The big news on the LPGA Tour this week is that a Park from South Korea won, but not Inbee Park.
Hee-Young Park is 26 years old and has six wins on the Korean LPGA. The win at the Manulife LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada is her second win on the LPGA.
Low scoring was in vogue for the ladies this week at the Grey Silo Golf Course. Her final round on Sunday included five birdies on the back-nine.
Park’s nickname on tour is “Rocket” and she certainly rocketed up the scoreboard with a total of 26-under par with rounds of 65-67-61-65.
Even with her great play she had to survive a playoff with American Angela Stanford, who posted a final round 64 to tie Park for the lead.
The two players went to a playoff and replayed No. 18 three times before Stanford made bogey and Park’s par gave her the win.
Park previously won one of the biggest prizes in women’s golf. She earned $500,000 for first place in the 2011 CME Group Titleholders.
This win gives her a total of four top-10 finishes this year and a total of $477,800. She has 28 top-10 finishes in her six years on the LPGA and has earned $3.2 million.
Stanford had to settle for runner-up, but it is her fourth top-10 finish this year. She has earned $500,000, is No. 10 on the 2013 LPGA money list and No. 16 in the Rolex Rankings.
Catriona Matthew finished alone in third place at 23-under par and South Korea’s Meena Lee captured fourth place.
Na Yeon Choi, Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen all finished at 18-under par and tied in sixth place with Haeji Kang, Gerina Piller, Amy Yang and Austin Ernst.
Inbee Park posted four rounds in the 60’s with 65-67-68-68, but could not keep pace with the leaders. Her normally dependable putter was not finding the bottom of the cup this week as she left several putts on the edge.
Manulife has become a very good sponsor for the LPGA Tour and the second edition of the Manulife LPGA Classic was a very big success.
The tour next heads to Toledo, Ohio for the inaugural Marathon Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club.