Hull becomes seventh first-time winner at CN Canadian Women's Open

Posted on 18/08/08. Source: LPGA (By LPGA)

Five-year LPGA Tour veteran Katherine Hull (71-65-72-69=277, -11) overcame a six-stroke deficit at the CN Canadian Women's Open on Sunday to become the seventh Rolex-First Time Winner of the 2008 LPGA Tour season.

Hull carded a final-round 3-under-par 69 that included four birdies and a single bogey to edge her closest competitors - runner-up Se Ri Pak (68-70-68-72=278, -10) and third-place Yani Tseng (70-64-68-77=279, -9) - who combined for eight bogeys and two double bogeys in the final round.

With the win, Hull also punched her ticket to the season-ending ADT Championship, as the $2.25 million dollar purse made the CN Canadian Women's Open the 13th and final Winner Event for LPGA Playoffs 2008.

"I'm shocked that this has actually happened to me, but obviously this is a dream come true. It's just something that all of us out here dream about as kids, and to finally have it come to reality is just amazing. I can't put it into words right now," Hull said. "This is probably not going to sink in until tonight or even tomorrow."

Tseng began the day with a four-stroke lead over 54-hole runner-up Pak, and a six-stroke cushion over Rolex Rankings' number one Lorena Ochoa (66-68-74-73=281, -7) and Hull. However, Hull began her charge by making birdie on the third hole while playing in the group ahead of Tseng and Pak, while Tseng made her first of four bogeys on the front nine on the same hole. Tseng bounced back with a birdie on the fourth hole, but then tallied three-consecutive bogeys to make the turn at 3-over, while Hull birdied holes eight and nine to turn at 3-under and catch Tseng on the leaderboard at 11-under.

Things appeared to briefly look up on the back side for Tseng when she birdied the 10th hole while Hull bogeyed to give the rookie a two-stroke advantage. It didn't last long, though, as Tseng's bogey woes worsened with a double bogey on the 11th hole to knot Tseng and Hull once again, and an ensuing bogey on 12 by Tseng propelled Hull by one stroke. Hull increased her lead to two strokes with a birdie on 14, and played even golf the rest of the way to maintain her one-stroke victory over Pak, who snuck up the leaderboard into second place after finishing her round with back-to-back birdies.

In addition to crossing the $1 million mark in career earnings with the $337,500 winner's check, Hull's victory marked the 42nd LPGA Tour victory by an Australian. She joins Jane Crafter (1), Wendy Doolan (3), Rachel Hetherington (8), Mardi Lunn (1), Margie Masters (1), Penny Pulz (2), Jan Stephenson (16) and Karrie Webb (35) as the ninth Aussie to earn a win.