LEEderboard Report

On Sunday, the weather got rough. In fact, there was even a two hour delay early in the morning due to weather. Even when they started playing, things weren't easy. The temperature hovered around 45 degrees, and the overcast skies threatened to open up at any minute. Could Lee hold on to her lead and win her first event? Or would Song claim her first LPGA title? Or would someone else beat them both?

Sarah Lee got out to a great start, birdying her first two holes to move to 16 under par. Song birdied hole 2, and now trailed by two. But by the time they reached the 8th hole, they both sat at 14 under. They were still in the lead, but now several players had closed the gap on them. Included in that group were Juli Inkster, who sat at 12 under par, and Brazilian Candy Hanneman at 13 under.

Sarah Lee tried to give herself some breathing room. She hit a great approach on 10, but missed birdie. Aree had a longer putt, but missed it by a hair, just like she had been doing all day. Meanwhile, playing the 11th hole, Inkster sunk a 6 foot birdie to move to 13 under. Things were really tightening up.

Playing the 12th, Inkster kept up the pressure with another fantastic iron, this one to 4 feet. On 11 at the same time, Aree hit a nice iron to 8 feet, then Lee nearly dunked her approach, leaving it four feet away. But both Koreans missed their birdies, while Inkster made hers. So now there was a three way tie at the top.

Meanwhile, Hanneman overshot the green by a mile at 13, and wound up making double bogey on that hole. So the contest finally came down to Inkster, Lee and Song. One of those three would win the title. Could Sarah keep the Lee success going in 2006?

Lee certainly tried. She hit another sterling iron on 12 to a couple feet, and this time made the birdie to move to 15 under and the solo lead. Song only made par. But while this was going on, Juli Inkster reached the par 5 13th in two shots. Her first putt was solid, leaving her a very makeable birdie. But she missed it, and Lee held on to the lead.

Now it was Sarah's turn on the par 5. She laid up into the rough, then hit her third shot masterfully, working the ball to within three feet thanks to her spin. She made that birdie as well to climb to 16 under par, while Song burned the edge yet again on a birdie try and remained at 14 under.

Inkster, meanwhile, was on the short par 4 14th. After a solid drive, she hit her pitch to 4 feet and made another birdie. This moved her to 15 under, one shot out of the lead again. Now it came time for the final group to play this hole. First Lee hit; and her drive was absolutely terrible, bouncing into the rocks on the left side of the fairway. Song's drive was a little better, but she, too, missed the fairway, landing in a bunker.

For Sarah, the task at hand was clear: get it somewhere near the green, and make no worse than a bogey. But she had a terrible lie amidst the loose gravel, and despite her best efforts, hit an iron that landed short in a greenside bunker. As if that weren't bad enough, the ball also plugged, giving her a tough third. Meanwhile, Aree hit just about the worst possible shot from her situation, and her ball flopped into another greenside bunker, where it buried under the lip.

This left Song with arguably the nastiest break of the week. She was forced to stand with one leg completely out of the bunker. She took a stout whack at the ball, but it only traveled a few feet, landing in the deep rough. She was still in a lot of trouble. Lee, meanwhile, had to make sure to hit her ball solidly enough that it reached the green, but not so solidly that it went over it. Unfortunately, she hit a fairly bad shot just when she could least afford it. The ball skidded over the green, past the rough and into the rocks beyond. For the second time this hole, she would have to play out of a rocky lie.

Lee did manage to get her fourth shot to the edge of the green, but still had a lengthy putt for bogey. This she hit reasonably well, but still was off by three feet. Fortunately, she did make that putt, but the double bogey knocked her out of a share of the lead for the first time since Friday. She now stood at 14 under, one shot behind Inkster. Song also made double, falling to 12 under, three shots back. It seemed as though her chances to win were all but over. Amazingly, the shortest par 4 on the course had just dealt the two leaders deadly blows.

But it wasn't over yet. Inkster just missed a birdie try on 15. On that same hole, Sarah hit a cruddy drive, but a great approach over a bunker to five feet to give herself another solid birdie opportunity. Alas, she missed it, and Inkster maintained the lead.

But not for long, for at that moment, Juli was playing the 16th hole. She missed the green with her approach, hit a weak chip, and could not save par. So now, the lead was once again 14 under, and she and Lee were tied.

Lee's drive on 16 once again ended up in the rough (again, she released her club after hitting the shot). She left herself an enormous 200 yards to the green for her second, but she made it, then hit her third putt to within five feet. Summoning up her courage, she nailed the par save to remain in the lead. Sarah smiles!

Meanwhile, Aree missed birdies on 15 and 16 by the slimmest of margins. She was all but out of holes. But with Inkster missing another birdie try on 17, Lee was still in this thing. She hit her tee shot on this hole that had been so good to her all week, doubtless hoping it would produce magic for her once more. But the shot was frankly terrible, well short and to the right. It left her a very tricky chip up a hill to the green, and she failed to execute it, leaving herself a very long par save. She hit a nice shot from there and saved bogey, but now fell one shot out of the lead.

Over on 18, Inkster left her second shot in the rough near the green. But her third shot was magnificent, a gorgeous chip that followed the line perfectly to the hole, leaving her only two feet for birdie. She made that, moved to 15 under, and now seemed all but assured of the win. Only Lee, if she made an eagle, could challenge her.

And challenge her Lee did. She started with a very long drive, leaving her a realistic chance to reach the green in two. Her second shot was good, too, but just short of the surface. So she needed to make a 35 foot chip shot to tie the match. And she darn near did! Her chip was perfectly on line, but a tad too hard, and rolled right over the hole and ten feet past. Both she and Aree made pars and finished 2nd and 3rd, but it was Juli Inkster on this day who claimed the trophy.

For Sarah, it was her fourth career second place finish, but first in nearly two years. And for the Lees, it was the fourth top two finish of the young season. So who will be the next Lee to step up? Will Seon Hwa or Jee Young claim a win for the rookie Lees? Or will Meena reestablish herself atop the famiLEE? Or is it possible we haven't heard the last of Sarah Lee in 2006? Regardless of who continues the streak next, it will doubtlessLEE provide lots of entertainment for the rest of us, Lee or not!