U.S. Solheim Cup star Christina Kim won her second career title Sunday, closing with a 5-under-par 67 for a one-stroke victory over Australia’s Rachel Hetherington at the LPGA Tournament of Champions in Mobile, Ala.
Kim two-putted from 80 feet on the final hole, tapping in for par after Hetherington missed a 20-foot birdie attempt. Kim, 21, then celebrated with a hug from father-caddie Man Kim and a beer shower from fellow player Jennifer Rosales.
“I have been struggling since the Solheim, and to know that I could come out there and be a champion of champions, it’s an incredible feeling,” Kim said. “All of the girls here know how to win, and to win this event is just unbelievable.”
Kim finished with a 15-under 273 total. She also won the 2004 Longs Drugs Challenge. Hetherington shot a 68 en route to the eighth runner-up finish of her career. She won the last of her eight LPGA Tour titles in 2003.
Sweden’s Liselotte Neumann, the 1996 winner, closed with a 71 to finish third at 12-under. Hall of Famer Juli Inkster (69) followed at 11-under.
Neumann, who started the final round with a one-shot edge, made a 7-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole and took a two-stroke advantage into the back nine. But Kim birdied Nos. 11 and 12 to gain a share of the lead.
Neumann handed the lead to Kim when she hit her tee shot into the right trees on the par-5 13th hole and ended up making a double bogey.
Hetherington, paired with Kim in the next-to-last group, birdied the 14th to get within one stroke of Kim. Kim answered with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 16th before Hetherington closed within one again with a 15-foot, sidehill birdie putt on 17.
Templeton Shootout: Kenny Perry and John Huston won the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Naples, Fla., combining for a 13-under 59 in the scramble format for a one-stroke victory over Fred Couples and Adam Scott.
Perry and Huston had a 30-under 186 total. They opened the event with a 64 in modified alternate shot and had a 63 on Saturday in the best-ball round.
Couples and Scott finished with a 62. Mark O’Meara and Nick Price (60) were third at 27-under.
Tournament host Greg Norman, playing a month after minor knee surgery, and Steve Elkington shot a 17-under 55 to finish fourth at 26-under. They birdied every hole but two and eagled No. 17.
Perry and Huston birdied Nos. 11 and 12 to tie Couples and Scott, then passed them with a birdie on No. 14. They extended the lead to two with a birdie on No. 15, but Scott made a 60-footer on No. 16. Both groups had birdies on No. 17 and pars on No. 18
“‘We’re going to turn it around and win this thing.’ That’s what I was thinking to myself the whole time,” Perry said. “Sure enough, we birdied two holes, they let two get away, we caught them and ended up taking the lead on them and kind of cruised to victory.”
European Tour: David Howell finally felt comfortable while walking the 18th fairway – he no longer had to worry about Tiger Woods.
Howell won the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, China, by three strokes. Woods needed to make up three shots in the final three holes, but his comeback ended when his tee shot went into the water on the 16th hole.
Howell closed with a 4-under 68 that left him at 20-under 268. Woods had a 70 for 271, a runner-up for the second straight week.
England’s Nick Dougherty eagled the par-5 18th for a 69 to tie for third with Australia’s Nick O’Hern (73) at 274. Vijay Singh (69) and Thomas Bjorn (70) finished at 275.
