Oct29 Petterson wins in Thailand
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Suzann Pettersen needed all of her seven-stroke lead – and then some – in the Honda LPGA Thailand.
Tied for the lead with Laura Davies after a three-putt bogey on 17, the Norwegian star made up for all those lost strokes with an eagle on the Pattaya Old Course’s 479-yard, par-5 finishing hole. She hit a “grip-down” 3-wood from 225 yards to 15 feet, then made the dramatic putt to beat Davies by a stroke Sunday.
“I think that was the best putt of my life,” Pettersen said. “I was just like, ‘Drop! Drop! Drop! Please drop!’ It was really nice. It would’ve been really disappointing if I let it go away.”
Pettersen’s 1-under 71 left her at 21-under 267, not the number she had in mind a day earlier after a bogey-free 63 left her seven shots clear at 20 under, but good enough for her second straight LPGA Tour victory and third in four weeks.
“It’s been three wins in October, so I can’t complain,” said Pettersen, ranked fourth in the world two years after a ruptured disk threatened her career. “I’ll enjoy a week off, now, and try to sum it up and get ready for the last few.”
Davies, paired with Pettersen, birdied the final two holes for a 65. The 44-year-old English player was trying to win her first LPGA Tour title since 2001. She won a European tour event in Austria last month for her 68th worldwide victory.
“At the moment, I’m really disappointed, but overall, I’m really, really pleased,” Davies said. “I played well this week. I putted well. I’ve driven it magnificently. Overall, I go away from here having great memories, but I’m very disappointed because I wanted to win.”
The exciting finish on the hot day at Siam Country Club extended Pettersen’s string of consecutive rounds at the top of the leaderboard to six. She has had a least a share of the lead in nine of her last 12 tour rounds.
“It was so warm out there today and the sweat just keeps running down your face,” Pettersen said. “It’s a different challenge. You have to stay hydrated, drink enough and eat enough. This victory is a sweet one.”
