Pak Se-ri ended a three-year victory drought with a birdie on the third playoff hole to beat Brittany Lincicome on Sunday in the rain-shortened — and delayed — Bell Micro LPGA Classic.
Pak, the Hall of Famer from South Korea, used a nice bunker shot to set up the putt that sealed her 25th career win and first since she won the Owens Corning Classic in 2007. Pak hit within 3m below the hole on a fairway bunker shot from about 155m to give herself a birdie chance while Lincicome saved par with a long downhill putt.
Suzann Pettersen also made the playoff, but bogeyed the second hole on the par-4, 367m 18th and headed to the clubhouse at the Crossings Course at Magnolia Grove on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Pak, Lincicome and Pettersen were tied when they teed off together in the morning. An hour into their round of the two-tee start, the leaderboard had been shuffled and the threat of lightning sent the golfers scurrying off the course and into the clubhouse for a five hour wait.
All three wore purple ribbons on their caps honoring Erica Blasberg, a six-year LPGA veteran who died a week earlier at her home in suburban Las Vegas. Police have not said whether foul play was involved, and the coroner said it could take four to six weeks to determine a cause of death.
Pak, who also wore a pink wristband with Blasberg’s initials sandwiching a heart, is unbeaten in six career playoffs. She also won the Tournament of Champions on the Crossings Course in 2001 and 2002.
Lincicome made her earn No. 6, though. She sank a 9m putt after overshooting a bunker shot to force Pak to make her own shorter putt.
The sodden course had received about 10cm of rain overnight and it was still drizzling throughout the playoff holes. LPGA officials went to the playoff on No. 18 and a 54-hole format with more bad weather forecast for yesterday.
Lincicome held a one-stroke lead over Pettersen going into the delay after a birdie on No. 3. She spent much of the down time playing cards with her niece and nephew and loading up on the Southern staple sweet tea.
Several players were threatening to catch the lead group on the leaderboard when play stopped. Lee was 1-under through four holes to tie Pak for third place two strokes back. The biggest mover was Angela Stanford, who pushed to 11-under with three birdies in four holes.
Stanford won the event in 2008; it wasn’t held last year while the course was being renovated.
The three playoff contenders had combined for seven pars, one bogey (Lincicome) and one birdie (Pak) on 18.
All three parred the hole on the first playoff, and Pak and Lincicome did it again the next time.
Pettersen barely got her third shot onto the green on the second playoff to set up a bogey. She has two seconds and two third-place finishes in six events this season.
Pettersen made a hasty exit and did not talk to reporters. She was projected to supplant Jiyai Shin at No. 1 in the rankings with a win.
Shin, Chella Choi and Amy Yang stuck around to cheer on their fellow South Korean, clasping champagne bottles in hopes of a celebration.
Taiwanese player Amy Hung finished on 4-under for the tournament, and tied for 16th, while compatriot Yani Tseng finished on 2-under, and tied for 32nd.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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