Kingsmill ChampionshipKingsmill Resort, The River CourseWilliamsburg, Va.September 9, 2012Final-Round Notes and Interviews
Paula Creamer, -16, Rolex Rankings No. 18
Jiyai Shin, -16, Rolex Rankings No. 13
Karine Icher, -14, Rolex Rankings No. 51
The winner of the 2012 Kingsmill Championship will have to wait until tomorrow to be determined as play was called for darkness on the ninth playoff hole.
In the fifth playoff this season, Paula Creamer and Jiyai Shin both exchanged pars on the first eight playoff holes until play was eventually called for darkness. The duo will return to The River Course at 9:00 a.m. Monday morning where they will begin the ninth playoff hole on the par-4 16th.
The longest playoff in LPGA Tour history came at the 1972 Corpus Christi Civitan Open where Jo Ann Prentice defeated Sandra Palmer and Kathy Whitworth in 10 holes. The longest playoff between two competitors occurred at the 2004 LPGA Takefuji Classic where Cristie Kerr defeated Seol-An Jeon in seven holes.
Shin currently stands undefeated in playoffs on the LPGA Tour as she defeated Angela Stanford and Sun Young Yoo with a birdie on the second hole. Creamer’s playoff record currently stands at 1-1 as she lost to Annika Sorenstam on the first extra hole of the 2008 Stanford International Pro-Am then defeated Juli Inkster with a birdie on the second extra hole of the 2008 SemGroup Championship.
Creamer had held a two-stroke lead over Shin coming into today’s final round and maintained the two-stroke lead until an unfortunate double-bogey on the par-4 sixth that dropped her to into a tie with Shin.
The duo made the turn tied at 16-under par but Shin faltered immediately on the back-nine with back-to-back bogeys on numbers 10 and 11. Creamer’s lead then dwindled to one after a bogey at the par-4 12th. Creamer and Shin both recorded two additional birdies and Creamer looked to be in control with a one-stroke lead with one to play. But while Shin settled for par on the 18th, Creamer three-putted for bogey and the duo turned their attention to the playoff.
Back in Time… Rolex Rankings No. 18 Paula Creamer looked to be in complete control of her final round on Sunday until an uncharacteristic three putt on the 18th hole of regulation play forced a playoff. Creamer had a lengthy putt for birdie but left herself with a testy five foot putt coming back for par.
Creamer failed to make her par putt and according to the 9-time LPGA Tour winner, if she could go back in time, she would do things a bit differently.
“I hit my first putt, that long one, I hit such a great putt,” said Creamer. “It was almost like when it lipped out it went even more exaggerated farther away. It was a good five and a half feet, five feet. Yeah, I mean, I pulled it, but I mean, if I could go back in time, I 100 percent would have maybe used my line on my ball or something a little bit different.”
The three-putt on 18 was uncharacteristic of Creamer this week as she only averaged 26.75 putts during the four rounds including 22 in today’s final round.
“It happens, it's golf,” said Creamer. “I've putted so well, and today I putted really well at times and I didn't make as many as what I did the last three days. You know, that putt could have been on the third hole, it could have been on the 17th hole and it happened to be on the 18th hole at a big, crucial moment, but you learn from it. My biggest thing was to not let it get in the way of the next eight‑hole playoff that we had.”
Learning Curve… Jiyai Shin’s smile she had been displaying all day on Sunday never left her face even in the interview room after a lengthy eight hole playoff that was left undecided. Shin could be seen during Golf Channel’s extended coverage of the LPGA on Sunday smiling from ear to ear even in the midst of darkness setting in.
Despite the long day, Shin kept everything in perspective and admitted it will be a good learning curve as the LPGA Tour heads across the pond for next week’s RICOH Women’s British Open.
“Well, yeah, it just was really long tough day, but it will be good experience for us,” Shin said. “And well, first couple holes of the playoff I was really, really nervous, but after that I started getting comfortable with it, the playoff. It's just like so weird. But we're coming back tomorrow, so hopefully play because we have to go to England before the next week for the British Open. It's really a good time for me, yeah.”
A Year to Remember… Many would think the task of juggling parenthood and life as a professional golfer on the LPGA Tour would take a toll on a new mother’s golf game. Karine Icher however is defying all odds and since giving birth to daughter Lola last August, her game has been in top form.
Despite admitting to being less focused on the golf course, Icher has posted eight top-20 finishes this year including two tied for third finishes at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic and this week’s Kingsmill Championship.
“The big difference is I'm really less focused on my golf, so maybe give me like more air and to be more relaxed on the course, and that's true,” said Icher. “I mean, I can have a bad shot or a bad day, but nothing worth a smile from my baby and I take that like an advantage and it helps me a lot.”
During today’s final round, Icher posted six birdies en route to a 6-under par 65 which marks her lowest round of the year. One of 27 moms on the LPGA Tour, Icher also had a chance to become a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Mobile Bay Classic but finished two-shots behind Stacy Lewis.
Golden ticket winners: Danielle Kang, Maria Hjorth, and Dewi Claire Schreefel punched their "Ticket to CME Group Titleholders" at the Kingsmill Championship, each earning a spot in the season-ending CME Group Titleholders event, which will be held Nov. 15-18, 2012 at The TwinEagles in Naples, Fla. The second annual CME Group Titleholders is a season finale with a field made up of three qualifiers from every LPGA Tour tournament.
Of Note… LPGA Tour rookie and 19-year-old Danielle Kang fired a final-round 2-under par 69 to finish tied for third which marks her best career-finish. Kang won back-to-back U.S. Women’s Amateur titles in 2010 and 2011 to become the first player in 15 years to successfully defend her title.
