By DAVID MERCER
Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Second-year LPGA golfer Ji Young Oh won her first tournament Sunday, sinking a 6-inch putt for par to win the State Farm Classic in a playoff over rookie Yani Tseng.
A day after the tournament lost its marquee player, Michelle Wie, to disqualification, the sudden-death playoff injected life into what had been an ordinary final round.
Oh and Tseng finished regulation at 18-under par.
Tseng, the leader coming into Sunday, chipped her third shot over the green and into the rough, then pitched her ball to about 6 feet from the cup.
But Oh’s third shot, from just inside the rough, left her with the tap-in that gave her the win.
Oh, who spoke English with reporters for much of the tournament, resorted to an interpreter after the overtime because she said she was floored by the win.
“I would love to do this interview in English,” she said through the interpreter, “but my mind is totally blank.”
Tseng, who shot a 66 in each of the first three rounds before her even-par 72 on Sunday, said after her loss that her nerves got the best of her Sunday.
“I really feel nervous,” she said. “It’s my first time (to open a round) at the top of the leaderboard.”
Tseng, who won the LPGA Championship for her first career victory, said three of her closest losses – as a pro and an amateur – have come to South Koreans.
“I really don’t like playing with Koreans,” she joked.
Oh was among the steadiest golfers this week at Panther Creek Country Club.
She shot a 66 each of the first two rounds to stay quietly just behind the leaders. Then she shot a 69 Saturday to set herself up just behind Tseng.
Oh, like much of the field, struggled with heat and wind Sunday, bogeying three holes. But she still managed six birdies and, as Tseng melted on the playoff hole, Oh calmly chipped in close and tapped in the winner.
“I wasn’t all that nervous,” she said. “Starting this week, from the first day, I’ve been playing pretty well.”
Na Yeon Choi finished in third place at 17 under for the tournament after shooting a 4-under 68 Sunday.
On a day dominated by youth, Chinese rookie Shanshan Feng shot a 9-under 63 – the second best round of the tournament along with Christina Kim’s first round – and finished the tournament at 16 under par, tied for fourth place with Stacy Prammanasudh and Hee-Won Han.
Wie was disqualified after she finished her round Saturday – a 5-under-par 67 that had her a stroke off the lead – for failing to sign her scorecard a day earlier.
Wie was chased down by a tournament volunteer after she left the course at the ninth hole without signing her card, something required by golf’s rules. LPGA officials say they didn’t learn about Wie’s miscue until after play started Saturday morning.
Wie, a part-time golfer and full-time student at Stanford, played at the State Farm on a sponsor exemption. The LPGA allows non-touring players six of those a year, and Wie has one left.
She has said she would play at the Canadian Women’s Open next month.
Wie was playing what might have been the best golf of the tournament, and the best she’s played this year.
Oh, though, said Wie’s absence didn’t cheapen her win.
“I didn’t think about it much,” Oh said. “No one knows how well she would have played.”
Final scores with earnings and relation to par from the State Farm Classic, played July 17-20 at the par-72, 6,608-yard Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill. (Note: x-won playoff; a-amateur):
| 1. x-Ji Young Oh |
$255,000 |
|
66-66-69-69--270 |
|
|
-18 |
| 2. Yani Tseng |
156,002 |
|
66-66-66-72--270 |
|
|
-18 |
| 3. Na Yeon Choi |
113,169 |
|
67-67-69-68--271 |
|
|
-17 |
| 4. Shanshan Feng |
71,887 |
|
70-70-69-63--272 |
|
|
-16 |
| 4. Stacy Prammanasudh |
71,887 |
|
69-66-68-69--272 |
|
|
-16 |
| 4. Hee-Won Han |
71,887 |
|
69-71-61-71--272 |
|
|
-16 |
| 7. Kristy McPherson |
45,268 |
|
65-71-70-67--273 |
|
|
-15 |
| 7. Kyeong Bae |
45,268 |
|
68-67-69-69--273 |
|
|
-15 |
| 9. Wendy Ward |
34,876 |
|
73-66-69-66--274 |
|
|
-14 |
| 9. Christina Kim |
34,876 |
|
63-68-73-70--274 |
|
|
-14 |
| 9. Katie Futcher |
34,876 |
|
70-64-66-74--274 |
|
|
-14 |
| 12. Erica Blasberg |
27,246 |
|
70-66-70-69--275 |
|
|
-13 |
| 12. Jimin Kang |
27,246 |
|
67-70-69-69--275 |
|
|
-13 |
| 12. Sun Young Yoo |
27,246 |
|
64-69-72-70--275 |
|
|
-13 |
| 12. Wendy Doolan |
27,246 |
|
67-68-69-71--275 |
|
|
-13 |
| 16. Carri Wood |
22,264 |
|
70-66-70-70--276 |
|
|
-12 |
| 16. Jane Park |
22,264 |
|
70-66-70-70--276 |
|
|
-12 |
| 16. Anna Grzebien |
22,264 |
|
69-70-67-70--276 |
|
|
-12 |
| 19. Jill McGill |
18,620 |
|
68-70-71-68--277 |
|
|
-11 |
| 19. Marisa Baena |
18,620 |
|
67-69-73-68--277 |
|
|
-11 |
| 19. Ai Miyazato |
18,620 |
|
67-72-68-70--277 |
|
|
-11 |
| 19. Mikaela Parmlid |
18,620 |
|
73-66-68-70--277 |
|
|
-11 |
| 19. Michelle Ellis |
18,620 |
|
73-66-73-65--277 |
|
|
-11 |
| 19. Jee Young Lee |
18,620 |
|
65-70-70-72--277 |
|
|
-11 |
| 25. Diana D'Alessio |
14,017 |
|
69-70-70-69--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 25. Young-A Yang |
14,017 |
|
68-69-73-68--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 25. Katherine Hull |
14,017 |
|
68-70-73-67--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 25. Becky Morgan |
14,017 |
|
70-69-68-71--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 25. Hannah Jun |
14,017 |
|
71-70-71-66--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 25. Kris Tamulis |
14,017 |
|
67-69-70-72--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 25. Sherri Turner |
14,017 |
|
66-66-73-73--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 25. Hee Young Park |
14,017 |
|
72-66-68-72--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 25. Beth Bader |
14,017 |
|
70-66-69-73--278 |
|
|
-10 |
| 34. Seo-Jae Lee |
9,708 |
|
70-68-71-70--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 34. Kim Hall |
9,708 |
|
69-69-71-70--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 34. Angela Park |
9,708 |
|
72-68-69-70--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 34. Eva Dahllof |
9,708 |
|
68-67-72-72--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 34. Meredith Duncan |
9,708 |
|
69-72-66-72--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 34. Gloria Park |
9,708 |
|
69-68-74-68--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 34. Angela Stanford |
9,708 |
|
70-68-74-67--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 34. Alena Sharp |
9,708 |
|
68-70-68-73--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 34. Jin Joo Hong |
9,708 |
|
69-68-69-73--279 |
|
|
-9 |
| 43. Paige Mackenzie |
7,146 |
|
74-67-69-70--280 |
|
|
-8 |
| 43. Lisa Strom |
7,146 |
|
68-71-69-72--280 |
|
|
-8 |
| 43. Heather Young |
7,146 |
|
70-69-68-73--280 |
|
|
-8 |
| 43. Michele Redman |
7,146 |
|
71-69-71-69--280 |
|
|
-8 |
| 43. Charlotte Mayorkas |
7,146 |
|
70-67-69-74--280 |
|
|
-8 |
| 43. Anna Rawson |
7,146 |
|
70-71-73-66--280 |
|
|
-8 |
| 49. Sarah Kemp |
5,825 |
|
70-71-68-72--281 |
|
|
-7 |
| 49. Sandra Gal |
5,825 |
|
69-68-71-73--281 |
|
|
-7 |
| 49. Marcy Hart |
5,825 |
|
68-71-71-71--281 |
|
|
-7 |
| 49. H.J. Choi |
5,825 |
|
70-68-73-70--281 |
|
|
-7 |
| 49. Brittany Lang |
5,825 |
|
71-70-72-68--281 |
|
|
-7 |
| 54. Dina Ammaccapane |
5,210 |
|
72-68-71-71--282 |
|
|
-6 |
| 54. Leta Lindley |
5,210 |
|
72-69-75-66--282 |
|
|
-6 |
| 56. Il Mi Chung |
4,541 |
|
73-68-69-73--283 |
|
|
-5 |
| 56. Karine Icher |
4,541 |
|
69-71-70-73--283 |
|
|
-5 |
| 56. Tracy Hanson |
4,541 |
|
70-68-74-71--283 |
|
|
-5 |
| 56. Lorie Kane |
4,541 |
|
72-68-73-70--283 |
|
|
-5 |
| 56. Ashli Bunch |
4,541 |
|
68-72-73-70--283 |
|
|
-5 |
| 56. Audra Burks |
4,541 |
|
66-73-74-70--283 |
|
|
-5 |
| 62. Moira Dunn |
4,014 |
|
71-68-71-74--284 |
|
|
-4 |
| 62. Soo-Yun Kang |
4,014 |
|
72-69-71-72--284 |
|
|
-4 |
| 62. Anja Monke |
4,014 |
|
66-71-76-71--284 |
|
|
-4 |
| 65. Sarah Lynn Sargent |
3,673 |
|
69-72-71-73--285 |
|
|
-3 |
| 65. Russy Gulyanamitta |
3,673 |
|
69-69-74-73--285 |
|
|
-3 |
| 65. Candy Hannemann |
3,673 |
|
71-70-72-72--285 |
|
|
-3 |
| 65. Jennifer Rosales |
3,673 |
|
68-73-73-71--285 |
|
|
-3 |
| 65. Na Ri Kim |
3,673 |
|
74-66-75-70--285 |
|
|
-3 |
| 70. Virada Nirapathpongporn |
3,416 |
|
74-66-73-73--286 |
|
|
-2 |
| 71. Chris Brady |
3,352 |
|
70-71-73-74--288 |
|
|
E |
| 71. Na On Min |
3,352 |
|
74-67-74-73--288 |
|
|
E |
| 73. Birdie Kim |
3,288 |
|
70-69-76-75--290 |
|
+ |
2 |
| • • • |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Missed the cut |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 75. Patricia Meunier-Lebouc |
|
|
72-70--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Sarah Jane Kenyon |
|
|
70-72--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Kim Williams |
|
|
71-71--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Simi Mehra |
|
|
72-70--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Vicky Hurst |
|
|
72-70--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Eunjung Yi |
|
|
71-71--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Ashleigh Simon |
|
|
69-73--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Beth Allen |
|
|
69-73--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Liz Janangelo |
|
|
72-70--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Danielle Downey |
|
|
73-69--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Irene Cho |
|
|
72-70--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Allison Fouch |
|
|
72-70--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Julieta Granada |
|
|
76-66--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Pat Hurst |
|
|
69-73--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Nicole Hage |
|
|
71-71--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Angela Jerman |
|
|
69-73--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Sarah Oh |
|
|
72-70--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Jimin Jeong |
|
|
74-68--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 75. Jennifer Gleason |
|
|
73-69--142 |
|
|
-2 |
| 94. Michelle McGann |
|
|
68-75--143 |
|
|
-1 |
| 94. Laurie Brower |
|
|
71-72--143 |
|
|
-1 |
| 94. Brandie Burton |
|
|
70-73--143 |
|
|
-1 |
| 94. Emily Bastel |
|
|
73-70--143 |
|
|
-1 |
| 94. Yu Ping Lin |
|
|
71-72--143 |
|
|
-1 |
| 94. Mhairi McKay |
|
|
71-72--143 |
|
|
-1 |
| 100. Mollie Fankhauser |
|
|
75-69--144 |
|
|
E |
| 100. Stephanie Louden |
|
|
72-72--144 |
|
|
E |
| 100. Reilley Rankin |
|
|
75-69--144 |
|
|
E |
| 100. Johanna Head |
|
|
73-71--144 |
|
|
E |
| 100. Allison Hanna-Williams |
|
|
69-75--144 |
|
|
E |
| 105. Kate Golden |
|
|
71-74--145 |
|
+ |
1 |
| 105. Becky Lucidi |
|
|
70-75--145 |
|
+ |
1 |
| 105. Karin Sjodin |
|
|
74-71--145 |
|
+ |
1 |
| 105. Jamie Hullett |
|
|
76-69--145 |
|
+ |
1 |
| 105. Heather Daly-Donofrio |
|
|
74-71--145 |
|
+ |
1 |
| 105. A.J. Eathorne |
|
|
72-73--145 |
|
+ |
1 |
| 105. Cindy Pasechnik |
|
|
70-75--145 |
|
+ |
1 |
| 105. Vicki Goetze-Ackerman |
|
|
72-73--145 |
|
+ |
1 |
| 113. Lee Ann Walker-Cooper |
|
|
76-70--146 |
|
+ |
2 |
| 113. Onnarin Sattayabanphot |
|
|
70-76--146 |
|
+ |
2 |
| 113. Hana Kim |
|
|
71-75--146 |
|
+ |
2 |
| 113. Carolina Llano |
|
|
72-74--146 |
|
+ |
2 |
| 113. Sherri Steinhauer |
|
|
75-71--146 |
|
+ |
2 |
| 113. Sung Ah Yim |
|
|
73-73--146 |
|
+ |
2 |
| 113. Allison Finney |
|
|
74-72--146 |
|
+ |
2 |
| 113. Seol-An Jeon |
|
|
73-73--146 |
|
+ |
2 |
| 121. Kris Tschetter |
|
|
72-75--147 |
|
+ |
3 |
| 121. Kelli Kuehne |
|
|
74-73--147 |
|
+ |
3 |
| 121. Jennifer Greggain |
|
|
77-70--147 |
|
+ |
3 |
| 124. Siew-Ai Lim |
|
|
74-74--148 |
|
+ |
4 |
| 124. Charlotta Sorenstam |
|
|
75-73--148 |
|
+ |
4 |
| 124. Christa Johnson |
|
|
71-77--148 |
|
+ |
4 |
| 124. Becky Iverson |
|
|
76-72--148 |
|
+ |
4 |
| 124. Nancy Scranton |
|
|
72-76--148 |
|
+ |
4 |
| 129. Jackie Gallagher-Smith |
|
|
73-76--149 |
|
+ |
5 |
| 129. Young Jo |
|
|
79-70--149 |
|
+ |
5 |
| 129. Taylor Leon |
|
|
75-74--149 |
|
+ |
5 |
| 129. Shi Hyun Ahn |
|
|
73-76--149 |
|
+ |
5 |
| 129. Su A Kim |
|
|
73-76--149 |
|
+ |
5 |
| 129. Barb Mucha |
|
|
74-75--149 |
|
+ |
5 |
| 135. a-Hilary Anderson |
|
|
75-75--150 |
|
+ |
6 |
| 135. Kristen Samp |
|
|
72-78--150 |
|
+ |
6 |
| 137. Dorothy Delasin |
|
|
73-79--152 |
|
+ |
8 |
| 138. Hwanhee Lee |
|
|
75-78--153 |
|
+ |
9 |
| 139. Nancy Lopez |
|
|
76-78--154 |
|
+ |
10 |
| 140. Danielle Ammaccapane |
|
|
79-76--155 |
|
+ |
11 |
| 141. Jean Bartholomew |
|
|
81-75--156 |
|
+ |
12 |
| 142. Jeanne Cho-Hunicke |
|
|
76-82--158 |
|
+ |
14 |
| 143. Amie Cochran |
|
|
79-80--159 |
|
+ |
15 |
| 144. Violeta Retamoza |
|
|
81-82--163 |
|
+ |
19 |
| DQ. Michelle Wie |
|
|
67-DQ |
|
|
|
Posted: 7/20/2008
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