Last nine heroics earns Kang first victory
IN: News | LPGA | LPGA Corning Classic (2005) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 30 May 2005
Amidst all sorts of heroics, Jimin Kang smiled and played her way to victory today in Corning, New York, and in doing so won her first event on the USLPGA Tour.
To shake off the challenges of fellow countrywoman Meena Lee and the game's greatest female player Annika Sorenstam, Kang aced the 15th hole then birdied the 16th to open up a one shot lead over Lee. Lee bounced back with a good putt for birdie at the 17th to share the lead on the 18th tee.
Lee drove it first and missed the fairway right and then, faced with a shot that required a left to right slider, she was unable to get enough clubface on it to turn the corner and she came up short and left and again in the rough. Kang drove it perfectly and then found the green.
When Lee was still struggling to make five, Kang ran her first putt close and essentially sealed the win despite Sorenstam being in the group behind. Sorenstam had one last throw of the dice at the 17th but could not make the birdie that would have closed to her within one and when she could only manage par at the last she was forced to settle for a share of second in the defence of her 2004 title. Lee took six at the last to not only let first place slip from her grasp but outright second too.
For Sorenstam the week had been plagued by flu like symptoms and for her to have fought as hard as she did to the line again highlights just how tough she is.
Kang is yet another of the many Koreans who were born in Korea but educated in the US and who has learned her golf through the US Junior system. She won many accolades and titles in junior golf and while at Arizona State and in 1999 finished runner up at the US Women's Amateur Championship.
She played a season on the Futures Tour in 2004 developing the ability to convert contention in victory when winning twice and as a result of topping the money list there she had full exemption for this year's LPGA.
In her eight starts to date in 2005 she has only just started to find her feet in recent weeks but she will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with from now on.
Today Kang started the day with a three shot deficit behind Frenchwoman Karine Icher and also trailed Sorenstam and Hee Won Han. Although Icher threatened to run away with the tournament after three birdies early in the final round, she fell victim to three double bogeys and a bogey on the way in, effectively self-destructing and forfeited a great chance to win for the first time on the LPGA Tour. It then became a battle between Kang, Lee and Sorenstam with Kang eventually taking the spoils.
Moira Dunn and Hee Won Han shared fourth with Icher and Sung Ah Yim.
The best of the Australians was Michelle Ellis who was 9th, Joanne Mills 46th, Lindsey Wright 67th and Katherine Hull 72nd.
The LPGA Tour now heads to the Shoprite LPGA Classic with their second major of the year, the McDonald's LPGA Championship now just one further week away.
