Paula Creamer holed an improbable 75-foot eagle putt on the second playoff hole to defeat Azahara Munoz of Spain for her first victory since the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, winning the HSBC Women’s Champions on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.
The 27-year-old Creamer, from Pleasanton, closed with a 3-under-par 69 and eventually earned her 10th LPGA Tour victory, snapping a non-winning streak that had stretched to 79 tournaments.
“It might be one of my favorite wins, and that’s taking a pretty big leap right there,” said Creamer, who lost a nine-hole playoff to Jiyai Shin of South Korea in the 2012 Kingsmill Championship. “But you know, it has, it’s been almost three years and you know, so much has happened.
” … It has been coming and it just shows you perseverance. That’s why I love the game. I work hard for this reason. And holding that trophy, gosh, it was so nice.”
Munoz, whose only LPGA Tour victory came in the 2012 Sybase Match Play Championship, closed with a 70 and pulled even with a birdie on the 17th hole. Both made par on the first extra hole and Munoz’s birdie on the second extra hole was not enough.
Karrie Webb of Australia, seeking her 41st LPGA Tour victory, had a three-stroke lead after seven holes of the final round, but made bogeys on three of the last five holes to close with a 74 and finished one stroke back. She made a bogey on the final hole after hitting into a fairway bunker.
Top-ranked Inbee Park of South Korea shot 68 and finished three strokes back in a tie for fourth with No. 2 Suzann Pettersen of Norway, who had a 70, Morgan Pressel, who posted a 71, So Yeon Ru of South Korea, who carded with a 66, and Angela Stanford, who came in at 75 after starting the final round one shot back in second.
