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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, June 8, 2009

Tiger has memorable Memorial



Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Tiger Woods birdied the final two holes to win the Memorial. He finished at 12-under 276.

JAY LAPRETE | Associated Press Langer

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

In-Kyung Kim birdied two of the final three holes to beat Se Ri Pak by one stroke at the LPGA State Farm Classic.

SETH PERLMAN | Associated Press

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Bernhard Langer

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DUBLIN, Ohio — Two holes, two towering shots, two clutch birdies.

Just like that, Tiger Woods broke out of a four-way tie and won the Memorial yesterday with a 7-under 65 to cap off a high-charged comeback. And just as suddenly, he silenced the skeptics who wondered if he was ready to defend his title in the U.S. Open in two weeks at Bethpage Black.

"I knew I could do this," Woods said after birdies on the final two holes gave him a one-shot victory. "I was close to winning, but the game wasn't quite there when I really needed it on Sunday. I rectified that."

First came a 9-iron at No. 17 that Woods launched as high as he could, allowing the ball to land softly on the top shelf of a rock-hard green for a 9-foot birdie putt. More brilliance followed on the 18th, when Woods hit a 7-iron from 183 yards that stopped a foot from the hole, wrapping up his fourth title at Muirfield Village.

Then came a bold observation by tournament host Jack Nicklaus. He had said earlier in the week that Woods, with 14 career majors, would probably break his record of 18 majors in a couple of years.

"I suspect No. 15 will come for Tiger Woods in about two weeks," Nicklaus said at the trophy presentation. "If he drives the ball this way, and plays this way, I'm sure it will. And if not, it will surprise me greatly."

Woods hit the ball where he was aiming and found every fairway in the final round, the first time he had done that on the PGA Tour in more than five years. He missed only five fairways all week, his best performance off the tee since the 1998 Masters.

"It was nice to play this well going into the U.S. Open," Woods said. "This is how you have to hit it in order to win U.S. Opens."

He managed to work in some of Muirfield Village magic along the way, surging into contention by chipping in for eagle from a nasty lie in thick rough behind the 11th green.

Jim Furyk, part of the four-way tie on the back nine, made a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole that gave him a 69 and allowed him to finish alone in second. Furyk is close friends with Woods, and had been hearing the speculation that Woods was not the same.

"I just wish you all would just quit (ticking) him off ... so he has to come back and keep proving stuff," Furyk said.

Woods finished at 12-under 276 and won for the 67th time in his career.

After a bogey from the bunker on the 16th, Woods was tied with Furyk, Jonathan Byrd and Davis Love III.

His two final birdies gave him a cushion, and no one could catch him.

LPGA STATE FARM

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In-Kyung Kim birdied two of the final three holes to beat Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak by a stroke in the State Farm Classic.

Kim shot a 7-under 65 to finish at 17-under 271 on the Panther Creek course, giving the 20-year-old South Korean player her second LPGA Tour victory.

In the process, Kim denied Pak (66) her first win in two years.

Michelle Wie, a Punahou School alum and Stanford student, finished 13 strokes back after a 69 yesterday and 284 total.

CHAMPIONS TRITON FINANCIAL

LAKEWAY, Texas — Bernhard Langer became the first three-time winner on the Champions Tour this season, closing with a 5-under 67 for a six-stroke victory over Mark O'Meara in the Triton Financial Classic

The German star finished at 15-under 201 on The Hills Country Club course, matching the tournament record set by Scott Hoch in 2007.

O'Meara shot a 70 for his third runner-up finish of the year and sixth overall.

WALES OPEN

NEWPORT, Wales — Denmark's Jeppe Huldahl won the Wales Open for his first PGA European Tour title, finishing with a 4-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Sweden's Niclas Fasth at Celtic Manor.

The 26-year-old Huldahl finished at 9-under 275 on The Twenty Ten Course, the site of the 2010 Ryder Cup matches. Fasth closed with a 66.

FUTURES TOUR

MARION, Iowa — Mina Harigae matched a Duramed Futures Tour record with a 10-stroke victory in the inaugural Ladies Titan Tire Challenge, closing with a 3-under 69 to finish at 16-under 200 at Hunters Ridge.

Harigae, 19, tied the record for margin of victory set by Marilyn Lovander in the 1994 Orville Beckford Ford/Mercury Futures Classic.

Whitney Myers finished second.

KAHILI MAUI OPEN

Tadd Fujikawa fired a final-round 69 yesterday to win the Kahili Maui Open by three strokes over Andrew Feldmann.

Fujikawa finished at 142 at Kahili Golf Course.

Feldmann shot a 69 yesterday, and Ron Castillo Jr. fired a 74 to finish third at 146.

David Saka was the low amateur with a 148 total, which was tied for fifth.

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