Kung gains second win of 2003

Candie Kung overcame a slow start and shot a 2-under-par 70 Sunday for a two-stroke victory over defending champion Se Ri Pak and Meg Mallon at the Wachovia LPGA Classic.

Kung finished at 14-under 288 for her second title of the season. She won the Takefuji Classic in Las Vegas in April.

Mallon, one stroke off the lead entering the final round, just missed a chip for eagle at the par-5 18th and shot a 71 to finished tied with Pak (68) at 12 under.

Carin Koch closed with a 70 and was alone in fourth at 11 under.

Kung parred the first hole and made bogeys at Nos. 2 and 3 to fall behind Mallon, Koch and the hard-charging Pak.

Kung went on to bogey four of her first seven holes at Berkleigh Country Club, but recovered nicely.

After falling to 9 under, Kung birdied Nos. 8 and 9 to move within a stroke of Mallon, and surged back into the lead at the 10th when she made birdie and Mallon made bogey.

Mallon pulled even with a birdie at No. 11, but Kung countered with a birdie at the 14th to move to 13 under, one stroke ahead of Mallon and two strokes better than Koch and Pak.

Early in the final round, it looked as if Pak might duplicate her scintillating final round of last year, when she shot a 63 and rallied to win the tournament.

Pak birdied four holes on the front nine to briefly take the lead, but bogeys at 15 and 17 left her two strokes behind Kung. Pak birdied 18, but fell two strokes short.

Mallon remained within one stroke of Kung through most of the back nine before a bogey at the 17th dropped her two shots off the pace.

DIVOTS: Stephanie Louden had the lowest round of the day with a 7-under 65.

• Heather Bowie started the final round in contention for one of the 10 automatic qualifying spots on the U.S. Solheim Cup team. But Bowie, after getting to 7 under through nine holes, was 5 over on the inward nine and finished tied for 29th at 1 under.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page