Golf

What's in a name? Victory

South Korea's Birdie Kim lives up to her moniker to make a bunker shot for a birdie on the final hole and win the Open by one.

By BOB HARIG
Published June 27, 2005

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. - To better distinguish herself from the abundance of players who share her surname on the LPGA Tour, Ju-Yun Kim this year went with a simpler, yet distinctive nickname: Birdie.

Nothing could be more appropriate today.

The unheralded pro from South Korea lived up to the moniker on Sunday, holing an improbable 90-foot greenside bunker shot on the 72nd hole to win the U.S. Women's Open.

A birdie for Birdie.

"I had confidence to hit it close to the pin," said Kim, 23, who had just one top-10 finish in her LPGA career prior to Sunday. "I can't believe it. I don't think I was going to make it. I was trying my best to make par."

It was the only birdie of the day at the treacherous 459-yard, par-4 18th at Cherry Hills Country Club, where player after player found the greenside bunker.

And it crushed Morgan Pressel, the 17-year-old amateur from Boca Raton who battled gamely all day, only to see Kim's shot from the 18th fairway. She put her hands over her head, incredulous.

Pressel, who would have become the youngest major champion in history, still had a chance to tie with a birdie, but she knew how difficult a task that would be. Kim's birdie was the first in two days and just the fourth of the week at the finishing hole.

"That was unbelievable that she made that shot," Pressel said. "She hit a great shot. I was like, I can't believe this is happening to me."

Now Pressel has something in common with Greg Norman. He was beat by Bob Tway's bunker shot on the 72nd hole of the 1986 PGA Championship.

Asked if she knew the name Bob Tway, Kim said, "He's old guy, right?"

Kim finished the 72-hole tournament at 287, 3 over par. With a final-hole bogey, Pressel finished two back, tied for second with another amateur, Brittany Lang, who was one of just three players to shoot par or better on the day.

With a final-round 72, Kim will join a list of unlikely major championship winners such as Hilary Lunke at the 2003 Women's Open and Ben Curtis at the 2003 British Open.

Like both of those players, Kim had done virtually nothing in her pro career prior to Sunday. She had three victories on the developmental Futures Tour but fared so poorly last year on the LPGA Tour that she had to return to qualifying school.

Kim had played in just 34 LPGA events and made only 10 cuts. She had career earnings of just over $79,000.

For winning the Open, she gets $560,000.

"Ooooooohhhhh," Kim said.

Ouch is what Annika Sorenstam could have said.

This was to be her week, the continuation of her goal of winning the Grand Slam. Having won the year's first two major championships, Sorenstam was the heavy favorite. But after an opening-round 71, Sorenstam was not much of a factor. She shot three rounds over par, including Sunday's 77 that left her in a tie for 23rd.

"Obviously, I'm very disappointed in the result, especially the way it ended," Sorenstam said. "I didn't have any momentum. Didn't have any flow. And I definitely didn't make enough birdies."

With Sorenstam's Grand Slam dream on life support starting the day, the focus shifted to the youngsters. Pressel was tied for the lead with another phenom, Michelle Wie, 15, and Karen Stupples.

But Wie double bogeyed the first hole and was never a factor. She shot 82 to also finish tied for 23rd, nine shots back.

"I haven't played this bad in a long time," she said. "I was in a deep rut, it was hard for me."

It was hard for everybody. Only one player broke par during the final round and most of the leaders were backing up. Stupples shot 78 and tied for 10th. Mexico's Lorena Ochoa looked like a good bet to post a low score and win sitting in the clubhouse. But after getting to 3 over - which would have tied Kim - she made an 8 on the final hole.

Lang, who bogeyed the 18th, finished at 5 over and waited while Kim and Pressel navigated the final holes. Pressel went to 4 over with a bogey at the 13th hole but Kim fell into a tie after a bogey at the 16th. That set up the final-hole dramatics.

"It's positive I finished second in the Open," Pressel said. "But I mean, it was the fact I was just so close ... if a couple of bounces would have gone my way, it would have been mine, but it's not."

For Kim, who is based in Miami, it means the world. She now has a five-year exemption on the LPGA Tour as well as five-year exemptions into the other major championships.

And now she has something on the five other Kims on the LPGA Tour: a major championship.

"The LPGA has a lot of (players with the) last name of Kim," she said. "Everybody cannot remember their first name."

They'll remember Birdie. And the one she made to win the Open.

[Last modified June 27, 2005, 01:05:15]