Ji birdies 72nd hole to claim Open
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Eun Hee Ji of South Korea is doused with champagne after winning the U.S. Women's Open at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., on Sunday. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |
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By BOB LENTZ The Associated Press - Published: July 13, 2009
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Eun Hee Ji of South Korea made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole Sunday, finishing off an even-par 71 to claim the U.S. Women's Open.
The 20-year-old Ji outlasted playing partner and third-round leader Cristie Kerr, who struggled from the outset and failed in her bid for a second Women's Open title in three years.
Ji recovered from two bogeys in her first four holes and a double-bogey at the 10th hole and made three birdies over the final six holes to finish at even-par 284 at Saucon Valley Country Club.
She punctuated her steady back-nine run on the final hole by driving into the center of the fairway, landing her approach about 20 feet from the pin and rolling the birdie try into the center of the cup.
Ji, who won the 2008 Wegman's LPGA, pumped her fists and embraced caddie Zac Austin after the winning putt dropped. Kerr gave the five-year professional a long embrace.
During the trophy presentation, Ji was doused with champagne.
Candie Kung of Taiwan continued a charge up the leaderboard she started in the third round when she vaulted from 37th to a tie for fifth. She completed her round before Ji and Kerr and appeared headed for a playoff after a 2-under 69 left her at 1-over 285.
But Kung's push to the lead fell short and she settled for second when Ji rolled in the winner.
Kerr shot a 4-over 75 and tied In-Kyung Kim of South Korea for third at 2-over 286.
Brittany Lincicome, who made an eagle putt on the 72nd hole earlier this year to win the Kraft Nabisco, placed fifth after a 1-under 70 left her at 3-over 287.
Futures Tour player Jean Reynolds was in the next-to-last pairing, but stumbled in the final round, shooting 6-over 77 for an 8-over 292.
Overnight storms dumped an inch of rain on the Old Course, softening the fairways and making the greens more receptive to shots. But a steady breeze helped dry out the putting surfaces and players continued to struggle on the speedy, undulating greens.
Kerr, the 2007 champion, failed to reproduce the three workmanlike rounds that gave her a two-stroke lead over Ji heading into the final round.
The slow, steady play she used over three rounds to get to 2-under for the only round below par in the championship was missing from the beginning Sunday as she bogeyed the first hole.
After a birdie at the third to get back to 2-under, Kerr had back-to-back bogeys at the fifth and sixth. She dropped into black number for the first time in the championship with a bogey at the 13th.
Her troubles continued down the stretch as she rolled a birdie putt past the hole at the 16th and missed the comebacker, settling for a bogey that dropped her to 2-over. She failed to make lengthy birdie putts at the 17th and 18th.
Scottish Open
LUSS, Scotland — Martin Kaymer won for the second week in a row, closing with a 2-under 69 in the rain and sunshine at Loch Lomond for a two-shot victory.
Kaymer moves up to No. 11 in the world ranking, and his confidence is even higher heading to the British Open.
The 24-year-old German became the first player since Ian Woosnam in 1990 to win the two European Tour events before the British Open, which starts Thursday at Turnberry.
A week after winning the French Open in a playoff, Kaymer broke free from a three-way tie on the front nine, then kept his mistakes to a minimum as everyone else around him crumbled.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who held a one-shot lead going into the final round, didn't make a birdie until the 14th hole, and by then he already was three shots behind and running out of holes. He closed with a 72 and tied for second with Raphael Jacquelin, who birdied two of his last three holes for a 66.
John Deere Classic
SILVIS, Ill. — Steve Stricker followed one of his best performances with 36 solid holes to win by three strokes.
Stricker, who tied the course record Saturday, fired a 7-under 64 in the fourth round after starting the day with a third-round 68 to finish at 264 for the tournament. That was good enough to give him his second PGA Tour win this year and sixth in all, not to mention a heavy dose of momentum heading into the British Open to go with the $774,000 winnner's check.
Local favorite Zach Johnson (64, 66), Brandt Snedeker (68, 65) and Brett Quigley (62, 67) all tied for second at 17 under. Quigley also qualified for the British Open.
Stricker's biggest challenge, though, came from Tim Petrovic, who was in his group and was two strokes off the lead heading into the 36th and final hole of the day. But he hit the pond on No. 18 and double-bogeyed the hole, leaving him at 16 under along with Matt Jones (63, 69) and J.J. Henry (66, 68). Second-round leader Darron Stiles (70, 71) finished at 14 under.
Champions Tour
BLAINE, Minn. — Bernhard Langer chipped in for eagle on the 18th hole Sunday to win the 3M Championship, his second straight win on the Champions Tour.
His 7-under 65 gave him a 16-under 200 for the tournament, one shot better than Andy Bean.
Standing about 3 feet off the back fringe, Langer put the ball on the edge of the green and watched it roll about 15 feet into the hole. Langer turned and pointed to the crowd with both arms raised when the ball dropped in the hole for his fourth win of the season.
Scott Hoch (66) finished two shots back. Tom Kite shot his second 67 at the TPC Twin Cities to finish fourth. Nick Price, the leader after round two, shot a 1-under 71 to finish five back.
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