Kim holds on for playoff win

When Jeong Jang came to the United States, fellow South Korean golfer Mi Hyun Kim taught her about American customs, manners and traditions.

Today, she taught her about handling pressure as Kim survived a triple bogey 17th and a two-hole sudden death playoff against Jang to win the Safeway LPGA Golf Championship.

In interviews through a translator, both players repeatedly described their relationship as sister-like.

"It was tough because she is like my younger sister. I really wanted to win the tournament, but if I won, she might be sad,'' said Kim, 23. "It was a very tough situation I was in. But it's a competition, so I had to try to win.''

Jang, a 20-year-old rookie, said she and Kim have played numerous times in South Korea, but today was their first playoff. Jang beat Kim in the Korean Women's Open three years ago.

"Mi taught me everything from the beginning,'' Jang said. "I admire her very much because of her focus and talent. She's very smart. She's my idol.''

Kim, the 1999 Rookie of the Year, gave up the lead twice to Jang on the back nine but forced the playoff with a birdie on No. 18 to finish the day with a 72 for a three-round total of 215 on the 6,307-yard, par-72 Columbia Edgewater Country Club course.

Both women parred the first playoff hole. On the second extra hole, Jang missed a 4-foot putt for a par before Kim sank her 2-foot par putt for the victory.

"On the last hole, I made a little bit of a mistake,'' Jang said. "But I'm still proud of myself. Since I'm just 20, I have a long way to go and I'm sure I'll win a tournament.''

Kim won two tournaments last year, but the Safeway was her first this year. She took home $120,000 for the win, while Jang, who shot a final-round 71, won $74,474.

New Zealand's Marnie McGuire and Sweden's Annika Sorenstam were one shot back, McGuire shooting a final-round 72 and Sorenstam 73. Sweden's Charlotta Sorenstam, who had eight birdies in her first 12 holes and shot a 67 Sunday, and South Korea's Se Ri Pak (69) finished at 217.

The event was the last chance for players to earn points to qualify for the U.S. Solheim Cup, which is to the LPGA what the Ryder Cup is for men.

While the first eight players on the points list were basically safe entering the tournament, the last two positions -- held by Nancy Scranton and Becky Iverson -- were up for grabs. But none of the other six players on the bubble had high enough finishes to push them out as Scranton and Iverson held on to make the team.

With her two captain's choices, Pat Bradley on Sunday night selected Beth Daniel and Brandie Burton to round out the 12-member team which will face the European team in Scotland next month.

The Safeway's final round began with five players tied for first at 143, and the lead seesawed most of the day between Dottie Pepper, Jang, Kim and McGuire, who held an early three-stroke lead.

Kim birdied the par-5 10th to take the lead at 4-under par. But Jang took over the lead when Kim hit her tee shot into a pond on the par-3 13th and wound up with a double bogey.

She regained the lead with a birdie two holes later, while Jang was double bogeying No. 16.

Kim had a two-stroke lead over Jang starting on No. 17, but her tee shot landed in a pond to the right of the fairway. She took a drop, chunked her third shot 50 yards onto the fairway, then hit a branch with her approach shot to wind up in the rough, ending up with a triple-bogey on the hole and falling back to par.

Jang parred the 18th to finish at 215, forcing Kim to birdie the last hole to send the tournament into a sudden-death playoff.

"Hole 17 was very tough and I lost focus because I only had two holes left and I was two strokes ahead,'' Kim said. "On the 18th tee, I told myself I need to get a birdie to force the playoff.''

It was McGuire, entering the day at par, who got off to a fast start, with birdies on five of her first eight holes to go 5-under-par.

But McGuire then bogeyed No. 9, three-putted to bogey No. 10 and bogeyed No. 14 after her ball took a bad bounce and landed under a drooping cedar tree, leaving Jang and Kim to battle for the title.

Jang said even though she lost the playoff, she was proud Kim -- a fellow Korean -- had won.

"I gained a lot of confidence going into the playoff,'' Jang said. "Now I have confidence for next time.''

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