Hawaiian Punch

Seon Hwa Lee had been driving the ball long and accurately all week. So when she reached the two par 5s, she had a chance to really establish herself. And she delivered. She put a short wedge to within five feet for a birdie on 13, then followed that by hitting the green in two on 14 and two putting for another birdie. That moved her to 14 under par. All she needed to do was par in to beat Wie, and she was two shots ahead of Meena. Things looked good indeed.

But Meena wasn't done yet. On the 16th hole, a 195 yard par 3, she hit a great wood to 15 feet, then showed the putting prowess that allowed her to finish as the runner up in the World Match Play event by making the birdie to move to 13 under. She was only able to par 17, however, and on 18, she was left with a 9 wood coming into the green. Meena responded by hitting a superlative shot that arced around the water, landed on the green and rolled down to within a few feet of the hole. With ice water flowing through her veins, she buried the putt, ending Wie's chances of capturing her first LPGA event, and putting Seon Hwa on notice that she would have to work to avoid a playoff.

Seon Hwa had been near or in the lead much of the past three days. But now she found herself tied with Meena with just a few holes to play. Could she get that final birdie to put the event away? She certainly gave herself chances. On 16, she had an eight footer for birdie, but left it a bit short and settled for a tap-in. On 17, she left her approach well short, and her putt was four feet off line. But she buckled down and made the par to stay tied for the lead. On 18, after a perfect drive, she hit a wonderful draw from 155 yards to within about 12 feet. But again, she missed the birdie by inches. So Seon Hwa finished the day at 14 under, and for the second consecutive week, there would be a playoff featuring two Korean golfers.

Lee vs. Lee
It had been an amazing comeback for Meena Lee; it is not often that someone has a chance to win an event when she started the day six shots back, especially if the leader shot a relatively decent round that day. But Meena's 65 was just exemplary golf, a perfect mix of great driving, fantastic iron play, clutch putting, and sheer luck. And now the two Lees faced each other for the title. Interestingly, this was not the first time these two had met in a playoff. In 2002, they had faced off in a playoff on the KLPGA. Back then, it was Meena who won the battle of the Lees. In fact, Meena had never lost a playoff coming into this one. Could Seon Hwa turn the tables and salvage the victory that had seemed hers for the taking most of the week?

Things went her way from the start. They replayed the 18th hole, and while Seon Hwa hit another perfect drive, Meena put herself into the rough on the left. She had a serious worry that she might hit her ball into the water if she went for the flag, but if she didn't, she might be giving away the tournament. Meena decided to lay up in front of the green, while Seon Hwa hit the green in two. Meena knew she had to hit a great chip shot to stay in the game. And she delivered, hitting a shot that perfectly hugged the line to the hole and just missed going in for birdie. Seon Hwa, however, had her second chance to win the match with a fifteen foot putt. But once again, she misread it, and tapped in for par. Meena then made her three foot par save, and the match went to a second playoff hole.

Unlike the previous week, this playoff did not play the same hole over and over. The two players next moved to the par 3 16th hole. Meena had birdied that one in regulation, while Seon Hwa had parred it. This time, Seon Hwa hit her tee shot well short, and left herself a tricky chip by a bunker to get to the hole. Meena's shot was a bit long, and her putt was no bargain. Seon Hwa went first, and hit a beauty of a pitch shot that came a hair away from going in the hole. Just a phenomenal shot under the pressure. With an easy par facing her, the pressure now turned to Meena. She had a treacherous chip downhill that would be hard to stop near the hole. And indeed, her shot scooted some six feet by. It looked once again like Seon Hwa would collect the trophy, but yet again, Meena produced more magic, draining the par save as though it were the easiest thing in the world. Seon Hwa also made par, and they moved on to the 17th hole next.

After both hit solid drives, Seon Hwa hit her approach first. To no one's surprise, it was another fantastic iron, this one to about 8 feet. For the third straight hole, Seon Hwa was putting all kinds of pressure on her elder opponent. And once again, Meena rose to the occasion, hitting an even better iron to 4 feet. The Lees were playing lights out golf, and one had to wonder if either one would ever make a mistake.

But this time, for the first time in the playoff, it was Seon Hwa faced with a must make putt to continue. Meena had passed her two previous tests (three if you count the clutch putt on 18 in regulation). Could Seon Hwa do likewise? Alas, no. Her putt read was once again a smidge off, and though she easily made par, she now had to watch while Meena took her short birdie putt. Of course Meena made it, and thus won her second career LPGA event. Afterwards, while Meena celebrated, Seon Hwa finally showed the emotion she had been suppressing all week. But though she was disappointed, she had no reason to be upset with herself. She had played a wonderful event from start to finish, and had just been beaten by a woman who was playing even better golf than she was. She could console herself with the $100,000 second place check, and the fact that she was, at least for the moment, the league's top rookie.

Meanwhile, Meena Lee not only won her second career LPGA title, but she leapt up the world rankings from 54th to 15th! Yeah, they need to work on their ranking formula a little. Meena Lee is now the only woman beside Annika Sorenstam who has managed multiple LPGA wins since last July. Creamer hasn't done it; nor Ochoa, Kerr, Grace or Se Ri. If Meena can keep this kind of play up, she might well be in for a season that will make her impressive rookie campaign look like a mere warmup.

And so the LPGA left Hawaii for the year, but the Korean ladies will no doubt have fond memories of the tropical isle. Two events, two playoffs, each featuring two Korean golfers who finished one-two in the events. Both events won by second year players, showing that they are over their rookie orientation and are ready to rumble. Both former Players of the Year in Korea. Both players even had to employ temporary caddies when their regular caddies were forced to leave at the last moment. And both had signed very recently with new sponsors in the off season (Joo Mi Kim had signed with Hite Beer in January, and won her first event playing with their logo on her hat; Meena had signed with KTF in December).

Most importantly, though, both players showed that they have what it takes to withstand pressure and pull off clutch shot after clutch shot in their pursuit of victory. And that is the kind of priceless skill that should hold them both in good stead for a very long time.