“Birdie’s” birdie finish secures shock US Open victory

SHE gave herself the nickname “Birdie” to distinguish herself from the other girls on the LPGA Tour. All it took was one shot - a spectacular birdie from the bunker - to make a most unlikely US Women’s Open champion.

Going shot-for-shot with 17-year-old amateur Morgan Pressel in a tense duel at Cherry Hills, “Birdie” Kim, the 23-year-old South Korean, was trying to get close for par when she holed a 30-yard bunker shot across the 18th green.

“I can’t believe it,” she said. “I don’t think I was going to make it.”

Pressel, poised to become the youngest major champion in golf history, was walking up the fairway in the group behind when she saw the reaction of the record gallery. She put both hands over her head in disbelief, realising her dream of winning was all but gone.

Kim’s victory put an end to Annika Sorenstam’s pursuit of a Grand Slam.

Kim finished at three-over 287 and earned $560,000.

She closed with a one-over 72 to win by two shots from Pressel, who went for broke on her birdie chip at the 18th and made bogey for a 75, and another amateur, 19-year-old Brittany Lang, who missed an 8-foot par putt on the final hole for a 71.

Kim made the only birdie on the 18th hole in two days, a 459-yard par four that requires a daunting tee shot over water and an uphill climb the final 180 yards.

Sorenstam was never a factor. She tried to drive the first green and instead hit a tree and went into the creek, making bogey. She would wind up with a 77 to finish at 12-over 296, the first time in four years Sorenstam shot over par in a 72-hole event.

“It just didn’t happen,” she said.

Fifteen-year-old Michelle Wie shot 42 on the front nine on her way to an 82.

It was a stunning conclusion to a brutal final round in which the field averaged 76.1 and there was only one round under par, a 69 by Lorie Kane.

lTom Purtzer suffered another agonising defeat at the Bank of America Championship in Massachusetts.

He led going into the final round for the second straight year but lost in a play-off to Mark McNulty.

Purtzer carried a one-shot lead into the final round but was forced into a play-off when Don Pooley shot a seven-under 65 and McNulty birdied the last two holes.

Pooley was eliminated on the first extra hole with a bogey on the par-five, 521-yard 18th but play was suspended for over an hour because of thunderstorms.

When play resumed, McNulty sank a long birdie putt on the par-three 17th and Purtzer just missed his long attempt.

The win was the first this season for McNulty, who had back-to-back second-place finishes at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am and the SBC Classic.

The 51-year-old, who entered the final round one-shot back and shot four-under, won three times in 2004.

Purtzer, who was three-under for the round, could have won on the first play-off hole, but his birdie attempt ran just by the hole.

The 53-year-old had a chance to avoid the play-off, but he missed a par putt at the 17th.

DA Weibring, Bruce Lietzke and John Bland finished tied for fourth, three shots back.

Ireland’s Des Smyth was a shot further back after a closing 66.