The U.S. Women's Open  -  Edina, MN

Entering play ranked 42nd in the world and winless as a professional, Korea’s 19-year-old InBee Park became the youngest-ever U.S. Women’s Open champion by besting an elite field at Interlachen with a nine-under-par aggregate of 283.  Park, the 2002 USGA Girl’s champion, began Sunday’s round two strokes behind 54-hole leader Stacy Lewis and managed her victory with a simple final-day formula: among the last 18 players on the golf course, her 71 was the only sub-par score.  After getting off to a fast birdie-birdie start, Park fell back with bogeys at the 6th and the 8th, but, with the rest of the field faltering,  ultimately built a four-shot lead with a birdie at the 13th.  Playing steady golf thereafter, her finish was marred only by a meaningless bogey at the 17th, which was quickly atoned for with a tap-in birdie at the par-5 18th.  Park’s playing partner, Helen Alfredsson, also birdied the last to finish 2nd, four strokes back, while second-round leader Angela Park and In-Kyung Kim tied for 3rd, five back.  Among the pre-tournament favorites, only world number four Paula Creamer was seriously heard from, beginning Sunday only one stroke off the lead before collapsing with an untimely 78, to tie for 6th.  World number one Lorena Ochoa began 73-74 and was never a factor thereafter (tying for 31st) while number two Annika Sorenstam, playing in her final U.S. Open, eagled the 72nd hole but still finished T24.  Number three Suzann Pettersen  was one of the rare players to break par on Sunday (with a 71) but could do no better overall than a tie for 13th.  For InBee Park, who has laboured on the Futures Tour and, occasionally, in Japan since turning pro in 2006, the win is of incalculable importance – though in raw numbers, she will jump significantly (to 12th) in Tuesday’s updated World Ranking while also climbing to 4th in official LPGA earnings.

        FINAL RESULTS          MONEY LIST          LPGA STATS          INTERVIEWS

PGA Tour:  Buick Open

Playing for a birth on a U.S. Ryder Cup team scheduled to compete in his home state of Kentucky, 47-year-old Kenny Perry captured his second PGA tour title of 2008, posting a 19-under-par 269 total to win the Buick Open.  Perry closed with a final round 66 to seal the victory but would not have triumphed without a bit of help.  Woody Austin, winner of this event some 13 years ago, was in prime position for a second Buick triumph after taking a one-stroke lead behind four birdies from the 12th through the 16th hole, but promptly finished bogey-bogey (including a three-putt at the last) to lose by one.  Austin was joined in 2nd place by long-hitting Bubba Watson who missed a 12-footer on the final green that would have forced a playoff.  With the win, the resurgent Perry climbs from 27th to 19th in the Official World Ranking, and to 4th on the PGA Tour money list, while virtually locking up the coveted Ryder Cup berth.

     FINAL RESULTS          MONEY LIST          PGA TOUR STATS          INTERVIEWS
 
 
European Tour:  Open de France ALSTOM

In one of the more surprising results in recent E Tour memory, Spain’s 25-year-old Pablo Larrazabal, a pre-tournament qualifier who called himself “the 150th best player here,” captured the French Open in Paris, his 269 aggregate beating Colin Montgomerie by four.  Larrazabal, who actually caddied for his brother Alejandro in this event five years ago, started fast with a six-under-par 65 on Thursday, remained tied for the 36-hole lead after a second-round 70, then pulled ahead with a solid 67 on Saturday.  Sunday saw victory clinched with another 67, though not without one or two anxious moments, notably a double-bogey seven at the 9th.  But with four back-nine birdies, Larrazabal was soon free and clear, with Montgomerie having to birdie the last just to creep within four.  For the upstart Spaniard, victory means a jump from 481st to 138th in the World Ranking  and, more importantly, full E Tour playing privileges through 2010.

                    FINAL RESULTS          ORDER OF MERIT          E TOUR STATS
 
 
Asian Tour:  Singha Thailand PGA Championship

Korea’s 36-year-old Joong-Kyung Mo claimed his second career Asian Tour title by winning the inaugural Thailand PGA Championship in Chiang Rai, riding a final-round seven-under-par 65 to a 267 total and a three-shot triumph over Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines.  Australia’s David Gleeson (who closed with a Sunday 64) and local hero Prayad Marksaeng, the region’s hottest player, tied for 3rd, four shots back.  The victory lifts Mo to 29th in the Asian Order of Merit.

                    FINAL RESULTS          ORDER OF MERIT          ASIAN STATS
 
 
Champions Tour:  Commerce Bank Championship

Loren Roberts closed with a solid 68 – highlighted by a clutch birdie at the par-5 17th – to claim his first Champions Tour title of 2008 at the Commerce Bank Championship.  The birdie gave Roberts just the cushion he needed to bogey the long par-4 finisher at Eisenhower and still win by one, his 201 total bringing him in one stroke ahead of Nick Price (who birdied holes 14-16 while mounting a late charge) and Lonnie Nielsen.  The victory was Roberts’ ninth career Champions title.

                    FINAL RESULTS          MONEY LIST          CHAMPIONS STATS
 
 
Elsewhere…

Chie Arimura won her first official JLPGA title at the Promise Ladies, her 54-hole total of 202 routing Shiho Oyama by five………Vicky Hurst won for the third time on the 2008 Futures Tour, shooting 213 over 54 holes to win the Horsehoe Casino Classic by one stroke over Jin Young Pak………Holland’s incomparably named Taco Remkes claimed his first European Challenge Tour victory at the Scottish Challenge, posting a 271 total to beat England’s Seve Benson and Denmark’s  Jeppe Huldahl by five………Justin Hicks, who gained a bit of attention as an early leader at the recent U.S. Open, broke through to claim victory on the Nationwide Tour, his 269 total allowing him to win the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic on the first hole of sudden death over Casey Wittenburg………Canadian Dustin Risdon defeated American George Bradford in sudden death to win the Canadian Tour’s ATB Financial Classic after the pair tied at 264.