Lost out by one stroke
Suzann lost out on winning the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand by one stroke on Sunday at Siam Country Club after Japan’s Ai Miyazato scored an incredibly strong 63 (-9), catching and overtaking the Norwegian by one stroke. It was nevertheless a great start to the 2010 season for Suzann, showing that her work over the winter has been focused and effective.
Suzann got a bogey on the ninth and sixteenth holes with birdies on 5, 7, 10 and 18 but it was not enough, she needed an eagle from 23 feet on the final hole to tie with Miyazato. Suzann finished with a final score of 268 (-20) while Miyazato signed for 267 (-21).
“There’s nothing I can do when Ai shoots 9-under,” said Pettersen. “I played pretty good golf and I don’t waste much energy thinking of why I didn’t win it. For me, it was a great start.”
Play heads to Singapore now for the HSBC Women’s Champions 25-28 February.
Full notes and interviews along with the live leaderboard and Suzann’s scorecard are available on the LPGA website.
The LPGA’s official Twitter feed also has last round updates from the battle between Pettersen and Miyazato. www.twitter.com/lpga.
LPGA MEDIA RELATIONS NOTES AND INTERVIEW WITH SUZANN
Miyazato entered Sunday five shots behind overnight leader Pettersen, but used a six-hole stretch to erase that deficit and turn Sunday’s final round at Siam Country Club’s Old Course into a two-player sprint to the finish. Miyazato started her day with a bogey at two, but got it back with a birdie at three. The 24-year-old Rolex Rankings No. 8 then went 6-under from holes six through 11 to move one shot behind Pettersen. The Norwegian, who was 1-under-par 35 on her front nine with a bogey at nine, extended the lead back to two shots with a 12-foot birdie at 10. Miyazato then birdied 13 and 15 to lock the pair at 20-under-par. Pettersen then missed her eight-foot par putt at 16 while Miyazato chipped-in from 10 yards behind the pin at 18 for a two shot swing. Pettersen’s 72nd hole eagle effort slid by the hole, but she tapped in for birdie to take runner-up honors by a stroke.
Suzann Pettersen, 66-64-68-70=268 (-20)
MIKE SCANLAN: Suzann, probably not the result you were hoping for. Take us through the day.
SP: There’s nothing I can do when Ai shoots 9-under. I played pretty good golf. Had my chances. I should have made the putt on 17. I played it exactly where I wanted it, but it broke a little bit more. I can’t really control other players. I still shot 20-under-par. I came close.
MS: The eagle putt from the apron on 18. Tell us about that.
SP: It broke right to left pretty much the whole way. I had that fringe to deal with at the beginning. I missed one pretty straight putt on 16 and had my chance at 17. Like I said, I played pretty good golf and I don’t waste much energy thinking of why I didn’t win it. For me, it was a great start.
MS: How long was the putt at 17.
SP: I would say about six feet, down, left to right.
MS: And 16?
SP: Maybe eight feet.
MS: Did you know where you stood from the fairway at 18?
SP: No, I figured, well, I didn’t hear that big of a roar. I wasn’t sure if it was from Ai or the group ahead of us. I don’t know how far ahead she was. When I came up to 14, I saw she was 20-under so I knew she was playing well. Knowing everyone can reach 18 with this wind, you gotta figure that she will make birdie and I’d need to make eagle.
MS: What did you hit on 18?
SP: Gripped down on my rescue so it would come down soft. It was 197, plays uphill about 12 (yards). It’s disappointing not to win, but I’m happy with the way I started my season.
MS: So you can come away from this moderately pleased?
SP: Obviously, it’s not a win. I had two bogies this entire week, they both came today, but it’s hard to play four rounds of no bogey golf. What I’ve been doing this winter has been a good thing.
MS: Talk about Ai’s round today.
SP: Like I said, it was flawless and she even made a bogey. A pretty good round of golf. She eagled one of the par-5’s. Not much I can do when she’s 9-under. I still shot 2-under, played a solid round of golf, but it wasn’t enough.
Source: Suzanngolf.com
