Even though Pernilla Lindberg was in the lead almost from the start, she was the underdog in the ANA Inspiration, especially when she went head-to-head with seven-time major champion Inbee Park of South Korea in a playoff.
Yet it was the 31-year-old Swede who emerged victorious when she sank a 30-foot birdie putt on the eighth playoff hole Monday morning on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage.
“I just know I’m a grinder and toward the end of yesterday I told myself: ‘This is mine. I’m going to do this,’” said Lindberg, who claimed the first victory of her pro career in her 251st start. “I just knew I could. I just kept fighting away. I couldn’t believe that (last putt) went in, and the first thing I said when I made that putt is that I knew Inbee was going to hole hers too, so I was already thinking about the 17th hole again. But she didn’t. It’s mine.
“I just looked at every day as the same thing again. Even today with a playoff, it just felt like I went out and did my same routine. Every night I just did my routine. I just felt so calm and I felt like this could be mine. I have dreamt about this moment since I was a kid, for as long as I can remember. I remember writing some goals right when I got to high school about the dream scenario, which obviously would be to win a major championship and leave a mark in history. But at the same time, that felt like it was too big of a dream to come true. And it has. It’s so cool.”
Lindberg became the fifth player to make the ANA Inspiration her first LPGA Tour victory, joining Helen Alfredsson (1993), Nanci Bowen (1995), Morgan Pressel (2007) and Stacy Lewis (2011).
She also joined Alfredsson and Annika Sorenstam as the only Swedish players to win the first major of the year, and was joined into the tradition leap into Poppie’s Pond by her parents and caddie.
Park missed a 15-foot birdie putt that would have extended the playoff.
“Even if I didn’t win today, I felt like I put up a good fight this week all week,” said Park, who captured the ANA in 2013. “Even in the playoff, I didn’t make mistakes, but I couldn’t make the putts. A little bit disappointed but I’m really happy with the way I played this week.
“The putt Pernilla made on the last was a champions putt. You can’t beat that … so congratulations to her.”
Lindberg, Park and Jennifer Song of USC went to a playoff on Sunday afternoon, with Song dropping out with a par when the other two made birdies on the third extra hole. Park and Lindberg battled on even terms through four extra holes before darkness halted play.
Both made two-putt pars on the fifth playoff hole before Park sank a 15-foot par putt that Lindberg matched from 10 feet at No. 6. The Swede missed a birdie chance from seven feet to win on the seventh playoff before knocking in her dramatic winning putt.
