Shin beats Creamer at 9th playoff hole

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia: Jiyai Shin beat Paula Creamer with a par at the ninth hole of sudden-death yesterday, winning the Kingsmill Championship in the longest playoff involving two players in LPGA history.
The two had battled it out through eight playoff holes —   all on 18th at Kingsmill’s River Course — when darkness halted play on Sunday.
They took the duel to the par-four 16th yesterday morning and needed just one more hole to decide it.
Creamer hit her first putt some five feet past and her putt coming back brushed the edge but didn’t drop.
Shin’s first putt was three feet short and she made that for par and the win.
“She is a great putter, so I was just looking forward to the next hole,” Shin said. “But when she missed it, I, oh, wow.
“I was left with this one putt, but this one is still too long for me, so I was really nervous with it. But after when I make that, I was really happy.”
South Korea’s Shin, a former world No. 1 who like Creamer was seeking a first LPGA Tour title since 2010, said she’d never experienced anything like the marathon playoff.
“It was really tough to win,” Shin said. “Last night it took so long so I was really tired and when I came this morning, still tired.”
She said she just tried to keep her focus as they arrived yesterday morning in chilly, breezy conditions.
“I just kept focused about my tempo because sometimes you think too much and make it more complicated.”
Shin said she was buoyed by the hundreds of fans who turned out, and delighted to be back in the winner’s circle at last despite having surgery on her hand in June that kept her off the course for two months.
Shin carded a two-under 69 on Sunday and Creamer, who led after 54 holes, carded an even-par 71 as they finished regulation on 16-under 268.
France’s Karine Icher and American Danielle Kang shared third on 270, Icher moving up the leaderboard with a 65 and Kang carding a final-round 69.
Shin claimed her 27th global victory and her ninth LPGA title — but her first since November of 2010.
Creamer remains in search of her first victory since she won the 2010 US Women’s Open.
“We were so hungry for the win,” Shin said. “I know her feeling, too. It was great match play yesterday, and then I think lot of fans, they really enjoyed watching us.”
Both are now off to Royal Liverpool, where the Women’s British Open begins on Thursday.
The previous longest playoff involving two players on the LPGA Tour was Cristie Kerr’s victory at the seventh hole over Seol-An Jeon at the 2004 Takefuji Classic.
Jo Ann Prentice won the 1972 Corpus Christi Open on the 10th hole of a playoff that involved three players.