 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||
|
||
Event enjoys another successful year in Williamsburg. WILLIAMSBURG –– Like the gusting winds ever-present during third and final round action, Cristie Kerr used a final day surge and blew past the LPGA’s best competition to roll to a five-shot romp as the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill concluded today at Kingsmill Resort & Spa’s River Course (6,306 yards, par 36-35—71).
After two previous high finishes in the event, a tie for sixth last year and a second to champion Grace Park in 2003, Kerr picked up her fifth career victory and the accompanying $330,000 winner’s check. The victory margin was the largest in the event’s three-year history at Kingsmill. “I need a beer,” she said afterward as Gulbis doused her with the title sponsor’s product. The champion later returned friendly fire in a celebration behind the 18th green. “We’re going to drink it out of the trophy.” Kerr, who began the third round with a two-shot lead over Redman and A.J. Eathorne, squelched any potential pursuer's title aspirations with her third round 68, recording one of four rounds in the 60s during third round play. With four birdies to offset a single bogey on Sunday morning, Kerr was the only player in the field to post three rounds in the 60s. Following a birdie at the par-5 15th hole to get to even for the day during the final round, Kerr owned a six-shot lead over McGill. Even when it seemed she might lose a stroke after catching the lip of a fairway bunker at the par-4 16th on her approach shot, Kerr got up and down from 90 yards with a sand wedge, culminating the save by draining a 12-foot par putt as she coasted to the title on the banks of the “It definitely feels like a major championship to me,” said Kerr, who on Mother’s Day, cited the dedicated efforts of her mother, who has battled breast cancer that is now in remission. “To know that you can play that well and beat the best players in the world, and perhaps be one of the best players in the world is a great feeling.” With rounds of 69-72 on Sunday, McGill tied her best finish ever in a LPGA Tour event (t2 at the 2001 Michelob Light Classic at Fox Run Golf Club in “I am getting more confidence, and am having a lot more fun on the golf course,” said McGill, who recorded her best finish of the 2005 campaign. “It makes it easier to go out and try to hit good shots instead of hoping to get good shots. I am really pleased with the way I played. “It was a very trying day and my focus was a lot better.” Gulbis shot even par on the outward nine, but bogeys on two of the first four holes on the inward half at the par-4 10th hole and the par-3 13th proved costly. A birdie at the par-5 15th got her back to one over for the day, but she bogeyed 18 after hitting her tee shot into heavy rough and trees right. Prevailing winds, 36 holes of competitive golf and a demanding redesigned River Course made a consistent string of scoring difficult throughout the day. “If you are not striking the ball well, the course gets really tough fast,” said Gulbis.
“I said, ‘No, I am not letting that little one get too close to me.'” In pursuit of an LPGA record sixth straight victory in as many appearances, world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam had a third round 3-under-par 68, but ballooned to 3-over 74 in the final round to tie for 12th place at 2-over-par 286 (76-67-69-74). In falling short of a landmark achievement, Sorenstam couldn’t continue the strong play that got her within striking distance, playing the first three holes on the final 18 in three over that included a bogey at the first and a double on the par-3 fifth hole. “I was excited about the opportunity, especially with the way I played this morning,” said Sorenstam. Her finish marked the first time she has finished with an over par total since the 2003 John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic at Tulsa Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. “Starting the fourth round, I thought I was in great shape, but the wheels came off early and I couldn’t really recover. I would say I am disappointed, but again, it is a difficult thing to do.” Kerr, who had previously never won a tournament with Sorenstam in the field, left little question who was in control on this day. “It feels nice to know that she was in the field when winning this tournament,” Kerr said. “It makes it sweeter.” |
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
Virginia State Golf Association Site designed and powered by DigiKnow. |
||
With the field playing 36 holes on Sunday, Kerr (pictured left) posted her third consecutive 68 in morning third round play and owned what would be an insurmountable five-shot advantage over Jill McGill and Natalie Gulbis heading to the final 18 holes. Kerr carded a final round 72 to finish with an 8-under-par 276 aggregate. McGill finished five back (281, -3), while a contingent of three others – Gulbis, Catriona Matthew and Michele Redman – concluded play six off the pace at 2-under-par 282.
After near-missed the previous two years, Kerr (pictured right) wasn’t about to let her close friend take the