Monday, July 21, 2008

MORGAN 25th AS OH CLAIMS PLAY-OFF WIN

MORGAN 25th AS OH CLAIMS PLAY-OFF WIN

Becky Morgan finished joint 25th at the State Farm Classic as South Korea's Ji Young Oh claimed her first LPGA title following a sudden death play-off with Yani Tseng at Panther Creek Country Club in Illinois.

Morgan, the only British player to make the cut, closed with a 71 and finished in a tie for 25th on 10 under par.

Oh beat Tseng with a birdie at the first hole of their play-off but the Taiwanese woman, who won her first title at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, led by two shots going into the final round and was one ahead with one to play.

But she bogeyed the 18th for a disappointing 72 and finished tied on 18-under par 270 with Oh, who made her move with a three-under 69.

In the play-off, Ji clinched the Ј125,000 prize when she hit from the rough to tap-in range for a birdie three at the par four 18th.

South Korea's Na Yeon Choi finished in third place on 17 under after a 68, and China's rookie, Shanshan Feng, had a best of day 63 to record her second successive tie for fourth place on 16 under alongside American Stacy Prammanasudh (69) and South Korea's Hee Won Han (71).

The tournament was rather overshadowed by Michelle Wie's disqualification yesterday - the 18-year-old thought she was in second place after a third-round 66, but was then disqualified for failing to sign her scorecard when she was in the recorder's tent on Friday.

She did eventually sign it after a volunteer ran after her - but that was too late, and the infringement only came to light after she had teed off on in the third round.

But Ji was a worthy winner, with a six birdie final round and she will now head to Europe for this week's Evian Masters in France and next week's Ricoh Women's British Open at Sunningdale.

Wie, for the first time since 2005, will be missing from both European tournaments.

Canada number one Alena Sharp had gone into the final day tied for 15th, but she could only manage a one-over-par 73 and dropped to joint 34th on nine under par.

The 27-year-old bogeyed the first and 14th before finally making a solitary birdie at the 18th.

Lorie Kane, the second Canadian to make the cut, closed with a 70, but it still left her outside the top 50 on five under par.

Collated final round scores & totals in the LPGA Tour State Farm Classic, LPGA Panther Creek CC, Springfield, Illinois, United States of America

(USA unless stated, par 71):

270 Ji-Young Oh (Kor) 66 66 69 69 (Ji Young Oh shot par Won the 1st playoff hole), Ya-Ni Tseng (Kor) 66 66 66 72

271 Na Yeon Choi (Kor) 67 67 69 68

272 Stacy Prammanasudh 69 66 68 69, Hee-Won Han (Kor) 69 71 61 71, Shanshan Feng (Chn) 70 70 69 63

273 Kyeong Eun Bae (Kor) 68 67 69 69, Kristy McPherson 65 71 70 67

274 Wendy Ward 73 66 69 66, Katie Futcher 70 64 66 74, Christina Kim 63 68 73 70

275 Wendy Doolan (Aus) 67 68 69 71, Sun Young Yoo (Kor) 64 69 72 70, Jimin Kang (Kor) 67 70 69 69, Erica Blasberg 70 66 70 69

276 Jane Park 70 66 70 70, Carri Wood 70 66 70 70, Anna Grzebien 69 70 67 70

277 Michelle Ellis 73 66 73 65, Marisa Baena 67 69 73 68, Jee Young Lee (Kor) 65 70 70 72, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 67 72 68 70, Jill McGill 68 70 71 68, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 73 66 68 70

278 Hannah Jun 71 70 71 66, Young-A Yang (Kor) 68 69 73 68, Beth Bader 70 66 69 73, Diana D'Alessio 69 70 70 69, Kris Tamulis 67 69 70 72, Sherri Turner 66 66 73 73, Becky Morgan (Wal) 70 69 68 71, Hee Young Park (Kor) 72 66 68 72, Katherine Hull (Aus) 68 70 73 67

279 Jin Joo Hong (Kor) 69 68 69 73, Angela Park 72 68 69 70, Kim Hall 69 69 71 70, Seo-Jae Lee 70 68 71 70, Meredith Duncan 69 72 66 72, Gloria Park (Kor) 69 68 74 68, Eva Dahllof (Swe) 68 67 72 72, Alena Sharp (Can) 68 70 68 73, Angela Stanford 70 68 74 67

280 Heather Young 70 69 68 73, Paige Mackenzie 74 67 69 70, Michele Redman 71 69 71 69, Lisa Strom 68 71 69 72, Charlotte Mayorkas 70 67 69 74, Anna Rawson (Aus) 70 71 73 66

281 Brittany Lang 71 70 72 68, Sandra Gal (Ger) 69 68 71 73, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 70 71 68 72, Hye Jung Choi (Kor) 70 68 73 70, Marcy Hart 68 71 71 71

282 Leta Lindley 72 69 75 66, Dina Ammaccapane 72 68 71 71

283 Il Mi Chung (Kor) 73 68 69 73, Audra Burks 66 73 74 70, Tracy Hanson 70 68 74 71, Ashli Bunch 68 72 73 70, Lorie Kane (Kor) 72 68 73 70, Karine Icher (Fra) 69 71 70 73

284 Anja Monke (Ger) 66 71 76 71, Soo-Yun Kang (Kor) 72 69 71 72, Moira Dunn 71 68 71 74

285 Sarah Lynn Sargent 69 72 71 73, Jennifer Rosales (Phi) 68 73 73 71, Candy Hannemann 71 70 72 72, Na Ri Kim (Kor) 74 66 75 70, Russamee Gulyanamitta (Tha) 69 69 74 73

286 Virada Nirapathpongporn (Tha) 74 66 73 73

288 Na On Min (Jpn) 74 67 74 73, Chris Brady 70 71 73 74

290 Birdie Kim (Kor) 70 69 76 75


Luccin claims English offers
Agent claims Gunners talks
HUDSON CLAIMS PLAY-OFF VICTORY
IMADA CLAIMS CLASSIC GLORY