Vol. 13, Issue 231 - Monday, August 18, 2008
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PROFESSIONAL GOLF
Royal Mounties posed with Katherine Hull and her Canadian Women's Open trophy.
Hull capitalizes on Tseng's fall
» Final leaderboard
OTTAWA » Australia's Katherine Hull won the Canadian Women's Open yesterday for her first LPGA Tour title, taking advantage of Yani Tseng's final-round meltdown for a one-stroke victory at Ottawa Hunt.
The 26-year-old Hull, six strokes behind Tseng at the start of the round, shot a 3-under 69 to finish at 11-under 277. Se Ri Pak closed with a 72 to finish second, and Tseng's 77 left her two strokes behind at 9 under.
"This is something we all dream about as kids, and to have it actually happen is amazing," Hull said. "I was thinking this might be the year I broke through and got a win, but at six shots back, I didn't think much about it.
"I just tried to play the best I could. I honestly didn't expect to win at all. But that's how golf goes. It's four rounds, 72 holes and anything can happen."
Tseng, the 19-year-old Taiwanese star who won the McDonald's LPGA Championship in early June and finished second two weeks ago in the Women's British Open, opened with rounds of 70, 64 and 68 to take a 14-under total into the final round. Yesterday, she had a double bogey, five bogeys and just two birdies.
She declined to comment after the round.
"That will happen, not only to her," Pak said. "It's happened to me and whoever. In golf, there are no guarantees. You're leading by seven strokes, five strokes, it doesn't matter. She played well and I know she was expecting a great situation. But she's 19 years old. This will probably be a great experience for her."
Hull, the former Pepperdine star who finished second behind Meena Lee in the 2005 tournament at Glen Arbour in Nova Scotia for her best previous LPGA Tour finish, had four birdies and a bogey yesterday.
"It probably will be overshadowed by the Olympics, especially with the Aussies doing so well in swimming," she said. "But it's great. Sport is such a huge part of our culture. I hope it gets coverage down there because we need to raise the profile of women's golf. Participation has actually been declining in the last five years. The more Aussies that do well, the better the game is going to get."
Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa, the 2007 winner at Royal Mayfair in Alberta, shot a 73 to tie for fourth with Sun Young Yoo (69) and Song-Hee Kim (70) at 7 under.
Honolulu's Michelle Wie, using the last of her six LPGA Tour exemptions this year, tied for 12th at 3 under.
Annika Sorenstam, leaving the tour at the end of the season, had weekend rounds of 76 and 74 to tie for 21st at 2 over.
Pettersson ends drought
GREENSBORO, N.C. » Carl Pettersson was one imperfect hole from leading the full final two rounds of the Wyndham Championship. It was that brief slip-up that propelled the Swede to victory in his adopted hometown.
Pettersson won his local tournament for his first PGA Tour victory in two years, shooting a 2-under 68 for a two-stroke victory at Sedgefield Country Club.
Irked by a bogey on the 11th hole that temporarily dropped him into second place, Pettersson responded with three birdies during the four-hole stretch that followed to finish at 21-under 259 and earn $918,000.
"Not getting it up and down on 11 kind of (ticked) me off," Pettersson said. "I kind of told myself, 'I'm letting the tournament get away from me again.' ... That was where the tournament was won for me."
Scott McCarron briefly led midway through the final round before fading into second with a 68. Rich Beem's second straight 63 left him four strokes off the lead, with J.J. Henry (62) and rookie Martin Laird (63) another shot behind him.
Pettersson is a Swede who moved to Greensboro as a teen, played at North Carolina State, lives a 90-minute drive away in Raleigh and serves on the tournament's board.
"It will be a great satisfaction just to think about, you know, pulled it off and did it and it's a wonderful feeling," Pettersson said. "Doesn't happen that often in golf unless you're Tiger Woods."
Funk wins Champions major
SUNRIVER,Ore. » Fred Funk won the JELD-WEN Tradition for his first Champions Tour major, closing with a 3-under 69 for a three-stroke victory over Mike Goodes at the Crosswater Club.
The 52-year-old Funk had a 19-under 269 total. He shot a bogey-free 65 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Jay Haas into the final round.
Funk, an eight-time champion on the PGA Tour and four-time winner on the 50-and-over tour, opened up a six-shot lead yesterday, then overcame a shaky finish.
Hanson ekes it out in Europe
STOCKHOLM, Sweden » Peter Hanson became the second Swede to win a PGA European Tour event in Sweden, closing with a 1-over 71 in cold, windy and wet conditions for a one-stroke victory in the SAS Masters.
Hanson, a two-time tour winner, finished at 9-under 271 on the Arlandastad course. Pelle Edberg, another Swede who was Hanson's playing partner in the last group, tied for second with England's Nick Dougherty. Edberg and Dougherty shot 70s.
De Jonge takes Nationwide
ROCHESTER, N.Y. » Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge won the Xerox Classic for his first Nationwide Tour title, closing with a 1-under 69 at Irondequoit Country Club for a two-stroke victory over Australia's Jarrod Lyle.
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Curt Brandao
Cel Shaded
Jason Yadao
Facts of the Matter
Richard Brill
E-mail Sports Dept.