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Posted at 5:17 p.m., Saturday, February 18, 2006

Kim wins SBS Open in playoff

Associated Press

KAHUKU — Joo Mi Kim holed a 2-foot birdie putt on the second sudden-death playoff hole on Saturday, defeating fellow South Korean Soo Young Moon in the LPGA Tour's season-opening SBS Open.

Kim shot a final round 71 to earn her first LPGA Tour victory and finished with a 10-under 206 total. After sinking the short putt, she was soaked with champagne by fellow players on the 18th green and was then forced to jump into the lake.

Moon (69) missed a 10-footer that would have sent it into a third playoff hole.

Kim joined the tour last year after a successful stint on the Korea LPGA Tour. She finished fourth last year in the Safeway Classic and fifth in the Sybase Classic. She was playing without her full-time caddie who dropped out just before the first round to return to Texas for the birth of a child. Her friend Jay Jang filled in nicely.

Lorena Ochoa (67) was eliminated on the first playoff hole after missing a 6-foot birdie putt that broke slightly left. It was the shortest putt any of the three players had.

Moon holed a 12-foot birdie putt, putting the heat on Kim and Ochoa. Kim made a clutch putt from about 10 feet to halve the hole.

Kim had a chance to seal the win on the last hole of regulation, but missed a 25-foot birdie putt.