Kelly Tan has youth on her side

MALAYSIAN Kelly Tan was given the honour of sitting together with prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia champion Choi Na Yeon during the prize giving ceremony at the KLGCC.
The fact that Kelly finished tied 65th in a field of 72 was lost in the jubilation, as the 17-year-old amateur was the best Malaysian, and even outdid two local professionals when she returned 13-over 297.
The promising youngster had rounds of 77-73-74 and 73 and stood tall among the illustrious LPGA field.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate Sime Darby for hosting such a magnificent tournament which was broadcast live to many countries.
“Having said that, Malaysia are noted for being the best organisers in the world, but we have yet to show that we can win as well.
“Choi won because she has the skills and temperament to become a champion, which are also needed to win elections,” quipped the prime minister.
On Kelly the prime minister said: “I admire this youngster for finishing tops among Malaysian golfers, and hope one day when she is ready and turns professional, she will win the LPGA title for Malaysia.”
Second best local was also an amateur, Aretha Pan, on 14- over 298 to stand alone on No 67. Malaysian professionals Jean Chua was 21-over 305 for joint-69, while Ainil Johani ws 25-over 309 and joint-71.

Cool Korean Choi

SOUTH KOREAN Choi Na Yeon pocketed a cool US$285,000 when she lifted the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia crown on a 15-under 269 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club yesterday.
She returned a 68 in the final round, which saw five birdies on the sixth, eighth, 12th, 15th and 17th and a double bogey on the second.
In second place and US$176,791 richer was world No 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan who ended 14-under 270, while Spaniard Azahara Munoz was third on a 12-under 272 total.
Choi, ranked No 4, had a nervous end-game, but kept her composure and temperament to avoid a play-off.
“I wasn’t nervous when I started but by the 15th, I was getting nervous when I heard Yani got two birdies (15th and 16th),
“The final four holes were quite rattling for me, but I still got the desired result and so it feels amazing holding the trophy,” said Choi.
The fact that she kept watching the leaderboard, and seeing Yani moving up steadily made her edgy.
“I keep watching the leaderboard today, and she’s (Yani) such an intimidating player, especially this year. I think she made me, like more nervous. But it’s a great experience really. I’m very happy what I got this week, and then next week I’m going to Taiwan, so hope to bring this momentum there too.”
She also attributed her composure to the tips given by her caddy Paul Fusco, who has been with her for more than two years.
“He has been my caddy for lmost 2 1/2 years. And I won my fifth title with him today (yesterday). I think we make good partners as he keeps encouraging me every time. When my caddie gave me number I just trust that number and hit the shot.
“The main thing is that I never gave up until the last hole. I feel I’m very proud of myself like how I control my emotions. I think that I had a great experience from this week, you know, and nobody can buy this experience.
As for Yani who started four shots adrift of the leader Choi yesterday but closed in steadily: “I played a great final round as I hit a lot of great shots. On the second hole, I hit into the water but I hit it so good . I don’t know. I know I’m going to be close but I didn’t know that close. So Na Yeon played great and she made a couple of birdies on the back nine. You know, it’s fun and I enjoy it, and I finished second this week, that means I still have space to improve next week (at home in Taiwan).
Choi and Yani traded places from last week, where Yani broke par and left the second spot to the Korean.
“Yeah, after that we still good friends and we were looking forward for another week to compete with like this week. We just switched places, last week I won and this week I’m second. So it was fun, fun to have a player like this that you can always compete with and be good friends with, too.”

Malaysia LPGA Final Round Scores

269 Choi Na Yeon (S Kor) 66-68-67-68.
270 Tseng Yani (Tai) 69-67-69-65.
272 Azahara Munoz (Sp) 67-68-68-69.
274 Pak Se-Ri (S Kor) 72-68-65-69.
275 Stacy Lewis (US) 68-65-72-70, Brittany Lang (US) 66- 67-69-73; 277 Angela Stanford (US) 71-71-68-67, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 68-69-69-71; 278 Christel Boeljon (Ned) 68- 73-71-66, Feng Shanshan (Ch) 68-73-70-67, Amanda Blu menherst (US) 70-69-71-68, Paula Creamer (US) 71-67-69- 71.
279 Shin Jiyai (S Kor) 70-69-73-67, Kim In-Kyung (S Kor) 68-68-72-71; 280 Maria Hjorth (Swe) 66-76-71-67, Amy Yang (Kor) 69-69-74-68, Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 79-67-65- 69;
282 Chella Choi (S Kor) 74-70-68-70, Candie Kung (Tai) 70- 76-66-70, Melissa Reid (Eng) 72-71-68-71, Dewi Claire Schreefel (Ned) 66-68-76-72, Michelle Wie (US) 68-68-71- 75.
283 Mina Harigae (US) 74-70-71-68, Mika Miyazato (Jpn) 74-70-69-70, Jenny Shin (S Kor) 71-71-71- 70; 284 Christina Kim (US) 75-69-71-69, Katie Futcher (US) 69-70-75-70, Morgan Pressel (US) 71-71- 72-70, Kim Mi-hyun (S Kor) 72- 70-71-71, Natalie Gulbis (US) 71-71-70-72, Julieta Granada (Par) 70-71-71-72.
285 Yoo Sun Young (S Kor) 70-71-72-7, Catriona Matthew (Scot) 70-69-76-70, Ai Miyazato (Jpn), 72-68-72-73, Paige Mackenzie (US) 67-74-71-73, Caroline Hedwall (Swe) 72-70- 69-74, Sandra Gal (Ger) 72-70-67-76.
286 Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 71-72-71-72, Jennifer Song (US) 74-67-73-72, Meena Lee (S Kor) 74-70-73-69, Cristie Kerr (US) 72-72-75-67.
287 Brittany LINCICOME (US) 75-68-73-71, Karrie Webbb (Aus) 74-72-71-70, park Hee Young (S Kor) 74-71-73-69.
288 Frances Bondad (Aus) 70-73-71-74,
289 Eun-Hee Ji (S Kor) 72-69-72-76, Pornanong Phatlum (Thai) 73-74-69-73, Laura Davies (Eng) 74-72-72-71.
290 Karen Stupples (Eng) 74-73-73-70; 291 Wendy Ward (US) 77-68-71-75, Jimin Kang (S Kor) 69-72-75-75, Cindy Lacrosse (US) 74-71-72-74, Pat Hurst (US) 74-69-74-74.
292 Mindy Kim (US) 69-73-75-75, Amy Hung (Tai) 72-69- 76-75, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 69-77-72-74.
293 Beatriz Recari (Sp) 73-73-75-72; 294 Kyeong Bae (S Kor) 75-76-70-73; 295 Vicky Hurst (US) 76-74-70-75, Kristy McPheerson (US) 73-78-71-73, Gerina Piller (US) 75-70-78- 72.
296 Porani Chutichai (Thai) 75-72-74-75, Juli Inkster (US) 76-75-75-70, Han Hee-Won (S Kor) 75-74-78-69.
297 Katherine Hull (Aus) 76-72-73-76, Kelly Tan [A] (Mas) 77-73-74-73.
298 Aretha Pan [A] (Mas) 75-76-74-73; 303 Tanaporn Kongkiatrai (Thai) 80-76-77-70; 305 Jean Chua (Mas) 76-78- 73-78, Ryann O’Toole (US) 82-75-74-74.
309 Ainil Johani (Mas) 76-80-77-76, Tiffany Joh (US) 80- 77-79-73-25.

MALAYSIAN LPGA 3rd Scores

201 Choi Na-yeon (S Kor) 66-68-67; 202 Brittany Lang (US) 66-67-69;
203 Azahara Munoz (Spa) 67-68-68; 205 Se Ri-pak (S Kor) 72-68-65, Stacy Lewis (US) 68-65-72, Tseng Yani (Tai) 69-67-69.
206 Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 68-69-69; 207 Paula Creamer (US) 71-67-69;
207 Michelle Wie (US) 68-68-71; 208 Kim In-kyung (S Kor) 68-68-72;
209 Sandra Gal (Ger) 72-70-67; 210 Angela Stanford (US) 71-71-68, Amanda Blumenherst (US) 70-69-71, Dewi Claire Schreefel (Ned) 66-68-76; 211 Feng Shanshan (Ch) 68-73-70, Caroline Hedwall (Swe) 72-70-69, Melissa Reid (Eng) 72-71-68, Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 79-67-65.
212 Shin Jiyai (S Kor) 70-69-73, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 72-68-72, Paige Mackenzie (US) 67-74-71, Julieta Granada (Par) 70-71-71, Christel Boeljon (Ned) 68-73-71, Natalie Gulbis (US) 71-71-70, Chella Choi (Kor) 74-70-68, Candie Kung (Tai) 70-76-66, Amy Yang (S Kor) 69-69-74;
213 Yoo Sun-young (S Kor) 70-71-72, Hee Ji-eun (Kor) 72-69-72, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 66-76-71, Jenny Shin (S Kor) 71-71-71, Mika Miyazato (Jpn) 74-70-69, Kim Mi-hyun (S Kor) 72-70-71.
214 Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 71-72-71, Katie Futcher (US) 69-70-75, Morgan Pressel (US) 71-71-72, Jennifer Song (US) 74-67-73, Frances Bondad (Aus) 70-73-71; 215 Catriona Matthew (Sco) 70-69-76, Christina Kim (US) 75-69-71, Mina Harigae (US) 74-70-71.
216 Jimin Kang (S Kor) 69-72-75, Brittany Lincicome (US) 75-68-73, Wendy Ward (US) 77-68-71, Pornanong Phatlum (Thai) 73-74-69; 217 Amy Hung (Tai) 72-69-76, Mindy Kim (US) 69-73-75, Pat Hurst (US) 74-69-74, Meena Lee (S Kor) 74-70-73, Cindy Lacrosse (US) 74-71-72, Karrie Webb (Aus) 74-72-71; 218 Laura Davies (Eng) 74-72-72, Park Hee-young (S Kor) 74-71-73, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 69-77-72.
219 Cristie Kerr (US) 72-72-75; 220 Karen Stupples (Eng) 74-73-73, Vicky Hurst (US) 76-74-70; 221 Beatriz Recari (Spa) 73-73-75, Porani Chutichai (Tha) 75-72-74, Katherine Hull (Aus) 76-
72-73; 222 Kristy McPherson (US) 73-78-71; 223 Gerina Piller (US) 75-70-78; 224 Kelly Tan (Mas) amateur 77-73-74; 225 Aretha Pan (Mas) amateur 75-76-74; 226 Juli Inkster (US) 76-75-75; 227 Jean Chua (Mas) 76-78-73, Han Hee-won (Kor) 75-74-78; 231 Ryan O'Toole (US) 82-75-74;
233 Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai (Thai) 80-76-77, Ainil Johani Bakar (Mas) 76-80-77; 236 Tiffany Joh (US) 80-77-79.

MALAYSIAN LPGA: Korean Choi breaks free

THERE was another three hour delay at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) yesterday, but it worked wonders for three ladies poised at the top of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Leaderboard.
Rain and thunder was on the menu again, and so was plenty of food for outright leader Choi Na Yeon of South Korea who returned a 67 for a 12-under 201.
And flight mates Yani Tseng of Taiwan and Azahara Munoz of Spain were equally happy with the rain-delay, which allowed them to replenish their energy.
Second on the ladies show was Brittany Lang of the United States who had a 69 for a 11-under 202 lead.
Yani, the world No 1, had a third round 69 and is eight-under 205 for tied-fourth, while the Spaniard returned a 68 for tied-third on 10-under 203.
"I really enjoyed playing with Yani and Munoz as they were great company on the flight. However, my putter was cold in the morning but it picked up after I had birdies on the nine and 10th, and I started enjoying my round of golf as well.
"It is nice to be among the top, and I will try to hold onto my game and hopefully, the birdies roll in tomorrow (today)," said Choi.
She had nine top-ten finishes but no title to show this season, and hopes to break the jinx.
"I have been there many times this season, but never won anything so hopefully Sunday will be kind to me this time," said Choi.
As for World No 1 Yani, she just kept eating to while away the delay, and is within shot of the title as she is only four strokes adrift.
"The delay did not bother, or help my games because I was hitting birdies before and after. However, it allowed my to rest and eat, and hopefully there would not be any delays in the final round," said Yani.
Munoz was more at ease after her round saw four birdies in seven holes.
"The greens are nice and my game picked up after the four birdies, it is nice to be in contention going into the final, but it is a crowded race and hopefully I land my maiden LPGA title here," said the 2010 rookie of the year.