Korean Lee secures first LPGA victory at home

Korean Lee secures first LPGA victory at home

Associated Press, Jeju, South Korea

South Korea's Lee Jee-young won her first LPGA tournament
Sunday, closing with a 1-over-par 73 for a wire-to-wire, three-
stroke win over compatriot Kim Mi-hyun and Carin Koch of Sweden
at the Nine Bridges Classic.

Lee finished with a 5-under-par total of 211 despite three
straight bogeys from the 15th at The Club. She became the fourth
South Korean player in as many years to win the tournament and
earned $202,500 out of a total purse of US$1.35 million.

Annika Sorenstam finished with a 2-under 70 but was never a
threat to win her ninth LPGA tournament of the season after 75s
in her first two rounds. She finished at 4-over 220 with six
others, nine strokes back of Lee.

South Koreans Park Hee-young (a final-round 73) and British
Women's Open winner Jeong Jang (74) were one shot behind Kim (73)
and Koch (71) and tied for fifth in the 54-hole tournament at 1-
under 215.

Defending champion Grace Park (70) finished tied for sixth
with Australia's Rachel Hetherington (72).

American Solheim Cup player Paula Creamer had a 7-over 79
Sunday to finish 11 strokes back of Lee.

In Sotogrande, Spain, Sergio Garcia shot a 68 on Saturday to
share the lead of the Volvo Masters with Colin Montgomerie at 10
under after three rounds.

Montgomerie, whose 1-under 70 left him in pole position to win
his eighth European money title, double-bogeyed the par-5 17th
after Garcia had birdied the two preceding holes. The Scot had
lead by six strokes after 13 holes.

Montgomerie's third shot at the 17th found the lake in front
of the green, as Garcia missed a six-foot birdie attempt that
would have drawn him level.

But the Spaniard's second shot at the last was to within three
feet for an easy birdie, while Montgomerie could only make par
from 15 feet.

Paul McGinley, Lee Westwood, Paul Broadhurst and defending
champion Ian Poulter shared third spot, four strokes adrift.

U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, the only player who can
deny Montgomerie's first Order of Merit title since he won his
seventh in a row in 1999, hit a 68 to be six shots back.

"Sergio had a great finish. We'll go for it tomorrow,"
Montgomerie said. "To score under par again was a very good
effort. This isn't easy and it's proving it."

Campbell said he expected to be eight or nine shots behind.

"I needed to go very low today but I missed six putts within
10 or 15 feet on the back nine so it could have been anything,"
Campbell said. "I'm going out there tomorrow and I'll give it my
best shot. Kiwis don't surrender."

Barring a major collapse from Montgomerie, Campbell must win
the tournament to take the Order of Merit title.

In Palm Harbor, Florida, Carl Petterson hit five straight iron
shots inside 12 feet and made three for birdie, enough to carry
him to a 4-under 67 for a share of the lead with Steve Lowery in
the Chrysler Championship on Saturday.

Petterson finished with eight straight pars at Innisbrook, a
tough course that was even more demanding in swirling wind and a
warm sun that made it play firm and fast.

They had a three-shot lead over Davis Love III, Tom Pernice
Jr. (70) and Daniel Chopra (68).