KirkwoodGolf

Sunday, May 27, 2007

FIVE-YEAR WAIT FOR FIRST LPGA WIN
OVER FOR SOUTH KOREAN YOUNG KIM

FROM THE LPGA WEBSITE:

The road one takes to her first victory on the LPGA Tour is not always an easy one, but in the case of five-year veteran Young Kim, it was definitely worth the wait.
South Korea's Kim (68-64-68-68=268) claimed a three-stroke victory over fellow South Korean Mi Hyun Kim (68-67-66-70=271) and California's Paula Creamer (66-68-66-71=271) today at the LPGA Corning Classic in Corning, New York State, becoming the LPGA Tour's fifth Rolex First-Time Winner this season.
Kim's first victory was something that she had long waited for, but when the moment finally arrived, she was so overcome by emotion that she was blind to her fellow South Korean players who were sneaking up behind her with congratulatory showers of soda.
“I was crying at the time, so I couldn't see them,” Kim said. “If I saw them I will run out.”
However, running wasn't something Kim could do from M.H. Kim and playing partners Creamer and Beth Bader (65-66-69-72=272), who battled for the $195,000 winner's check all day long. Kim, Creamer and Bader entered Sunday's finale at the Corning Country Club in a three-way tie for the lead, with both Kim and Bader seeking their first wins on Tour.
M.H. Kim crossed the $7 million mark ($7,020,401) in career earnings with her runner-up paycheck.
Janice Moodie collected $14,725 for a joint 19th finish on 278.
Top British players were Laura Davies and Becky Morgan, sharing 11th place on 276.
LEADING TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)
268 Young Kim (South Korea) 68 64 68 68 (£195,000).
271 Mi Hyun Kim (South Korea) 68 67 77 70, Paula Creamer (US) 66 68 66 71 ($102,000 each).
272 In-Kyung Kim (South Korea) 67 69 68 68, Beth Bader (US) 65, 66 69 72 ($60,269 each).
Other totals:
276 Laura Davies (Eng) 69 69 69 69, Becky Morgan (Wal) 69 66 70 71 ($21,514 each) (jt 11th).
278 Janice Moodie (Sco) 72 67 70, Johanna Head (Eng) 68 72 68 70 ($14,725 each).

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