Creamer surges to victory at LPGA Fields Open golf
KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AFP) — Paula Creamer closed with three birdies to surge past South Korean Jeong Jang and capture the 1.3 million-dollar LPGA Fields Open here on Saturday.
America's Creamer shot a final-round six-under 66 for a 16-under total of 200, while Jang, who led after each of the first two rounds, fired a 69 for 201.
Australian Lindsey Wright rounded out the top three with a 67 for 202, two shots in front of Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam, who carded a 68.
"It was a good day out there," Creamer said. "A lot of good players were going low, that's what you had to do to win."
Sorenstam, who opened her season with a victory last week, saw her bid for back-to-back titles undone by a double-bogey at No. 10.
"It has been a fun two weeks. I'm happy with the way I've been playing," said Sorenstam, who earned her 70th career victory at the SBS Open last week.
It was a good start to a season in which she hopes to rebound from a disappointing, injury marred 2007.
Jang, who started the day with a one-shot lead over compatriot Song Hee Kim and a two-shot edge on Creamer, bogeyed the second hole but rebounded with a birdie on three as Creamer birdied two of her first three.
Jang's birdie at the sixth again put her in front, and she and Creamer both birdied 14.
Jang doubled her lead with a birdie at 15, but she had no answer as Creamer birdied the last three.
Jang said her biggest problem was failing to take advantage of the par-fives.
"I didn't make any birdies on the par-fives, and should make birdies on par-fives," she said. "Otherwise I played not so bad and I'm really proud of myself. It wasn't mine, so maybe next time."
Kim, meanwhile, ballooned to a 76 to finish nine adrift. Michelle Wie, who opened the tournament with a promising 69 in the first round, had a nightmare finish, making double-bogey at 16 and a triple-bogey at the last en route to a 78 and a tie for last place.
