South Korean teenager Baek Kyu-jung captured the KEB-HanaBank Championship in a playoff for her maiden LPGA Tour victory yesterday.
Baek made a birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat the US’ Brittany Lincicome and fellow South Korean Chun In-gee on the par-72 Ocean Course at the Sky 72 Golf and Resort club in Incheon, South Korea.
She took home a US$300,000 winner’s check.
Photo: AFP
Baek, who turned 19 recently, became the eighth South Korean winner of the tournament, which was inaugurated in 2002 as the nation’s only LPGA event each year.
It was also the third straight year in which the winner was determined in a playoff.
The three playoff participants ended the regulation tied on 278 at 10-under. Lincicome and Chun each carded a 66, while Baek shot a 67 in the final round.
Chun fell out of contention early in the playoff, putting her third shot into the water and making a bogey.
Both Baek and Lincicome sent their third shots close to the hole. Lincicome was the first to putt, but just missed her birdie attempt, setting the stage for Baek’s dramatic finish.
The teenager stepped up and sank the putt to punctuate an impressive comeback.
With Lincicome making three birdies and Chun pouring in four birdies on the front nine, Baek had an ordinary start to her final day.
She went out at five-under after trading a birdie with a bogey, but went on a roll on the back nine, making five consecutive birdies starting on the 11th hole.
Baek saved key pars on the 16th and 17th, before missing a short birdie attempt on the 18th to get into the playoff.
She faced a birdie putt of a similar length in the playoff and did not miss the second time.
“I was so far back after the front nine that I didn’t really expect to win,” Baek said.
“I was just playing catch-up on the back nine and trying to enjoy myself out on the course,” she added.
World No. 2 Inbee Park finished one stroke short of making the playoff at nine-under after shooting a 67. She could have supplanted the absent Stacy Lewis as the top-ranked female golfer with a victory.
Michelle Wie and Catriona Matthew ended another shot back in a tie for fifth.
Kim Hyo-joo, a South Korean teenager and shock winner of the Evian Championship, was alone in seventh at seven-under.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng was the best-placed of the three Taiwanese players at the tournament. She shot a final-round 72 for 295 overall and a share of 60th place, earning US$4,959.
Compatriots Lee Min shot 298 overall and Chien Pei-yun finished on 306 for the tournament, earning US$3,932 and US$3,713 respectively.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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