Creamer edges victory in Hawaii

Paula Creamer reeled off four birdies in her last five holes to win the Fields Open in Hawaii by one stroke ahead of South Korea’s Jeong Jang.

Creamer finished at 16-under-par to claim her fifth LPGA Tour victory and second in her last four events after winning The Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions last November.

Creamer started the round at 10-under-par and two strokes behind Jang, but picked up two birdies in her opening three holes to share the lead at 12-under-par.

Jang took a one-stroke lead by making a 10-foot birdie putt at the sixth before doubling her cushion with three holes to play.

But Creamer followed up her birdie at the 14th with a crucial run of three birdies to finish her six-under-par 66 final round which was rounded off by a five foot championship putt at the last after playing a six iron from 164 yards.

Jang played an eight iron from 152 yards at the last to 30 feet, but failed to hole the birdie putt which would have forced a play-off.

“We had to do it,” said Creamer, who battled flu-like symptoms en route to the victory. “I knew that coming down the stretch, just that pressure and knowing if you want to win this golf tournament you have to make this putt. That kind of took that momentum into 17 and made that one, and then into 18.”

Jang’s three-under-par 69 was enough to edge out England’s Lindsey Wright (67) by one stroke, with world number two Annika Sorenstam (68) a further two shots adrift at 12-under-par.