Pettersen defeats Ochoa in playoff in California
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2007 Longs Drugs Challenge | Round Four | 08 Oct 2007
In a classic duel between the two leading players on the 2007 USLPGA Tour, Suzann Pettersen has won her third event of the season and in doing so prevented Lorena Ochoa from winning her seventh. Pettersen won at the second extra hole of a playoff to settle the Longs Drugs Challenge event in Danville, California and so consolidated her second position on the money list, albeit nearly US$1.8 million behind the Mexican.
Pettersen led Ochoa by two shots entering the final round but the world number one, Ochoa, was soon challenging thanks to her own solid start and the faltering start by Pettersen. As the last group made the turn, Ochoa had taken a two shot lead but both players stumbled early in the back nine and it became a real battle over the closing stages.
Canadian Lorie Kane self-destructed early in her final round and it was left to the game’s two best players in 2007 to fight it out.
There was a break of four shots back to the Juli Inkster with a further shot back to Natalie Gulbis who made up 11 shots on Lorie Kane to share 4th place.
Karrie Webb stumbled over the weekend after a fast start in the defence of her title. She eventually finished 7th, some seven shots behind the winner, but it was another solid week following her 5th place last week.
Rachel Hetherington was the only other Australian to make the cut and finished 44th.
The LPGA move to Palm Desert for this week’s restricted field Samsung World Championship.
