Kim earns final spot in ADT Championship
Published 7:53 pm Saturday, November 17, 2007
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Christina Kim already was running on adrenaline as she stood in the 18th fairway Saturday afternoon at the ADT Championship, lucky to still be in the hunt for $1 million and knowing she was one bad shot away from going home with nothing.
So when her 7-iron from 153 yards settled 2 feet behind the hole, instincts took over.
The brash, bullish Californian charged toward her caddie, leaped and spun and collided for an football-style body bump. It was an unusual celebration that seemed to fit right in with this most unusual golf tournament.
Her pro-am partners did that throughout their round Wednesday, and told her to do it on the 18th hole during the tournament.
“The moment was right,” Kim said.
Her timing could not have been better. Kim’s shot, followed by Nicole Castrale hitting into the water on the 18th for the second time, gave her the eighth and final spot in the final round Sunday for an 18-hole shootout with $1 million going to the winner.
As if they needed additional pressure, the LPGA Tour placed $1 million cash — or what looked like it, anyway — in a glass case with a big lock and big bodyguard nearby, a reminder of what’s at stake.
“I’m not Rain Man, so I wasn’t able to calculate whether it was actually $1 million,” Kim said. “You always see in the movies they’ve got the $1 million, and it’s a very thick briefcase. I don’t know. Maybe there’s just a lot of air packed in there. It’s awesome.”
Seven others must feel the same way.
Lorena Ochoa continued to play nearly flawless golf in posting a bogey-free round of 6-under 66, joined atop the leaderboard by Paula Creamer, who holed out a wedge for eagle on the 15th hole.
Karrie Webb, whose 50-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Friday enabled her to avoid a playoff, made it easy on herself in the third round by racing out to five birdies in 12 holes and shooting 68. The other qualifiers were U.S. Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr, Natalie Gulbis, Sarah Lee and Mi Hyun Kim, who had the best turnaround of all.
Mi Hyun Kim was at 5 under with five holes to play and still in good shape after bogeys at the 14th and 16th. But she caught a plugged lie in the bunker on the 18th that led to double bogey, and minutes later, she was in a 4-for-2 playoff starting on the 17th tee.
One swing changed everything.
Kim hit a hybrid 5-iron to 7 feet for birdie to earn a spot in the final round.
“I feel so sad after that,” she said of her double bogey. “Anyway, I made it. Scores are zero tomorrow.”
Just like the third round, the scores will be wiped out for the final 18 holes, where the winner gets $1 million and second place gets $100,000, the biggest disparity of prize money in golf.
“It’s all or nothing,” Creamer said.
