Putting helps Pak win in long playoff
By Associated Press,
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 28, 2003
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. - Se Ri Pak beat Shani Waugh on the fourth playoff hole to win the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship on Sunday, her second victory of the year and 20th overall.
Pak sank an 18-foot putt to save par at No. 10 after Waugh, going for her first victory, yanked her tee shot into the lake bordering the left side of the fairway.
Waugh was in position to make bogey, but she didn't get a chance to putt. After her second shot got stuck in thick rough behind the green, Pak pulled off an up-and-down for the second hole in a row.
Without much green to work with, Pak hit a delicate chip that slid past the hole then made the putt coming back to end the longest LPGA playoff since Sherri Steinhauer needed five holes to beat Lorie Kane at the 1999 Big Apple Classic.
"For a split second, I said, "Here's my chance,"' Waugh said. "But she putted incredible. I was not surprised at all when she made that putt."
At the previous hole, the par-5 18th, Pak knocked her second shot into the scoring tent right of the green. After getting relief, she was still 20 yards from the flag but chipped to 10 feet and made a birdie to keep the playoff going.
"Those were some amazing up-and-downs," Pak said. "I impressed myself."
On the final hole of regulation, Pak flubbed a chip coming out of the rough behind the green. She recovered by rolling in a 15-foot birdie to force the playoff at 64-200. The playoff alternated between the 18th and 10th holes.
Karrie Webb began the day with the lead. But she three-putted from 8 feet on the first hole and bogeyed the first two holes after the turn. She stormed by reporters without stopping to talk after finishing a round of 74.
Michelle Wie, 13, who made the cut in her second straight LPGA event, struggled with her putter but posted her second straight round below par. The 71 left her with 3-under 213.
LEGENDS OF GOLF: Bruce Lietzke overcame missed birdie putts to win his first Champions Tour event of the season and $350,000, the largest paycheck of his career. He parred the last 10 holes in a round of 1-under 71, finishing at 10-under 206, one ahead of Dana Quigley.
Lietzke couldn't capitalize on a fast start, getting a birdie on the first hole to get to 10 under. Putting was the reason. He missed just one green but did not make a putt from beyond 10 feet.
"I was pretty disappointed in that," he said. "But I'm real happy to be the 2003 champion."
Quigley hit a 9-iron to within 12 feet at No. 15 and made the birdie putt to get to 9 under, one shot off the lead. But he, too, couldn't sink birdie putts down the stretch.
SPANISH OPEN: Kenneth Ferrie won his first European PGA Tour title, beating Peter Lawrie and Peter Hedblom on the second playoff hole. The three birdied the first playoff hole. Ferrie birdied the second extra hole after an excellent drive. Hedblom and Lawrie missed the green with their first shots.
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