.00 winner’s cheque sees her season earnings at US$2,591,048.00, $1million ahead of second placed Annika Sorenstam. It was the seventh time Ochoa had entered the final round with the lead in 2008, coming up trumps each time. After the playoff, she said, “If you look at the leaderboard, a lot of players were up there one and two shots behind. I’m happy that I won the playoff because I need to improve in my playoff results.”
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Two of those players’ just two shots behind the leaders were Australian’s Sarah-Jane Kenyon and Wendy Doolan. Kenyon’s tie for 6th was her best ever finish on the LPGA and with nine holes to play she was right in the mix just three shots from the lead. She bogeyed just two holes all week, playing the last 53 holes bogey-free in a performance that will certainly give the Sunshine Coaster plenty of confidence for next year when she has full playing rights on the LPGA. Wendy Doolan finished level with Kenyon at 13-under par total 275 in a welcome return to form for the former Evian Masters Champion. Her week was certainly more adventurous than Kenyon’s with a hole-in-one in the opening round being wiped out with a quadruple 8 in round 2. She finished with impressive rounds of 66, 68 to record her best result of the year. Katherine Hull continued her outstanding form of recent months, finishing in a tie for 11th, just three shots out of the playoff. With five holes to play, she was just two out of the lead before finishing with two bogeys (on 14 and 16) to curtail her challenge. Her last four results have been 1st, 4th, tied 4th and tied 11th with her season earnings now US$774,669.00, making her the leading Australian on the money list. Karrie Webb played solid if not spectacular golf to finish in a tie for 20th at 10-under par total 278, while Rachel Hetherington (T39) and Michelle Ellis (T47) also showed some good form in making the cut.
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This week sees the first limited field event with the Samsung World Championship being played at Half Moon Bay Golf Links in California. The field is only 20 players with the year’s four major winners and leading players on the money list granted invites. Karrie Webb and Katherine Hull are the Australians who have earned the rights to play in this US$1million event.
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