(Singapore, February 5 2005) Korean Bo Bae Song narrowly avoided a remarkable collapse with a clutch birdie putt at the final hole to win the $30,000 first prize at the Samsung Ladies Masters at Laguna National G&CC in Singapore.
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| Song celebrates |
But fortunes were set to change as Sörenstam birdied the 16th and made a gritty par at the notorious par three 17th hole, a fearsome shot over a huge lake here with a pin tucked in the back right corner. Song could do no better than a bogey four after finding the bunker and the pair went down the last hole tied on nine under par.
Sörenstam played her approach to the 18th first and applied the pressure, leaving an 18-foot putt for birdie. Song responded with her approach to no more than 6-feet. The Swede’s putt agonisingly stopped a foot short on the slick putting surface, while Song, taking her time, slotted the winning putt.
Song now has an opportunity to join the Robe di Kappa Ladies European Tour and receive a full category three exemption through to the end of the season in 2008.
“Today was just a really tough round, as I said earlier this week, it’s really tough to play well for all three days of the tournament,” said Song.
“I played so well over the first two days that I was worried going into today would be really tough. Overall, I was a bit shaky. Luckily, I was able to make the shot that counted to win the tournament and that was enough to get the job done.
“The putt was very similar to a putt that I had when I won a tournament in Korea last year, so perhaps fate gave me a similar putt to win here.
“I didn’t know about the opportunity to join the LET before the event but I heard about it yesterday, so I knew I could qualify. I have a really great opportunity now by winning this event and I’d like to play some of the more major events for sure.
