Sun-Young Yoo wins the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship 
April 1, 2012
LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship, 2012
Mission Hills Country Club
Rancho Mirage, CA
On the final 4th day, it started with Yani Tseng leading the field.
Soon Karin Sjodin made brilliant play getting 3 strokes ahead of everyone while Yani and Hae-Ji Kang stumbled. Unfortunately, Hae-Ji Kang's play went bad and never recovered. A great expectation seemed to fade.
In the meantime, a few Korean players followed steady within 2-3 strokes behind.
In the back nine, Karin and Yani struggled while Korean players, especially Hee-Kyung Seo, Sun-Young Yoo, and In-Kyung Kim ran steady plays.
Then Hee-Kyung Seo started to move up, making a few birdies getting in the lead.
Unfortunately, Seri Pak's run stopped short from the leader board and got behind.
In the last stretch, Hee-Kyung's unfortunate bogey put the difference by one stroke from the followers. The close game went on for the next few holes.
At near the end, at one time, Seo, Yoo, I.K. Kim, and Sjodin all tied at -9.
Yani fought back and got so close to a birdie a few times, but it apparently wasn't her day.
Sjodin's bogey put three Korean players in the lead.
Then came the long birdie putt by I. K. Kim making her the sole leader while Seo's bogey put her two behind.
I didn't care who wins among the three Korean girls. Anyone of them would make me happy.
At that point, it just seemed to be a matter of luck.
Sjodin's bogey at 17th put her three back at -7 but Yani's birdie at 17th put her two back at -8 behind I. K. Kim who was at -10. Yoo was -9 at that point.
Seo's hope did not materialize when she ended -7.
I. K. Kim's unbelievable shocking miss on her last short putt at 18th (about only a foot) surprised all and she ended at -9. Sun-Young Yoo finished earlier at -9. Two Koreans were tied at -9.
Now, it's all up to Yani to tie two of them at 18 by a birdie.
Can Yani make a birde? At this point, I had to leave my desk for an appointment that I couldn't miss.
When I returened 2 hours later, no, Yani didn't make the birdie. It wasn't her day.
In the sudden-death play-off, Sun-Young Yoo won.
What a rough day? How many hopes were crushed in the course of 18-hole play?
I hope everybody involved sleeps well tonight and recover well tomorrow !! by WM
Quote from LPGA.com
It was a day of ups and downs for several players at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, but the one who came out on top stayed consistent even in a sudden death playoff to capture a victory at the first major LPGA championship.
It was Rolex Rankings No. 13 Sun Young Yoo. After a one-hole sudden death playoff at the Mission Hills Country Club, Yoo defeated fellow South Korean and Rolex Rankings No. 20 I.K. Kim. The two entered the playoff at nine-under par after Kim missed a tap-in putt for the win on the 18th hole. Yoo became the second player from South Korea to capture a victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, joining Grace Park (2004). She became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2010 Sybase Match Play Championship and previously recorded 23 top-10 finishes since her rookie season in 2006 including a runner-up finishes at the 2009 P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship presented by John Q. Hammons and the Kia Classic last weekend.
With this win, Yoo surpasses the $3 million LPGA career earnings mark and increases her total to $3,287,913. 
Photo from LPGA Website and Internet, composed by SNUMA WM |
이 게임은 지금까지 본 LPGA Golf game중에서 가장 dramatic하게 진행된 특별한 Game이였다.
일주일 전에 KIA Classic에서 쉽게 우승한, 세계 ranking No.1의 Yani Tseng은 오늘 마즈막 게임을
시작하면서 거의 틀림없이 다시 한번 Major LPGA championship을 딸듯했었다.
아차하는 실수의 Bogey 두번에, 뒤따르던 Karin Sjodin이 Eagle 하나로 선두를 잡었을때
갑자기 오늘의 영웅은 Sjodin이 틀림 없는것 같었다.
그러나, 웬걸 소리없이 차분히 따라오던 한국 선수들이 순식간에 선두를 잡었을때,
Hee-Kyung Seo의 우승이 확정된듯 싶었다.
후반에 들어서자 나는 서희경의 승리를 바탕으로 webpage를 만들기 시작했다.
그런데, 웬걸... 갑자기 사태가 바뀌면서 김인경, 유선영이 선두를 잡고, 한때는 네명이 선두에서 동점으로
달리던 순간도 있었다.
모든 사태의 변경은 하잘것없는 Poor luck or better luck 인듯 싶었다.
마지막 18th hole에서 김인경이 아주 짧은 Putt (1 foot)이 hole에 떨어지지않고 Lip을 타고 돌아나오자 (shocking !!)
김인경과 유선영의 play off는 결정적이 되었고, 마즈막으로 올라온 Yani Tseng의 15 feet putt이 성공했다면
Three-way tie를 이루었을것이나, Yani는 성공을 못 시킨다.
결국 한국선수 두사람의 Sudden death play off에서 유선영이 우승하게 된다.
Karin Sjodin을 빼고는 세 선수가 나에게는 아주 낮익은 선수들이였다.
김인경은 2011 KIA classic에서 신지애와 같이 쳤고, 유선영은 바로 일주일전에 같은 KIA classic 에서
Yani Tseng, 신지애와 함께 마즈막 우승 group으로 쳤기에 나의 video에도 나오며 아래에 재판한다.
유선영의 swing was (is) a beautiful one !! Just watching the video will help me and you.
In the last week, I tried to remember her swing whenever I was on the tee box.
오늘 선전 분투했던 Seri Pak은 초장에 희망이 많이 있었으나, 결국은 그녀가 따지못한 유일한 Major인
Kraft Nabisco의 Championship은 다시 멀어지고 말었다. Will there be another chance ?
Seri Pak에게 시간은 점점 사라져 가는 마당에 미안함을 금치 못한다.
Today, the championship trophy came very close to her but it slid through her grip to someone else.
Ah... What a day to everyone !!
For those who failed today, we all know there's tomorrow.