Choi made a 2 1/2-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to beat fellow South Koreans In-Kyung Kim and Song-Hee Kim and American Christina Kim.
South Korea's Na Yeon Choi got the crystal trophy and some face time with Jamie Farr after surviving a four-way playoff in Sunday's final round of the LPGA's Jamie Far Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.In each of her two previous LPGA Tour victories, Na Yeon Choi birdied the last hole to win.
It took a little bit longer at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic at Sylvania, Ohio, but she did it again.
Choi made a 21/2-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to beat fellow South Koreans In-Kyung Kim and Song-Hee Kim and American Christina Kim.
"As I was walking toward the green today, I was thinking about how I had won the last two tournaments and I said to myself, 'Maybe I can do it again,'" she said through an interpreter.
Choi had rounds of 64, 67, 68 and 71 to finish at 14-under 270. It took a gutty 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to even extend her day after she had blown what had at one time been a five-stroke lead.
"It was tough out there. I was nervous at times," Choi said. "But I tried to focus on my game. Now I'm really happy, and proud that I controlled my emotions today."
Choi, who led after each of the first three rounds, was up by two strokes at the turn but bogeyed 14 and 15 to lose the lead. In-Kyung Kim, who shot a 64, had four birdies on the last seven holes to get to 14 under and slide past Choi.
Song-Hee Kim, who had a final-round 66, birdied the 17th to join In-Kyung Kim at that number
Christina Kim, who was five back of Choi after a double bogey at 10, birdied the next three holes and added another one at 17 to join the growing crowd at 14 under. Playing in the same pairing with Choi, she watched Choi nail her long birdie putt at the 72nd and then had a 12-footer for the win.
"I knew that if I wanted to win I had to at least give it a go to make it to the hole," she said. "So I said, 'Screw it.' I hit it and it's either going to go in or not."
But it missed off the right edge.
The playoff holes were 18 and 17, both par 5s. Neither is a backbreaker, but they're also not reachable in two shots.
"We were playing two par 5s, which you can make birdie on," In-Kyung Kim said. "I had my chance, and everyone had their own chance."
With thousands of people now ringing the 18th green, the drama built on the first playoff hole. All reached the green in regulation, but all four missed birdie putts of 10 to 18 feet. After the other three missed their birdie attempts, Song-Hee Kim failed to make a 10-footer.
"The thing is, you have to expect everybody to make their putt," Christina Kim said. "Once you get into match-play format, you have to think that someone's going to make it. I was surprised when none of the putts went in. It was a very difficult hole location -- but, still -- I thought someone was going to make it."
So the four went back to the 17th hole. Song-Hee Kim flew her third shot over the green and into a bad lie in the back bunker. She barely got her fourth shot out, dooming her chances. Christina Kim had a 20-footer for birdie, In-Kyung Kim a 12-footer and Choi's wedge nestled close.
After the first two missed their birdie attempts, Choi, who had previously won the Samsung World and Hana Bank-KOLON championships, tapped hers in.
PGA
Rose tops at AT&T National: Justin Rose lost another big lead. This time, he didn't lose the tournament.
Staked to a five-shot lead at the turn, Rose finished with seven straight pars and closed with an even-par 70 to hold on for a one-shot victory at Newtown Square, Pa., in the AT&T National, his second PGA Tour title in his last three events.
It would have been three straight wins for the 29-year-old Englishman except for his collapse last week at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut when he blew a three-shot lead in the final round with a 75.
He had three-putt bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes -- after having gone 274 consecutive holes without one on the PGA Tour -- and suddenly his lead was down to two. Then came a furious charge from Ryan Moore, who one-putted his last eight greens for a 65 to close within one shot. Rose was steady down the stretch, however, and calmly rolled in a 30-inch par putt on the last hole for the victory.
Tiger Woods wasn't close at all. The defending champion shot a 1-over 71, marking the first time in 11 years that he didn't break par over four rounds in a regular PGA Tour event. He wound up 14 shots behind Rose, the most Woods has finished out of the lead since the 2006 Players Championship.
Champions
Mize nips Cook in Montreal: Larry Mize won the inaugural Montreal Championship for his first Champions Tour victory, closing with an 8-under 64 for a one-stroke victory over John Cook at Fontainebleau Golf Club.
The 51-year-old Mize, the 1987 Masters champion, had an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey in the final round to finish at 17-under 199. Cook shot a 68.
Corey Pavin (67) and Dan Forsman (65) were 14 under, and Fred Couples (68), Loren Roberts (67), Jay Haas (67), Bob Gilder (66) and D.A. Weibring (68) were 14 under.
European
Jimenez wins French playoff: Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez won the French Open for his second victory of the season and 17th career European tour title, beating countryman Alejandro Canizares and Italy's Francesco Molinari in a playoff at Versailles.
Jimenez shot a 4-under 67 to match Canizares (68) and Molinari (68) at 11 under at Le Golf National. Jimenez won with a par on the first extra hole.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (66) was a stroke out of the playoff.