 |
Rolex Rankings No. 7 Suzann Pettersen became the third player to win back-to-back events on the LPGA Tour this season, as she captured a three-shot victory at the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship. Pettersen shot a final round 3-under 69 to capture the come-from behind victory over Rolex Rankings No. 5 Inbee Park.One week after closing out her first victory of the 2012 season at the LPGA KEB·HanaBank Championship, Pettersen once again found a way to take home a trophy. But while it took her three playoff holes in South Korea for a win, Pettersen managed to pull away from her playing partners – Park and Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng — over the final few holes this week.“I tee it up every week to try and win,” Pettersen said. “Obviously winning last week gave me perhaps a bit more confidence believing that what I do is the right thing, and I’ve had some great friends around me last week, this week, being able to put my head in the right spot and just really enjoy myself.”The Oslo, Norway, native began the day two shots back of third-round leader Inbee Park but Pettersen birdied the first hole to move within one. A bogey by Park on the fifth hole created a tie atop the leaderboard and from there it was a tight battle between the two players before Pettersen took a one-shot lead when Park bogeyed the par-4 14th hole. She then drained a long birdie putt on 15 to move two shots ahead and clinched her victory with a birdie on the par-5 18th.“I don’t think I’ve enjoyed myself so much on the golf course like I have the last three or four weeks, so I think that might be a huge part of it,” she continued. “Really playing with my heart, playing with my instinct, even on the last shot. Just being aggressive.”In the winner’s circle:Suzann Pettersen – 2012 Sunrise LPGA Taiwan ChampionshipHometown/Birthplace – Orlando, Florida/Oslo, NorwayBirthdate – April 07, 1981 – currently 31 years, 6 months, and 21 daysQualified for LPGA Tour – tied for 10th at 2002 LPGA Final Qualifying TournamentTurned Professional – 2000
- 10th career LPGA victory; 15th career victory worldwide
- With the $300,000 first-place check, she passes the $1 million mark in season earnings ($1,150,181) and increased her LPGA career earnings to $9,335,662. She passes Meg Mallon for 8th place on the LPGA Career Money List
- Captures back-to-back wins for the second time in her career. The first came back in October of 2007 when she won the HanaBank KOLON Championship and the Honda LPGA Thailand
- Becomes the third player this season to win back-to-back events. Yani Tseng won the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup and the Kia Classic in consecutive weeks in March and Jiyai Shin won the Kingsmill Championship and the RICOH Women’s British Open in back-to-back weeks in September
- Also becomes the sixth player to win two-or-more events on the LPGA Tour this season
- Earns 30 points toward the Rolex Player of the Year race, increasing total to 93 points and moving from 12th to 10th
