After two rounds on Friday, Cristie Kerr was ahead of the leaderboard and looking poised to win it. Paula Creamer was her closest competitor with Eun Hee Ji and Jean Reynolds sniffing at her heels.Yesterday, Paula and Cristie played together in the final pairing and Paula faltered while Jane Reynolds, playing in an early matchup played strong, not giving an inch until the 15th hole.
Heading into today, Cristie retained the lead with Ji her closest competitor. Today's play has been a story of ups and downs. Paula Creamer played tournament golf, making her shots, but it was too little too late.
Reynolds never really pulled it together managing one birdie on the day and Ji had moments of brilliance and others of agony. Cristie played her usual steady game, and out of the blue came Candie Kung. This 20 year old young lady made a mid game run to take the lead away from Kerr who became mirred in a three way tie for second place.
That is, until the closing 4 holes. Kung missed on a par putt on the Par 3 16th hole putting her back into a four way tie at +1. In Kyung Kim would be the first to drop out, bogeying on the 18th, putting Kerr, Ji and Kung tied for the lead.
Candie would be the next to finish up, at +1 after the 18th. She headed straight to the practice putting green, to stay loosened up in case of a playoff. Cristie faltered on the 16th and fell to +2. She and Ji headed to 17, Ji needing a birdie and a par to win it all, or two pars to go into a playoff with Candie Kung. Cristie Kerr needed the birdie to have a chance at a playoff and two birdies for any hope of winning it.
It would come right down to the 18th hole and a 25 foot putt, but there would be no play off this year. Ji drained it while Cristie crouched nearby, waiting to see if she would get another chance. She would finish at +2, tied with Kim.
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