ASSOCIATED PRESS
Punahou School eighth-grader Michelle Wie, 13, lined up a putt yesterday at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship at Stockbridge, Ga. She finished at 3-under 213 and tied for 33rd.
Pak takes advantag
of Waugh’s mistake
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. >> Se Ri Pak defeated Shani Waugh on the fourth playoff hole to win the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship yesterday, the South Korean's second victory of the year and 20th of her career.
Pak sank an 18-foot putt to save par at No. 10 after Waugh, trying to win for the first time in her career, yanked her tee shot into the lake bordering the left side of the fairway at Eagles Landing Country Club south of Atlanta.
Waugh was in position to make bogey, but she never got a chance to putt. After a dismal second shot that stuck in thick rough behind the green, Pak managed to pull off a great up-and-down for the second hole in a row.
Without much green to work with, Pak hit a delicate chip that slid past the hole, then made the putt coming back to end the longest LPGA playoff in four years.
"For a split second, I said, 'Here's my chance,' " Waugh said. "But she putted incredible. I was not surprised at all when she made that putt."
At the previous hole, the par-5 18th, Pak knocked her second shot into the scoring tent right of the green. After getting relief, she was still 20 yards from the flag, but chipped to 10 feet and made a birdie to keep the playoff going.
"Those were some amazing up-and-downs," Pak said. "I impressed myself."
And don't forget the final hole of regulation, where Pak flubbed a chip coming out of the rough behind the green. She recovered by rolling in a 15-foot birdie to force the playoff, which alternated between the 18th and 10th holes.
"Putting saved my day," Pak said, grinning.
She got to the playoff with an 8-under 64 in regulation. Waugh didn't fold, either, nearly matching Pak with a 65 that left both players with a 16-under 200.
Thirteen-year-old Michelle Wie, making the cut in her second straight LPGA event, struggled with her putter but still managed to post her second straight round below par. The 71 left the Honolulu resident with a 3-under 213.
"I struggled a bit, but that's OK," Wie said.
Waugh birdied the last three holes of regulation to reach the playoff, the longest since Sherri Steinhauer needed five holes to beat Lorie Kane at the 1999 Japan Airlines Big Apple Classic.
Pak became the first two-time winner on the tour this year, following up her victory at Phoenix last month. She also moved to the top of the money list with the $202,500 first prize, passing Annika Sorenstam.
The Swedish star took the week off in preparation for her historic appearance against the men at the Colonial next month. Pak has won $511,618 this year -- $10,743 more than Sorenstam, albeit while playing in two more events.
Waugh failed to break through in the victory column, but she left with the best finish of her career. Last year, she finished third at the U.S. Women's Open.
But Pak is at her best when the pressure is on. She won for the ninth time in her career coming from behind and improved her playoff record to 4-0.
"I really like the challenge," she said. "A lot of pressure makes me play much better. I don't know the reason, but I enjoy it."
Couples a winner in Houston: At Humble, Texas, Fred Couples outdueled Mark Calcavecchia and held off challenges from Stuart Appleby and Hank Kuehne to win for the first time in five years, shooting a 5-under 67 to take the Houston Open by four strokes.
The 43-year-old Couples, looking like the golfer who was dominant in the 1990s, led or shared the lead the first three days. He wouldn't let go, shutting door after shrugging off stumbles midway through his round.
Three consecutive birdies starting at the 14th hole paved the way for his 15th victory overall and first since the Memorial Tournament in 1998.
He finished with a flourish with a birdie on the 18th to finish at 21-under 267, then broke into tears.
Kuehne, Calcavecchia and Appleby, all holding a least a share of the lead after the turn, tied for second at 271, followed by Jay Haas at 272 and Jeff Maggert at 273. Maggert eagled the first hole and then went on to tie the course record with an 8-under 64.
Lietzke pars out for victory: At Savannah, Ga., Bruce Lietzke made par on the last 10 holes to win the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf for his first Champions Tour victory of the season.
Lietzke had a round of 1-under-par 71, finishing at 10-under 206, one stroke ahead of Dana Quigley (71) and David Eger (67).
Bob Gilder (69) and Hubert Green (71) tied for fourth at 8-under 208 in the first big-time tournament played in the Savannah area.
