KAP OLEI, Hawaii - Suzann Pettersen won the LPGA Lotte Championship on Saturday, beating Lizette Salas with a par on the first hole of a playoff after Salas chunked her approach shot into the water.
Pettersen, the leader after the second and third rounds at Ko Olina, bogeyed the final hole of regulation to set up the playoff on the par-4 18th. The 32-year-old Norwegian closed with a 5-under 67, and Salas had a tournament-record 62 to finish at 19-under 269.
Salas had a double bogey on the playoff hole. She played a nine-hole stretch in 9 under, birdieing Nos. 8-9, holing out from the fairway for eagle on the par-4 10th and adding birdies on Nos. 12-16.
The 23-year-old American was coming off a devastating collapse two weeks ago in the Kraft Nabisco Championship when she closed with a 79 to tie for 25th after beginning the final round three strokes behind playing partner and eventual winner Inbee Park.
Pettersen won her 11th LPGA Tour title. She had consecutive LPGA Tour victories late last season in South Korea and Taiwan and won a Ladies European Tour event last month in China.
Pettersen birdied the par-3 12th get to 18 under, three strokes ahead of Salas, then bogeyed the par-5 13th after she lost her ball on her drive when she was distracted by a car honk. She birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 17 to reach 20 under, but couldn’t get up and down for par on 18.
Salas has four top-10 finishes in seven starts this year.
Second-ranked Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) also finished at 10 under after a 71.
Ariya Jutanugarn, the 17-year-old from Thailand, shot a 66 to finish third at 15 under.
The top-ranked Park had a 67 to tie for fourth with I.K. Kim at 13 under. Kim shot 65.
LPGA leaderboard Lotte Championship At Ko Olina Golf Club Course (Par 72, 6,383 yards) Kapolei, Hawaii x-won on first hole of playoff x-Suzann Pettersen 65-69-68-67-269 Lizette Salas ...........69-71-67-62-269 Ariya Jutanugarn .... 64-75-68-66-273 ARKANSAN Stacy Lewis ............67-71-69-71-278 - Complete scores, Page 11C
Sports, Pages 36 on 04/21/2013