KINGSMILL CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT AND SCORES

FIRST WIN BY LIZETTE SALAS AND SHE 

HAS FOUR STROKES TO SPARE


FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE
American Lizette Salas won the Kingsmill Championship at Williamsburg, Virigina with a 13 under par total - four ahead of  three players on 275: Australian Sarah-Jane Smith, Yani Tseng (Taiwan) and American Lexi Thompson.
Before Salas could even get off the 18th green the emotions hit – the demons of four close calls over the last two years exorcised. Gone are the questions, the doubts. She’s arrived and based on her previous company of winners in the 10-year history of this event, she could be headed for a major championship victory soon. Every previous winner of this event – Grace Park, Se Ri Pak, Cristie Kerr, Karrie Webb, Suzann Pettersen, Annika Sorenstam and Jiyai Shin - either had already won a major or went on to win a major after.
“I was patient, I was happy, and I was ready most importantly. I took a different approach this week of not thinking so much and trying to be perfect,” Salas said. 
“You know, I made a putter switch last week when I was home, and it was -- I felt so ready. There are so many emotions going on right now that I’m just trying to breathe.”
Judging by the glee with which Lydia Ko, Danielle Kang and Mina Harigae ran on the green after to celebrate her big win, she’s well deserving according to her peers. And it was fitting she had her peers to celebrate with because this was her first LPGA tournament that her parents weren’t on hand for.
“It is a dream come true. I’ve been working so hard for this. I’ve had so much support over the years and to finally break through my third season out on tour, I’m just so happy. Lot of emotions right now,” Salas said. “I wish my parents could have been here to witness it but I know they were glued to the TV. I think the whole city of Azusas was glued to the TV.”
Salas never really left it in doubt for them to worry. She opened the round with a three-shot lead and nailed a testy par putt at the first after leaving a lag putt well short. Then, she closed the door with birdies on the third and fifth hole to basically seal it up.
“That was a big putt just to start of the day – downhill slider. I even threw in a fist pump because I knew how important that was for me mentally and from a confidence standpoint. After that just kind of shook it off.”
Nancy Lopez had given her the advice of always look at the scoreboard when you’re in contention, and she followed that advice. She knew the cushion she had but still couldn’t avoid the nerves.
“Nerve were there, definitely there. The knees were shaking a little bit,” said Salas. “But after being in the Solheim Cup I learned how to control them and just knew where it hit it and just really stayed patient.”
SMITH’S 66 VAULTS HER INTO BEST CAREER FINISH
Aussie Sarah Jane Smith had played 10 competitive rounds at Kingsmill prior before this week and had never carded in the 60s. That all changed this week when Smith went 68, 71, 70 and finished with a sizzling 5-under 66 that vaulted her all the way to into a tie for 2nd - the best finish of her career – at 9-under-par 275.
“I’ve always really liked this golf course. Just never been able to put it all together,” Smith said. “So I just feel comfortable here. I think that helped. Even though my results may not have shown it, I definitely love it here.”
Smith said she got a bit nervous on 16 coming in because she didn’t expect that even 5-under would be good enough to sneak into contention on Sunday based off of the leaderboard heading in.
“Not that I didn’t feel like I could play well, I really didn’t think even I’m really happy with 5 under for the day, but I didn’t think that would sneak in to wherever it is at the moment,” she said. “So I’m happy with that.”

KLATTEN RECORDS FIRST DOUBLE EAGLE IN OVER TWO YEARS
France's Joanna Klatten was walking up the 15th fairway when she got the feeling – a good one was on the way. What followed was the shot of her life – a double eagle.
“Well, I hit a good drive, and I told myself I really did; I’m not making this up I told myself, I like this shot. I have a perfect 3 wood. It’s exactly the right distance, and I’ve never had a double eagle,” Klatten said. “I really told myself that. I hit it and I told my caddie, Oh, this is looking good.”
And it was good, sending the crowd assembled into a frenzy and putting Klatten forever in the books as only the second player ever to record a double eagle at the Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC. Katherine Kirk is the other with her two in 2007 at the 7th hole.
“It was high enough like it landed on the green and just rolled a little bit and kind of looked like it got in the hole. It was awesome because it was a good gallery and people were going crazy,” she said. “It was so much fun.”
That is the first double eagle for Klatten and first on the LPGA since March 16, 2012 when Hannah Yun did it on the 15th hole at the RR Donnelly LPGA Founders Cup.
“I just jumped. I hugged [my caddie]. We high-fived. We went a little crazy for a minute,” she said.
Klatten becomes only the 31st double eagle in LPGA history. Only Sherri Turner and Dawn Coe-Jones have recorded two double eagles.
TSENG’S DOUBLE BOGEY LEAVES HER DISAPPOINTED
Yani Tseng was sitting in sole possession of second place by two shots at 11-under-par when the 18th hole happened – a double bogey that dropped her all the way into a tie for second with Lexi Thompson and
Sarah Jane Smith. 
But Tseng said it wasn’t a case of trying to be aggressive and put pressure on the leaders but rather just poor putting on the last.
“No, just very disappointed on the last hole. Didn’t pick the right club for the second shot. Could be much better and closer to the hole,” Tseng said. “To finish this hole with four putts is really bad. Just screwed up my whole day. I’ve been hitting well. I’m not really happy.”
The second shot Tseng pulled that came up short was a six iron but she said she should have pulled a five. The finish was still Tseng’s best of the year, though, so she said tomorrow she might feel better about the tournament but couldn’t shake the immediate horrors of her troubles on the last.
“When you ask me now it’s hard forget about that putt. So I really have no idea,” Tseng said. “But I’ll know I had fun maybe when I sleep tonight. Right now I’m just really disappointed about that putt.”
THOMPSON POSTS ANOTHER TOP-FIVE
After taking a month off of the circuit following a victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, Lexi Thompson has reasserted herself right back into the mix. She finished tied for 6th two weeks ago at the North Texas Shootout and followed that up with a tie for 2nd this week. 
Her final-round 2-under 69 helped her vault to fifth in the Rolex World Rankings – bypassing Karrie Webb.
The top-five is her fourth top-five finish in nine events. 
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
271 Lizette Salas (USA) 67 68 65 71 ($195,000)
275 Sarah-Jane Smith (Australia) 68 71 70 66, Yani Tseng (Taiwan) 68 70 68 69, Lexi Thompson (USA) 67 69 70 69 ($90,642 each).
SELECTED TOTALS
276 Lydia Ko (NZ) 70 68 67 71 (T5) ($48,832)
280 Charley Hull (England) 70 68 71 70 (T18) ($15,000)
288 Becky Morgan (Wales) 72 71 71 74  (T56) ($3,581)

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