Kingsmill Championship: Winner yet to be determined as bad light halts sudden death playoff
American Paula Creamer and Jiyai Shin of South Korea shot an overall 268 each in the final round of Kingsmill Championship to move into sudden death playoff, but the winner is yet to be determined as bad light halted the match.
Although both the contenders have played eight extra holes, the officials were forced to stop the playoff as it made it hard for both contenders to focus on their game in the fading light. According to officials, the match will resume at 9 on Monday morning.
Creamer, who kept the pressure high on her rivals right from the start, fired a 71 in the fourth round at Williamsburg, Virginia, and moved into playoff along with her nearest rival Shin.
Creamer and Shin performed well on the par-4 extra hole, as they both made balanced strokes to remain in contention till the darkness halted the match.
Commentators said that the Kingsmill Championship turned into a nerve-jangling battle when the American star stormed to a tie for the first position after playing well in the third and final round.
However, Shin also proved to be a tough contender as she did not give too many chances to her nearest rivals.
Creamer came close to winning when shin nearly sank a birdie on the fourth extra hole, missing an 18-foot putt. The American golfer could have drained a birdie but the ball lipped the hole, giving Shin a much-needed chance to remain in contention.
Analysts said that although darkness dampened the hype of the tournament, both the players will set foot on the course on Monday morning with new vigour.
They pointed out that Creamer was lucky in terms of crowd support and home advantage — and she also capitalised on her vast experience of the field and course.
Speaking to the media at the end of the third round where she shot a superb 65, Creamer said that she was brimming with confidence after she played some perfect strokes on the fairways and greens.
“I hit the ball really well, I gave myself tons of opportunities, and when I did get into a little bit of trouble I just kind of took my medicine and scrambled out some pars,” the 26-year-old said.
Tags: