Kerr survives playoff at Safeway
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 Safeway Classic | Round Three | 25 Aug 2008
Three way playoffs became the order of the day this weekend when Cristie Kerr was forced to survive a playoff to defeat Swedish golfers, Helen Alfredsson and Sophie Gustafson to win the Safeway Classic in Portland, Oregon.
As had been the case on the PGA Tour an hour or so earlier, this week’s LPGA Tour event was decided in extra time although this was decided at the first extra hole when Kerr birdied to win.
Kerr won her 11th LPGA Tour after her final round of 65 which included birdies at each of the final two holes was good enough to catch the leaders. In fact when Kerr birdied the final hole she had actually taken the lead but both Gustafson and Alfredsson, who had both bogeyed the 17th, birdied the last to join Kerr in the lead and the playoff.
For the 2007 US Women’s Open Champion, the win capped up a good run of form in recent weeks after what had been a slow start to the year. Still only 30, there is every reason to believe there are more wins at her mercy this season.
Katherine Hull produced a very impressive follow up to her victory the previous week in Canada when she finished 4th. Backing up in such a way after the most important week in her golfing life last week in Ottawa, gives every indication that the form will hold up for even longer.
Previous winner of this event, Hee Won Han made a bold bid for victory today with a final round of 66 but it still left her four behind the playoff in 5th place.
Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam were amongst the group at 7 under, who shared 6th place.
The next best of the Australians was Karrie Webb who finished 11th, Lindsey Wright was 17th and Rachel Hetherington 24th,
The LPGA Tour now takes a two week break before returning for the final few events of the year starting with the Bell Micro Classic in Mobile, Alabama.
