European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 30 stars and stripes tuesday april 3 jump in the Lake for teen Pressel youngest Winner of Lyga major swims after her challengers sink by Doug Ferguson the associated press Rancho Mirage Calif Morgan Pressel is the youngest major Champion in Lyga tour history even at 18 not even a year re moved from High school it still Felt like a Long time coming be cause Pressel seems to be have been on this stage forever she was that 12yearold with a swagger and braces the youngest Ever to qualify for the us Wom ens open six years ago she walked with her shoulders erect Ponytail Bobbing from Side to Side acting then As if she be longed she was that High school my who upstaged Michelle Wie at Cherry Hills two years ago and had the us women open won until Birdie Kim stole it away with an improbable Bunker shot for Birdie on the final Hole As pres Sel watched stunned from the Fairway she made it through a school during her senior year of High school pressing the Lyga tour to let her join at age 17 even though the rules said you have to be 18 the tour let her play and just look at her now Pressel was crying again Sun Day always does these tears were a mixture of sad Ness and Joy and mostly Shock she was four shots behind play ing the 18th Hole about a hour later she took a plunge into the Pond after a stunning on shot Vic tory sunday in the Kraft Nabisco championship Ive always had High Hopes and big dreams Pressel said and she always believed she would be a major Champion even if she draw this up in her dreams Pressel did her part closing with a 3under 69 and playing the final 24 holes at Tough Mission Hills without a bogey after three straight Par saves she followed with a 10foot Birdie putt on the 18th to finish at 3under 285 that s How major Champion ships Are won Suzann Pettersen and a Host of others supplied the help she needed Pettersen find a fair Way Over the final five holes played them in 4 Over Par and left Short a 25foot Birdie putt on the final Hole that would have forced a playoff thais How major Champion ships Are lost i said yesterday that the one who made the fewest mistakes would win she said i did a few too Many she want alone Seri Pak missing Only this major to Complete the career grand slam had a three shot Lead on the front nine fell two shots behind Pettersen Over a four Hole stretch around the turn then bogeyed five of the last six holes for a 77 Catriona Matthew had a 30foot Birdie putt on the 18th Hole that would have made her the clubhouse Leader at 4 under she ran it 5 feet by the Hole missed it coming Back and walked off with a bogey a 71 and a tie for second place h Stacy Prammanasudh took bogey on three of the last five holes and shot 71 to finish two shots behind Brittany Lincicome was hang ing around making one clutch Par after another until she dropped a shot on the 15th she Chris no ways Suzann Pettersen misses a Birdie putt on the 18th Hole sunday completing a collapse Over the last four holes during which she blew a four stroke Lead in the Lyga Kraft Nabisco championship had a 10foot Birdie putt on the 18th that just missed leaving her with a 72 and one shot behind nothing compared to Pettersen the 25yearold from Norway runner up last week to Lorena Ochoa in Phoenix was in com Mand As so Many others Stum bled until a bogey from the rough on the 15th and a double bogey on the 16th when it took her three shots to reach the front of the Green and three shots with her Putter she came up Short on the 17th and missed an 8fopt Par putt she missed the Fairway on the 18th which kept her from going for the Green in two and her wedge was 25 feet away so it never ends she said her voice still choking with emotion i was so Happy last week for a second place she said but this time i Felt like i lost the tournament Pettersen also gave credit to Pressel and indeed credit was due Pressel took double bogey on the 12th Hole saturday for the Sec Ond straight round but didst lose Hope standing outside the scor ing trailer after the third round Pressel was reminded that she played in the final round a year ago with Karrie Webb and watched her make up a seven shot deficit and win in a playoff in right in there with a Chance she said when she was four behind going into the last Day a Little help Doest Hurt she smiled at that recollection sunday her clothes and hair dry ing from an unlikely jump into the Pond that rang True she said the tradition at Mission Hills is fun the Winner to leap into the water surrounding the 18th Green Pressel took her Caddie Jon Yarbrough and her grand Mother Evelyn Krickstein along for the swim Herb Krickstein her Grandfather and father of former Tennis player Aaron Krick Stein stayed behind although he later dipped his toes in the water Pressel can cry watching car Toons so the tears were the Only predictable part of this final round but she really lost it look ing out at her grandparents who raised her and nurtured her in Golf and in life and she sobbed thinking of her Mother Kathy Pressel who died of cancer four years ago As Pressel was on her meteoric Rise to being a major Champion i know my Mother is always with me she said and in sure Shes proud of me As my grand parents Are Ochoa needed a Victory to re place Annika Morenstam at no 1 in the world so that will have to wait a quadruple bogey on the 17th Hole saturday doomed Ochoa who finished four shots be Hind Morenstam shot 75 and tied for 31st presses place in the game is still unclear but she showed Wie and Paula Creamer How to get it done the kid rarely misses a Chance to Needle both of them but she was gracious As a major on Wie was injured this week and Pressel said the 17yearold Wie still has time to break her record Creamer was one shot out of the Lead and shot 78 two years ago Creamer was one shot out of the Lead at Cherry Hills and shot 79 this week was just my week Pressel said Scott tops Appleby in aussie shootout in Houston the associated press Humble Texas Stuart Appleby has been watching Adam Scott play for More than a decade and the two have become friends As australians on the pea tour often do they played together in the final round of the Houston open but the pleasant banter ceased once the Competition intensified Scott held off Appleby with a 6under 66 on sunday saving Par with a 50foot putt on the 72nd Hole after hitting his tee shot into the water the 26yearold Scott finished at 17 under three strokes ahead of Appleby the defending Champi on and third round Leader Bubba Watson the conversation kind of came to a a minimum and it was time to knuckle Down and get on with the Job Scott said if s not that i dont think of him As a Friend Corning Down the stretch i dont want to just lie Down and give my Friend a Appleby nine years older first met Scott in Australia when he was a precocious teenager the two have Only recently become close friends All australians Are pretty Good buddies Appleby said we have to travel a Long Way to get Here the Houston open might As Well become an honorary tournament Down under Scott is the sixth aussie to win in Houston joining Appleby Bruce Devlin Bruce Crampton David Graham and Robert alien by Appleby and Crampton have won it twice and the eight Victo Ries by australians Are the most of any us tour event Only the British open nine has had More champions from Australia Appleby joked that it eased the sting of losing to know that another aussie won marginally Appleby said Scott gave Appleby a Chance to win it Scott led by one stroke As they stood on the 18th tee but Scott pulled his tee shot into the Pond that lines the left Side of the 488yard Hole the courses most difficult Appleby drove into a Fairway Bunker men immediately gave Scott a reprieve by hitting his approach into the water near the Green i knew what i had to do Appleby said if s just a matter of youve got to do it and i didst get to do it Scott took a drop hit his approach safely away from the water then holed the Par saving putt he pumped his fist Tiger Wood style after the Ball disappeared and the crowd roared it was Relief along with Ela Tion said Scott who earned his first Victory since last years tour championship i was pretty Happy for it to be All Over with be cause it was looking a bit Messy Appleby took a double bogey to finish with a 69 but it was easily his Best finish of the year and filled him with Confidence head ing to Riet weeks masters i like the Way i hit the Ball he said i want to get there to Augusta and get set for that in ready to go european pea at Cascais por Tugal Pablo Marti Benavides be came the first Amateur to win the Estoril open shooting a 3under 68 for a on stroke Victory the 20yearold spaniard had a 7under 277 total at Quinta a Marinha Frances Raphael Jac Quelin 67 finished second champions at Palm coast Fla Keith Fergus became the Sec Ond player to win pea nation wide and champions tour titles closing with a 2under 70 for a on stroke Victory Over Mark Omeara and Hale Irwin in the Ginn championship Fergus who finished at 12under 204 won three times on the pea tour from 198183 and twice on the nationwide tour in 1994 Ron Streck also has won on All three of the major us pro mens Tours Irwin closed with a 68 and Omeara shot a 69
