PITTSFORD, New York: World number one Park In-Bee won her second major title of the year yesterday, downing Catriona Matthew at the third play-off hole to win the LPGA Championship.
The sudden-death play-off made a long day even longer, coming after the field completed 36 holes in a marathon finish made necessary after rain washed out play on Thursday.
After both players parred the first two play-off holes -- the 18th and 10th -- they returned again to 18 -- the same hole that Park bogeyed in regulation to fall into a tie with Matthew on five-under 283.
Needing only a par to win after Matthew hit her tee shot into the rough, Park sealed her fourth win of the season with a birdie.
Park had seized the lead yesterday morning with a third-round 68 that left her one stroke in front of American Morgan Pressel.
But the South Korean star, who won the first women’s major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, in April, struggled to a three-over 75 in the final round as Matthew followed up her third-round 73 with a bogey-free 68.
Matthew came from seven strokes back going into the final round to get into the play-off -- and Park said she was fortunate she didn’t give the title away in regulation.
“I actually thought I was very lucky to get in the play-off,” said Park, who made three of her five final-round bogeys in the last five holes. “I just hit it everywhere. I wasn’t hitting any fairways.
“I finally hit three fairways in the play-off,” said Park, who added a third major title that also includes the 2008 US Open.AFP
