(Maui, Hawaii)
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American Morgan Pressel has snapped a lean streak for her second career victory after a final round 3-under par 69 saw her win the inaugural Kapalua LPGA Classic by one stroke from Norway&aposs World No. 5 Suzann Pettersen. Another American, Laura Diaz finished in outright third.
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After three rounds it was a wide open tournament with 16 players at 2-under par or better and the leaders sitting on 5-under par. In the lead were Pressel, Sweden’s Carin Koch, Korea’s Jee Young Lee and America&aposs Brittany Lang. Of those players, only Pressel, who represents the Bay Course at Kapalua could manage a score under par on the blustery final day. She was basically only challenged by Pettersen and Diaz who posted rounds of 3-under and 2-under par respectively.
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Pettersen made a strong bid for the title with birdies at the 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th holes to make the turn at 8-under par with a two-shot cushion. However, bogeys at 11 and 15 saw her slip back to 6-under par, tied with Pressel who remained at 1-under for the day through 15 holes. At the same time Pettersen made birdie at the last to finish at 7-under par, Pressel made a telling birdie of her own on the 16th hole to remain tied for the lead. She made a miraculous par at the par-3 17th after short-siding herself in the trap and walked to the par-5 last needing a birdie to win. After a good drive and solid second, she left herself with a short pitch to the green from the rough which she said was, “sitting too perfectly…and I got a little under it.” The ball came up short on the fringe but she managed to roll in the putt from 18-feet for her second career victory. Afterwards she said, “It&aposs exciting. I&aposm excited, first to be a part of the Kapalua family, and it was a dream that we had to bring the LPGA Tour here. To be here and to win on top of it is just that much more exciting because I have my Kapalua family, as I&aposm now calling them, they just cheered me on all week”.
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After a stellar amateur career where she qualified for her first US Women’s Open at the age of 12 and won the 2005 US Women’s Amateur, Pressel won her first professional tournament (and Major) at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship. She also represented the US at the 2007 Solheim Cup.
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Katherine Hull and Sarah-Jane Kenyon were the best of the ALPG contingent, finishing in a tie for 16th at even par total 288. Both players have been in good form of late with Hull’s last six tournaments producing results of 1st, 4th, tied 4th, tied 11th, 7th and tied 16th. This has seen her move inside the World’s Top-50 golfers (currently 36th) and will see her compete in the end-of-season limited field events, starting with this week’s US$1.8million Grand China Air LPGA. As reported in recent week’s Kenyon has secured her playing rights for 2009 and this result puts the ‘cream on top’ of a fine 2008 for the young Queenslander. Rachel Hetherington came back from a disastrous first 8 holes of the tournament where she was 6-over par, to finish in a tie for 25th at 2-over par total 290. Karrie Webb was the other player from the ALPG to make the cut finishing in a tie for 35th at 3-over par total 291.
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As stated previously, the LPGA now moves into its limited field events. Katherine Hull and Lindsey Wright will be the Australian representatives at this week’s inaugural US$1.8million Grand China Air LPGA on Hainan Island in China.