Saiki wins maiden LPGA title

Kim Saiki won for the first time in her 12 years on the LPGA Tour, shooting a 1-under 71 Sunday and overtaking Rosie Jones by four strokes at the Wegmans Rochester LPGA.

"Oh yeah, got the monkey off my back!" said Saiki, a 38-year-old Californian who's been a runner-up four times since joining the Tour in 1992. "It's just an incredible feeling."

Saiki finished 14-under 274 at the tree-lined Locust Hill course. In a thrilling final round, Jones went ahead three times before a decisive swing at the par-4 14th when she three-putted from 18 feet for a double-bogey while Saiki curled in a 5-footer for birdie.

Jones shot a 74 to drop back into a tie for second with Mi Hyun Kim (72) of South Korea, a runner-up here in 2002 who picked up her 10th top-10 finish this year.

Annika Sorenstam managed only a 73 on Sunday and fell into a tie for seventh, along with Candie Kung (74), a three-time tour winner who was tied with Saiki after the second round.

Saiki earned $225,000 to leap from 77th to 11th on the money list. Her career earnings rose to $1.6 million.

"I was very calm," Saiki said. "I was hitting the ball so solid. My tempo, my rhythm was so good. I had a lot of confidence.

"It's always disappointing when you come in second," she added, "but I'm very pleased with my career."

Jones, a 13-time tour winner, took off the last three weeks with a neck injury. At 44, she has never won a major and will now try to become the oldest U.S. Women's Open champion next weekend at Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass.

"I wouldn't want to peak too early," she joked.

Looking for her third victory here in seven years, Jones took a one-stroke lead three times in before falling three behind at No. 14. She sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the next hole only for Saiki to drop an even longer putt for a clutch par.

Jones came up short of the 16th green, then missed from 3 feet for another bogey.

France's Patricia Meunier-Lebouc got within two shots of the lead with three birdies on the front nine, but two bogeys and a double-bogey on the back dropped her into a tie for fifth with a 72.

Brandie Burton double-bogeyed the final hole but still shot 66, the day's best round, to jump up to fourth at 8-under.

Jones' season earnings swelled to $337,110, edging her into the top-10 list. She vaulted ahead of Betsy King to seventh in career winnings with $7.5 million.

Jones won here in 1998 and 1991 and lost in a playoff to Kathy Whitworth in 1984.

Defending champion Rachel Teske of Australia shot 75 to tie for 14th at 285.

The $1.5 million tournament is sponsored by Wegmans, a grocery store chain.

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