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Kim comes from behind to win AT&T title

South Korea’s Lee Seon-hwa is drenched with champagne as she holds the trophy after winning the LPGA Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Arkansas, on Sunday. PHOTO: AP

Anthony Kim fired a bogey-free 65 on Sunday to come from behind and capture the PGA Tour’s US$6 million AT&T National by two strokes at the Congressional Country Club course.

The 23-year-old American won for the second time in five starts as he started the day three shots adrift of the leader.

It was the second title in just over two months for Kim, who finished at 12-under 268 to beat runner-up Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden.

Kim, who earned US$1.04 million in first-place prize money, also claimed the Wachovia Championship in early May.

Australians Rod Pampling, Robert Allenby and Nick O’Hern were part of a group of a half-dozen golfers who tied for third at nine-under 271.

The victory also moved Kim into sixth place in the Ryder Cup standings and likely will move him into the top 10 in the world.

Third-round leader Tom Pernice stumbled to a disappointing 72 and finished in a tie for ninth.

It was the first time Pernice held a final-round lead since the Buick Open last year, where he struggled to a 75 en route to slipping all the way to 20th.



■EUROPEAN OPEN

AFP, LONDON

Ross Fisher completed a brilliant week with a wire-to-wire victory in the European Open at the London Club on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Englishman, all but assured of victory as he walked down the final fairway, finished in fairytale fashion as he chipped in from a green-side bunker on the 18th for a 20-under total of 268, seven shots ahead of second-placed Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

It set the seal on a memorable few days for Fisher who, not content with qualifying for the British Open at Royal Birkdale later this month, followed up with a course record 63 in the first round of this event having never played the London Club before.

Fisher’s victory moves him from 21st to 11th place in the Ryder Cup standings and on the verge of becoming an automatic pick for Nick Faldo’s European team to play the US.

Although wet and windy conditions on Sunday made life tough for much of the field, that did not stop Fisher making an eagle on the fifth courtesy of a 50-foot putt.

And he then cemented his position atop the leaderboard with birdies on the 12th and 15th, as well as on the last when he holed out from the sand.



■LPGA ARKANSAS

AFP, ROGERS, Arkansas

South Korea’s Lee Seon-hwa birdied the 18th hole to capture the rain-disrupted Arkansas Championship on Sunday and take home her second win of the season and fourth career title.

Lee fired a four-under 68 to hold off American Jane Park and fellow South Korean Meena Lee, finishing the 54-hole tournament at 15-under 201 at the Pinnacle Country Club.

It was another stellar weekend on the LPGA Tour for Asian players as they placed six players in the top 10.

Lee eagled the par-five seventh hole, before recording 10 straight pars. The 22-year-old then birdied the par-five 18th hole to claim the championship.

Park finished with a flourish, carding 10 birdies — including six in a seven-hole stretch — in her bogey-free final round to finish at 14-under 200.

“I just got off to such a great start,” Park said. “You know, once you start rattling off birdies like that, I just kind of lost track after my sixth one.”

Meena Lee also played bogey-free golf on Sunday that is, until she posted just her second bogey of the tournament at the 17th hole.

Angela Park, Kristy McPherson, Japan’s Ai Miyazato and Karen Stupples tied for fourth at 13-under.
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