MISSION HILLS HAIKOU, CHINA ― World No. 4 Park In-bee succumbed to Suzann Pettersen of Norway in a nail-biting overall 17-under-par 270 to 18-under 271 finish in the second World Ladies Championship at Mission Hills Haikou resort on southern China’s tropical island of Hainan on Sunday.

“It is tough medicine, but I just got to take the medicine and try to play better next week. I gave it my best shot in the last hole but it was a yard short to reach the green,” Park said.

Park tried to recover an overall two-shot deficit in the final par-5 hole 18 but came up short with a birdie narrowing her loss to a single shot.

The four-day tournament boiled down to a Park-Pettersen battle royale between the two giants of women’s golf. 

The Norwegian set the tone for Day 4 just off the tee after she carded three successive birdies while Park bogeyed on the second. Park then chased after her the rest of a beautiful sunny, slightly breezy afternoon.

Park leveled up on 12, but her effort was for naught. Park’s second bogey on hole 15, which had caused her trouble in the first round, made clinching the win seem like mission impossible.

Pettersen, the 2007 LPGA Championship winner, completed the fourth round six-under par with 66 to Park’s three-under.

“I know In-bee is in there and if she just gets one look at a putt, it’s in. So I had to bring my best and the putter was hot today,” Pettersen said after the game.

“No surprise that I have to compete against the Koreans. They seem to be everywhere we play and In-bee is a fantastic player, world-class player and no surprise she’s up there delivering the goods,” she said. “She had a good start to the year and I knew it would take the best to get this trophy, but I was really keen on winning this tournament and it sets me up for a good start for this new year.”

Pettersen’s victory in Haikou was her first tournament win of the year, nabbing the champion’s $75,000 prize of a $600,000 purse.

Park led most of the four-day tournament while Pettersen clawed her way up to second position after a hotly contested third round to challenge the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open champ.

Park began Day 3 with a one stroke lead only to get edged out by Carlotta Ciganda of Spain after three holes. The 24-year-old regained the lead after four birdies on the back nine, firing a third round 69 to end 14-under and take a two-shot lead into the final round.

By Philip Iglauer, Korea Herald correspondent
(ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)