GOLF ROUNDUP: Shin trumps Webb, Creamer

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Ji-Yai Shin began this year thinking she’d end up playing in the LPGA Tour’s qualifying school.

A major title and a $1 million check changed all that.

Shin, this summer’s British Open champion, held off Karrie Webb and an ailing Paula Creamer to win the ADT Championship on Sunday with a final round 2-under par 70 at Trump International. She captured the $1 million winner’s prize, by far the biggest on tour, after a four-birdie, two-bogey day.

In her country’s currency, Shin collected 1.493 billion — yes, billion — South Korean won.

That’s a lot of won for one win.

“A really special year for me,” said Shin, who isn’t even a full-fledged member of the LPGA Tour yet — but won three times in those fields this year, has 21 wins worldwide since 2007 and will likely be an instant LPGA front-runner in 2009.

Webb finished one shot back and Creamer, who spent Saturday night in the hospital because of an inflamed abdominal wall, finished tied for third with Seon Hwa Lee after both shot 74s.

Creamer needed to win Sunday to finish atop the money list, something no American player has done since Betsy King in 1993. Instead, Lorena Ochoa — who didn’t qualify for the weekend at ADT — finished with the money title with $2,762,660.

“I gave it all I had,” said Creamer, who fell ill Wednesday night and could barely eat since the tournament began, plus had to down some medicine on the 13th hole just to finish Sunday’s round. “I tried as hard as I possibly could. I wasn’t going to quit.”

Creamer made two birdies in a three-hole span on the back side, but took a three-putt bogey at the par-5 15th, essentially ending her chances at her fifth win of the year and taking the money crown.

Creamer considered withdrawing Friday morning, almost unable to get out of bed, and wound up getting three CT scans and fluids through an intravenous tube in a South Florida hospital on Saturday night.

“They got to know me really well,” said Creamer, who insisted that doctors released her by 7:15 a.m. Sunday so she could make her tee time.

Meanwhile, Shin stayed steady, never too far up, never too far down. And her approach worked best.

Of the eight players who remained in Sunday’s shootout for $1 million, Shin was the only one to never have her total score rise above par. She started with two birdies in her first three holes, and vaulted to the front when Webb strung together three straight bogeys on holes 11-13.

Webb rolled in a long birdie on the 18th to get within one, but Shin merely needed a cool two-putt for the win.

“I gave myself a chance,” Webb said. “Making it to Sunday was the minimum goal for the week, and today I played very solidly. I just probably needed a couple more putts to go in. I’m just glad I made Ji-Yai think about it on the last hole.”

Eun-Hee Ji was alone in fifth with a 75, Angela Stanford was sixth after a 78, while Suzann Pettersen — who shot Saturday’s round of the day but struggled mightily Sunday — and Jeong Jang both finished with 79s.

HONG KONG OPEN: Taiwan’s Lin Wen-tang made a shot behind tightly bunched trees to the green during a playoff Sunday, setting up his victory against Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at the Hong Kong Open in Hong Kong.

Lin’s tee shot on the first playoff hole strayed into the rough, behind several trees. But the two-time Asian Tour winner managed to hit through to 6 feet of the pin.

Francesco Molinari of Italy was third after being knocked out on the first playoff hole.

Lin had a 3-under 67 in the final round, with McIlroy and Molinari shooting 65s to leave them tied at 15-under 165 in the joint European and Asian Tour event.

John Daly (17th) shot a bogey-free 62, one off the course record.

and tied for 17th. He recovered from a 73 on Saturday

“I told myself the winner won’t be decided until I make my final shot,” he said. “I just tried to hit the ball onto the green.”

McIlroy sent his tee shot into the rough on the second playoff hole, while Lin found the fairway. The teen also made an impressive recovery to land his shot within 12 feet of the pin, but Lin’s flawless approach came within a foot. McIlroy quickly stood up from his putt in disappointment before Lin made his tap-in.

Francesco Molinari of Italy was third after being knocked out on the first playoff hole.

Lin had a 3-under 67 in the final round, with McIlroy and Molinari shooting 65s to leave them tied at 15-under 165 in the joint European and Asian Tour event.

Thailand’s Chawalit Plaphol (65) and Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal (67) finished tied for fourth at 13-under. Third-round leader Oliver Wilson of England shot 71 to tie for sixth.

Bernhard Langer failed in his bid to become the oldest winner on the European Tour. After shooting 63 on Saturday, the 51-year-old German shot 69 to finish tied for sixth with Wilson and three others.

John Daly shot a bogey-free 62, one off the course record, and tied for 17th. He recovered from a 73 on Saturday.