Tseng captures State Farm Classic
Source: Agencies |
June 14, 2011, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TOP-RANKED Tseng Yani of Chinese Taipei closed with a 4-under 68 to win the State Farm Classic on Sunday, handing Cristie Kerr her third straight second-place finish.
Tseng had a 21-under 267 total on the Panther Creek course in Springfield, Illinois, for her seventh tour title in four years. She also won the season-opening LPGA Thailand this year.
"I just kept telling myself: 'Focus! Focus!'" said Tseng, who was bogey-free over the final two rounds. "I missed a couple of putts but I still was able to make some birdies."
Tseng bought retired Swedish star Annika Sorenstam's house - with its giant trophy case - in Florida in 2009.
"I go back to my house and see all that empty space and I try to fill it up," Tseng said. "I want to put all my amateur trophies in there and get closer."
Kerr, the 2010 winner, finished three strokes back, shooting a 67.
"I played good. I just needed to get some of those putts to the hole, give 'em a chance to go in," the American said. "It would have been nice to make birdie on the last hole, but it didn't matter. She was too far ahead."
Americans Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome (70) were equal third at 16 under.
This could be the final State Farm Classic on the LPGA Tour. The title sponsor, State Farm Insurance Companies, has declined to renew its commitment after this year and a replacement sponsor has yet to be found, putting the event in danger of folding.
In Memphis, Tennessee, Harrison Frazar won his first PGA Tour title in his 355th tournament, beating Robert Karlsson with a par on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff at the St Jude Classic on Sunday.
Frazar won a month before turning 40 when Karlsson pushed a par-saving putt 3 feet past the hole.
Now he has the biggest paycheck of his career, taking home US$1,008,000 after missing a chance to win on the 72nd hole when he made his first bogey of the day. He shot a 3-under 67 to match Karlsson (68) at 13 under.
"I never thought it would happen to be honest with you," Frazar said moments after his victory.
Frazar became the seventh first-time winner on tour this year and the first to win his first title in Memphis since Dicky Pride in 1994.
Karlsson led after the second and third rounds, and he has shot below par on his past eight rounds here. Now the Swede has lost in a playoff at the TPC Southwind course for a second straight year.
Camilo Villegas (64) tied for third with Tim Herron, Ryuji Imada, Charles Howell III and Retief Goosen. Lee Westwood, the defending champion, finished tied for 11th.
Frazar had been thinking of quitting. He turns 40 on July 29, misses his family back in Texas, and is playing this year on a major medical exemption after separate surgeries on his hip and shoulder last summer. He came into Memphis having made four of nine cuts, though he just qualified for the upcoming US Open at Congressional.
This final round turned into a two-man playoff almost from the opening hole with no one closer than three strokes early, a margin that expanded to six.
Frazar kept catching Karlsson atop the leaderboard, finally getting the lead to himself when Karlsson bogeyed No. 17 after yanking a 3-wood way left off the tee. Frazar promptly gave the stroke back on the 72nd hole when his second shot landed near the green and dribbled into the water. Karlsson stroked in an 8-foot par putt to set up his second straight playoff in Memphis.
Tseng had a 21-under 267 total on the Panther Creek course in Springfield, Illinois, for her seventh tour title in four years. She also won the season-opening LPGA Thailand this year.
"I just kept telling myself: 'Focus! Focus!'" said Tseng, who was bogey-free over the final two rounds. "I missed a couple of putts but I still was able to make some birdies."
Tseng bought retired Swedish star Annika Sorenstam's house - with its giant trophy case - in Florida in 2009.
"I go back to my house and see all that empty space and I try to fill it up," Tseng said. "I want to put all my amateur trophies in there and get closer."
Kerr, the 2010 winner, finished three strokes back, shooting a 67.
"I played good. I just needed to get some of those putts to the hole, give 'em a chance to go in," the American said. "It would have been nice to make birdie on the last hole, but it didn't matter. She was too far ahead."
Americans Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome (70) were equal third at 16 under.
This could be the final State Farm Classic on the LPGA Tour. The title sponsor, State Farm Insurance Companies, has declined to renew its commitment after this year and a replacement sponsor has yet to be found, putting the event in danger of folding.
In Memphis, Tennessee, Harrison Frazar won his first PGA Tour title in his 355th tournament, beating Robert Karlsson with a par on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff at the St Jude Classic on Sunday.
Frazar won a month before turning 40 when Karlsson pushed a par-saving putt 3 feet past the hole.
Now he has the biggest paycheck of his career, taking home US$1,008,000 after missing a chance to win on the 72nd hole when he made his first bogey of the day. He shot a 3-under 67 to match Karlsson (68) at 13 under.
"I never thought it would happen to be honest with you," Frazar said moments after his victory.
Frazar became the seventh first-time winner on tour this year and the first to win his first title in Memphis since Dicky Pride in 1994.
Karlsson led after the second and third rounds, and he has shot below par on his past eight rounds here. Now the Swede has lost in a playoff at the TPC Southwind course for a second straight year.
Camilo Villegas (64) tied for third with Tim Herron, Ryuji Imada, Charles Howell III and Retief Goosen. Lee Westwood, the defending champion, finished tied for 11th.
Frazar had been thinking of quitting. He turns 40 on July 29, misses his family back in Texas, and is playing this year on a major medical exemption after separate surgeries on his hip and shoulder last summer. He came into Memphis having made four of nine cuts, though he just qualified for the upcoming US Open at Congressional.
This final round turned into a two-man playoff almost from the opening hole with no one closer than three strokes early, a margin that expanded to six.
Frazar kept catching Karlsson atop the leaderboard, finally getting the lead to himself when Karlsson bogeyed No. 17 after yanking a 3-wood way left off the tee. Frazar promptly gave the stroke back on the 72nd hole when his second shot landed near the green and dribbled into the water. Karlsson stroked in an 8-foot par putt to set up his second straight playoff in Memphis.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
