Kerr Wins 3rd Title at Kingsmill


Though it took a couple extra holes, Cristie Kerr won the Kingsmill Championship for the third time. The 35-year-old closed with a 2-under 69 to finished tied in regulation with Suzann Pettersen at 12-under 272, then parred the second sudden-death hole to win the $1.3 million, 72-hole LPGA Tour event held on the River Course at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va.

Kerr, who also won the tournament in 2005 and '09, was teary-eyed afterward as her father, Michael, was in attendance for the first time after 16 LPGA victories. "I hung in there all day," Kerr said at greenside. "This is the first time my dad saw me win and this was very emotional for me."

Pettersen shot a 67 to tie Kerr. On the first playoff hole, the 18th, the Norwegian two-putted for par. Kerr hit a brilliant approach to three feet, but missed her winning birdie attempt. Back the players went to the 18th tee. Both found the fairway but Pettersen, hitting first, overshot the green and her chip stopped 10 feet short.

Kerr's approach was about 14 feet right of the flag. Her birdie try stopped short, while Pettersen's par attempt rolled past. She tapped in for bogey. Kerr then stepped up and made her winning par putt. The victory was worth $195,000.

Last year the tournament was settled in a nine-hole playoff involving Jiyai Shin and Paula Creamer, which was finally won by Shin in a Monday finish.

Kerr began the final round with a two-stroke edge over Pettersen and American Stacy Lewis. The leader through 36 holes, 17-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, fired a stellar 5-under 66 to end up tied for third at 10-under with South Korea's Ilhee Lee (67).

Lewis closed with a 70 to take a share of fifth at 9-under with Angela Stanford (69). No. 1-ranked Inbee Park (67) took solo seventh at 8-under 276, while another shot back was fellow South Korean So Yeon Ryu (68).

American Gerina Piller matched Jutanugarn for Sunday's low round to rise into a share of ninth at 280 with Sweden's Anna Nordqvist (68) and Germany's Sandra Gal (70). Creamer tied for 12th at 281 with four others, including fellow American Katie Burnett (72), South Koreans Na Yeon Choi (69) and Amy Yang (69), and Sweden's Caroline Hedwall (70).

Lizette Salas began Sunday just four strokes behind Kerr and, with a low round, was in position to notch her first LPGA title. But the 23-year-old Southern Californian posted a 74 to drop into a tie for 17th at 282. Taiwan's Yani Tseng ended up another two strokes back.

After opening with rounds of 70, 72 and 75, Shin improved on Sunday with a 69 but ended up T-32 at 2-over 286.

For all the scores, visit http://www.lpgascoring.com/public/Leaderboard.