Kim exorcises demons, wins Women’s British
I.K. Kim banished the haunting memory of missing a 14-inch putt to win a major and replaced it with the sweetest sensation.
Finally, she can call herself a major champion.
Staked to a 6-shot lead in the Women’s British Open, Kim never led anyone get closer than 2 yesterday at Kingsbarns Links in St. Andrews, Scotland, and sealed victory with a bold hybrid over the burn to the 17th green. She made nine pars on the back nine and closed with a 1-under-par 71 for a 2-shot victory.
“I cannot describe my feelings,” Kim said. “I just tried to have some fun, but it wasn’t fun on the back nine.”
Jodi Ewart Shadoff, the runner-up, made her work for it by charging home with a 64 to put pressure on the 29-year-old South Korean. Kim didn’t falter on an increasingly soggy course, however. She finished at 18-under 270 to capture the $487,500 prize.
Michelle Wie shot 30 on the front nine to give Kim something to think about, but the 27-year-old from Hawaii stalled and closed with a 66 to tie for third with Caroline Masson (67) and Georgia Hall (70).
Kim now has won three times, the most by anyone on the LPGA Tour this year, all in the past two months. But this was the biggest. She was no more than 14 inches away from winning the 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship for her first major when she clasped her hand over her mouth in disbelief when it spun out of the hole. She lost in a playoff.
“I almost cried when I won. Winning is great,” Kim said. “It’s a long process to get over 2012. A lot of people helped me. Now I enjoy playing golf again.”
In other women’s golf news, U.S. captain Juli Inkster added 18-year-old Angel Yin and fellow rookie Austin Ernst to her Solheim Cup team, choosing youth instead of the more experienced Paula Creamer and Angela Stanford. Inkster’s two captain’s picks join the 10 automatic qualifiers for the matches Aug. 18-20. Creamer will miss the event for the first time in her pro career.
Goydos takes playoff
Paul Goydos birdied the first playoff hole in Blaine, Minn., to beat Gene Sauers and win the 3M Championship. It is the first Champions Tour win of the year for Goydos and fifth of his career.
Goydos and Sauers shot 66 in regulation to get to 20-under 196.
Stroud’s extra good
Chris Stroud made an eagle on his final hole in Reno, Nev., to get into a three-man playoff and won with a 2-putt birdie on the second extra hole in the Barracuda Championship, his first PGA Tour win. The eagle got Stroud into a playoff with Greg Owen and Richy Werenski.