2006 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic

The player Kimmie was tied with going into the final round was Natalie Gulbis, who shot a 3 under par 68 to move to 12 under herself. But the leaderboard was tightly bunched with players who were playing well and knew how to win. One of those golfers was Se Ri Pak. Se Ri continued the torrid pace she had set earlier in the day when she finished her second round without a bogey. On the front nine in round three, she made four birdies with no bogies in sight. She made another birdie on 13 to move to 11 under, just a shot out of the lead. But she finally made a mistake on one of the easiest holes on the course. She bogied the par 5 17th to fall back, but followed that up with a birdie on 18 to end the day with a 5 under par 66. This was her lowest score of the year to date, and it had left her at 11 under, just a shot out of the lead. In fact, her play was good enough to get her into the final group on Sunday with Kimmie and Gulbis. This was bound to be a popular group with the fans, and it was.

The other golfers tied with Se Ri at 11 under were Paula Creamer and Reilly Rankin, while Young Jo shot her own 5 under par 66 to move to 10 under and put herself in contention. Sung Ah Yim played solidly, shooting a 69, and wound up in 8th at 9 under. Annika was lurking at 8 under, certainly not too far back to make a run on Sunday.

On Sunday, when the final round finally got under way, four golfers played fantastic golf and quickly separated themselves from the rest of the field. It soon became clear that the champion was going to be one of those four, but which one remained the key question. Those four golfers were Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Se Ri Pak and Mi Hyun Kim. In the end, the fourth place golfer from this group would finish four shots ahead of the fifth place golfer.

Se Ri got out to a great start, knocking her tee shot on the downhill par 3 second hole to within a few feet for an easy birdie. But Kimmie put her own tee shot there to within 6 feet and made her birdie to maintain her one shot lead over Pak. On the third hole, Gulbis knocked her approach to within inches for an easy birdie to move to 13 under herself, then made a five foot downhill putt for birdie on the fourth hole to move into the lead. She wasn't done, either. She dunked a twelve footer on the next hole to move to 15 under, then made her fourth straight birdie on 6 by knocking her tee shot to within four feet. Just like that, Gulbis had moved to 16 under and had a three shot lead over Kimmie and Paula Creamer, with Se Ri four shots back. It looked as though this was quickly turning into a runaway.

On the par 5 7th, Se Ri bombed her drive and had a shorter club in for her third than the other two golfers; but she ended up about 15 feet from the flag, whereas both Kim and Gulbis were about 10 feet away. But Se Ri made the birdie, in a desperate attempt to stay in contact with the torrid Gulbis. Kimmie missed hers, then Gulbis made hers, her fifth straight birdie. She was now at 17 under and had moved to a four shot lead over Kimmie, Creamer and Pak, all of whom were at 13 under.

How brilliantly was Gulbis playing? On the 8th hole, her tee shot hit the flag. In fact, she got a little unlucky here, as it bounced backwards some fifteen feet, and she was not able to make the birdie. The Korean gals took advantage of Gulbis' momentary quiet. Se Ri put her tee shot 15 feet past the flag, while Kimmie stuffed hers within two feet. Se Ri then drained her birdie to move to 14 under, and Kimmie moved to 14 under moments later with her own birdie. The lead was now three, and Creamer would soon make a birdie on 9 to join them at 14 under.

On the ninth hole, both Natalie and Se Ri missed the green and got it up and down for par. But Kimmie landed her approach 10 feet past the hole, and drilled yet another birdie to move to 15 under, only two shots behind Gulbis. She was putting a little heat on the front runner. The tenth hole would prove to be an early pivotal moment for the final group on this day. Se Ri hit her drive into the trees and had to punch out. She hit a nice third shot onto the green but could not save par. The bogey knocked her back, and she would spend the rest of the day trying to catch up. Gulbis hit her own approach there to inches for yet another birdie to move to 18 under. Kimmie, meanwhile, was in a fairway bunker and in danger of her own bogey. She responded by hitting a fantastic shot to four feet, then nailing the birdie to keep pace with Gulbis. It seemed like it would be up to her to stop the Gulbis freight train if anyone could.

Se Ri had a good chance at birdie on the 11th, after the other two players in her group missed their tries. She had maybe five feet, but just missed. On the 12th, Se Ri was the only one in her group to miss the fairway, but hit a fantastic approach from the semi-deep rough to within about four feet. In fact, on this hole, Gulbis struggled with par (although she did make it), while Kimmie had a routine two putt par. Se Ri then made the birdie to move back to 14 under. So at this point, Gulbis led at 18 under, Kimmie was at 16 under, Se Ri at 14 under and Creamer at 13 under. Gulbis still had the upper hand, despite having cooled down since the tenth.

On the 13th, all three women had makeable birdies; all three came darn close to making them; but all three made par. Creamer, meanwhile, drained a long birdie try on 14 to move to 14 under, then hit her approach close on 15 for a tap in birdie to move to 15 under. Suddenly, Se Ri found herself in fourth place. On 14, Kimmie nearly made a very long birdie putt with a nasty break, but it stopped on the lip. Se Ri had a similar putt, and came almost as close to draining it as Kimmie. Gulbis once again missed a makeable birdie try from about twelve feet, though, so the margin remained two strokes.

On 15, Kimmie hit a weak chip after missing the green, and left herself a sizable par save. But she showed how much heart she has by making it to keep the pressure on. Se Ri also missed the green, but nearly putted in from the fringe. Then it was Gulbis' turn. She had yet another short, makeable birdie try, yet where she was making those like crazy early in the day, she was missing them now. And indeed, she missed this one, too.

On 16, Creamer hit her approach to inches and tapped in for yet another birdie. Now she had moved to 16 under and was applying pressure to the leader. When the final group got to 16, Gulbis showed the first cracks in her armor. She missed the fairway, then the green. Kimmie put her drive in the fairway, but at an awkward angle partially blocked from the flag by a tree. She then proceeded to hit a dynamite second shot that actually nicked a branch and wound up just a few feet from the flag. She made birdie there, and Gulbis struggled to a par. Now, the lead was just one.

It would come down to the final par fives. Creamer dunked a birdie on 17 to move to 17 under, tied with Kimmie. Then Se Ri hit a wonderful approach to a few feet; she would go on to make birdie to move to 15 under. Gulbis' approach, however, ended up in the very high rough near the green. Kimmie put her approach over the flag, but the spin took it back to about ten feet. She continued to apply as much pressure as she was able. Gulbis did manage to get it up and down from a terrible lie, but Kimmie made the birdie anyway, and now was tied for the lead.

And so, one hole remained, and Creamer, Gulbis and Kimmie were still in it. Creamer played the 18th first, and left herself a fifteen foot birdie to move into a tie for the lead. But she just misread it by a smidge, and finished with a par at 17 under. That probably would not be good enough. Next, Gulbis and Peanut hit their second shot layups. Gulbis put hers into the rough, Kimmie right in the middle of the fairway. Gulbis managed to hack her shot out of a terrible lie, but still left herself a little work for birdie. Kimmie hit a wonderful approach to maybe 8 feet. Se Ri also put her approach close, and cashed in the birdie to finish in style with a 5 under par 66. On this day, that was only good enough for fourth place, but she had to have been happy with the way she played.

Gulbis missed her birdie try from 12 feet, but made par. So now, Peanut had the birdie for the win. But Kimmie misread it, and also made par. So now there would be a playoff to decide the title. They played the 18th hole a second time. After two shots, Kimmie was in the fairway. Her third shot she hit over the flag into a nice position. Gulbis hit hers long, too, but only about five feet longer than Kimmie. Both had great chances for birdie, but once again, both missed. On to the second playoff hole, which would be played on the 17th hole.

Kimmie pulled her second shot on this hole into the rough, while Gulbis came close to reaching the green in two. Gulbis went first and hit her shot close to the flag. Kimmie's lie was pretty bad, and her opponent was close. This was going to be tough. She was forced to land her ball short to prevent it from rolling too far when it hit the green. However, the ball did not even make it to the green. Now she was in deep trouble. She had to get up and down and hope Gulbis did not make the birdie. Kimmie hit a decent putt from the fringe, stopping a foot short. The par would almost certainly be hers. But now the entire crowd, including Paula Creamer, who was watching from inside the ropes, were pulling for Gulbis to make it. Kimmie would later comment that she could understand why people would be rooting for her American opponent over her, but that it still bothered her a little. But Gulbis missed the birdie, and Kimmie tapped in for par. On to the third playoff hole, again on 18.

On this hole, both players missed the fairway off the tee, but laid up well. Kimmie hit her approach onto the green, perhaps 25 feet from the flag. Gulbis' approach got twice as close. So Kimmie would hit first, but Gulbis had the advantage. After spending some time ascertaining the line, Kimmie stepped up to the birdie and drilled it. Absolutely perfect putt. Kimmie pumped her fist several times after that one. Gulbis then stepped up to her birdie, but once again was not able to get it to fall. And so, after an epic day of golf, Mi Hyun Kim claimed her second trophy of 2006 and third in the state of Ohio. The street near the course would now be named after her, and she even got to meet Corporal Klinger and the Pink Panther! What more could she possibly ask?