(Morelia, Mexico – April 24, 2005) Sweden’s Carin Koch claimed victory at the Corona Morelia Championship, at Tres Marias Residential Golf Club in Morelia, Mexico.
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| Carin Koch |
As the cumulative stroke average on the par-72 course was 75.475 and only nine players finished the event at par or better, Koch’s score was all the more exceptional.
“I will remember a lot of good things. I will remember liking the golf course and making that last putt to win, but also all the kids that were out here. I thought it was great to see,” she said.
Koch entered the final round tied with Wendy Ward, who was playing in the event after winning the LPGA Takefuji Classic in Las Vegas the week prior, and the two battled all day before Ward carded a devastating double-bogey on the par-4 12th and then a triple-bogey on the par-5 16th to fall out of contention for back-to-back victories.
As Ward played the final nine holes at 7-over-par 42, Koch calmly mixed 2 birdies with three bogeys to come home in 36.
That included a birdie on the par-5 18th that yielded only 11 final-round birdies and played as the toughest hole all week.
“I think I stayed out of trouble,” Koch said. “(Wendy) had that bad shot on 12 just after she had a couple good pars on 10 and 11. You just can’t get in trouble here. You have to stay in play and have a good chance at making birdies and pars.”
Icher snuck into second place after her second-consecutive round of 2-under-par 70. With the top-10 finish, Icher, who has non-exempt status on the LPGA Tour, earned an automatic spot in this week’s Franklin American Mortgage Championship.
“This is a wonderful course, very difficult,” said Icher, who won her fourth professional title at the Catalonia Ladies Masters on the LET in 2004.
“I think my putting was my best point. (This) is a big help for me because I was scheduled to play the Monday qualifier tomorrow and now and I do not have to play.”
This was the second tournament the LPGA staged in Mexico this year. Annika Sorenstam won the MasterCard Classic honoring Alejo Peralta last month at Bosque Real Country Club just outside of Mexico City.
