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Lee Rallies From 9 Shots Behind To Win Ginn

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The Associated Press

Published: June 2, 2008

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. - Seon Hwa Lee didn't expect she'd be accepting the Ginn Tribute trophy from tournament host Annika Sorenstam on Sunday.

Few others did, either.

Lee, though, took advantage of a stunning collapse from Sophie Gustafson, and watched Hall of Famer Karrie Webb miss a short par putt in the playoff.

The result was Lee's third LPGA Tour title and one of the richest paydays, $390,000, in women's golf.

"There's lots of luck," said Lee, nine strokes behind when her round began.

The comeback was the second-largest in LPGA Tour history, surpassed only by 10-stroke rallies from all-time greats Mickey Wright in 1964 and Sorenstam in 2001.

Lee shot a 67 to finish at 14-under 274. In the playoff at No. 18, Lee two-putted for par from about 45 feet before Webb's crucial error.

Lee chipped in for birdie from about 40 yards on the 13th to move within a stroke of the lead, still held by Gustafson.

A bogey on the 16th hole dropped Lee into a three-way tie for first. The 22-year-old South Korean took the lead when she sank a curling, 20-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole.

Moments later, Webb matched Lee, rolling in a 12-foot birdie to set up a playoff for the second straight year at RiverTowne Country Club.

Song-Hee Kim (69) was third at 13 under, followed by Gustafson and Jane Park (72) another two shots behind.

Holding a six-shot lead when the day began, Gustafson had five bogeys and two double bogeys in her last 15 holes for a 7-over 79.

Gustafson had few explanations for what went wrong.

"I just wanted to do what I had the last three days," said Gustafson, who shot 66, 65, 67 her first three rounds. "But then obviously that didn't work."

Sorenstam finished tied for 32nd after a final-round 71 left her at 4 under.

PGA: Kenny Perry closed with a 3-under 69 to win the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio, joining Tiger Woods as the only three-time winner of the tournament Jack Nicklaus built.

More importantly for Perry, the victory was a big step toward joining Woods at the Ryder Cup in his home state of Kentucky.

Perry played mistake-free along the back nine until he had a big cushion, and he coasted to a two-shot victory over Jerry Kelly, Justin Rose, Mike Weir and Mathew Goggin, who started the final round ahead by three and stumbled to a 74.

Perry, 47, became the oldest winner of the Memorial.

CHAMPIONS: Jay Haas shot a 6-under 65 to repeat as champion of the Principal Charity Classic at West Des Moines, Iowa, and move into first place on the Champions Tour money list.

Haas, who won the Senior PGA Championship last week, shot 4 under on the back nine and finished at 10-under 203 total, one shot ahead of Andy Bean. Haas also passed Bernhard Langer for first in the points standings.

PGA EUROPEAN: Scott Strange got his first European Tour victory by leading the Wales Open in Newport, Wales, from start to finish, shooting a 7-under 64 Sunday to win by four strokes.

LADIES GERMAN OPEN: South Korean teenager Amy Yang shot a 5-under 67 to win by four strokes in Munich, Germany, and Michelle Wie had a solid final round to finish sixth.

CURTIS CUP: Stacy Lewis completed a perfect week on the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, with a singles victory that clinched another American victory in the Curtis Cup.

Lewis, a former NCAA champion from Arkansas, was the only player to win all five matches in the first Curtis Cup played at the home of golf. Her final victory came over Elizabeth Bennett, 3 and 2, and it gave the Americans 10 1/2 points to secure their sixth consecutive victory over Great Britain & Ireland. The United States now leads the series, 26-6-3.

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