PORTLAND, Ore. -- Hee-Won Han birdied the first playoff hole Sunday to win the Safeway Classic. Han posted a final-round 5-under 67 to join Lorie Kane at 9-under-par 207.
Kane closed with a 2-under 70. However it was Han who came through with the clutch shot. On the 18th, which was the playoff hole, the Korean dropped her second shot within 5 feet of the cup and drained that putt for birdie and the win.
‘I had exactly the same yardage as when I played 18 the first time around,’ said Han threw an interpreter. ‘I hit it five feet from the pin and had a straight putt.’
Grace Park nearly got into the playoff as she closed with a 4-under 68 to end one shot shy of the playoff at minus-8. Annika Sorenstam, who won here in both 2002 and 2003, managed a final-round 70 to share fourth place with Candie Kung and Kristal Parker-Manzo at 7-under-par 209.
Han got her round going with back-to-back birdies from the second. She moved to 7 under with a birdie at the par-5 seventh. The 2001 LPGA Tour rookie of the year, then cruised to four straight pars around the turn.
The two-time winner last year posted her fourth birdie of the round at the 12th. Han stumbled to her lone bogey on the par-4 14th at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.
Han fought back with a birdie on 15 to get to 8 under. She closed with a birdie at the last to get into the clubhouse at minus-9.
‘I missed a couple of birdie putts, but 5 under is pretty good,’ Han said. ‘I looked at the leaderboard on 15 and then on 17. I knew I had to birdie 18.’
Kane, who was bogey-free over her first two rounds, birdied the second for the third straight round. She then faltered to her lone bogey of the event at the par-4 third.
The four-time winner on the LPGA Tour picked up her second birdie on No. 7. Kane climbed to minus-9 with a birdie at the par-5 10th. She parred her final eight holes to force the playoff.
‘I just didn’t make a good swing,’ said Kane of her second shot in the playoff which landed 50 feet from the hole. ‘But you know, I’m going to take a lot of good things away from this week. It’s been a while since I contended in the last two days, and I was very nervous, but yet comfortable that I’ve made my way back to where I should be all the time.’
Kung was in position to make it a three-person playoff after three birdies and a bogey over her opening nine holes. After parring the first eight holes of the back nine, Kung faltered to a double bogey at the last to fall out of the playoff.
Janice Moodie finished alone in seventh place at 6-under-par 210 after closing with a 71. Brandie Burton and Gloria Park were one stroke further back at minus-5.
Karrie Webb, Nanci Bowen, Natalie Gulbis, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc and Lorena Ochoa shared 10th place at 4-under-par 212.
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