Sybase Sunday - Semifinals and Finals

Suzann Pettersen defeated Cristie Kerr 1-up in the final match of the Sybase Match Play Championship.  It is the seventh career LPGA victory for Pettersen but her first since September 2009.  Na Yeon Choi finished third by winning the consolation match 4&3 over Angela Stanford.

In the morning semifinals, Pettersen jumped out to a 2-up lead on Choi by the turn.  NYC birdied 10 to get back within one but Suzann put the match away with three straight birdies at 11, 12 and 13.  After a halve at 14 and a Choi birdie at 15, Pettersen salted away the victory with birdie at 16 to win 4&2.  Kerr took the lead in the other semi with a birdie at 3 but birdies at 7 and 9 gave Stanford the lead.  Cristie's birdie at 11 squared the match but Angela birdied 12 and 13 to take a commanding 2-up lead.  Kerr got one back with a birdie at 15 and after halving 16, she birdied 17 to square it again.  At the par-5 18^th, Cristie played her second close to the green then got up-and-down for birdie to complete the late rally and win 1-up.

For Pettersen, the final began much like her semi - she birdied 2 and 4 to take an early 2-up lead.  Kerr responded with birdie at 5 and squared the match with birdie at 8.  Suzann claimed the halfway-mark lead with a birdie at 9.  The twosome traded halves for much of the back nine, even to the extent of bogeying the par-5 11^th hole.  At 15 however, Kerr barely missed her par putt to give Pettersen a 2-up lead with only three to play.  A halve at 16 put Cristie's back to the wall but she hung in there, birdying 17 to extend the match to the final hole.  Kerr birdied 18 as well but so did Pettersen, giving Suzann the championship.

I wasn't able to watch Sunday's coverage but the AP wire story mentions that Kerr's putter let her down on the back nine, missing four putts of less than 10 feet - all of them potential hole winners.  I'll have a few more observations in the Epilogue later today or tomorrow.