The Hindu : Meunier-Lebouc wins title

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 01, 2003

Sport

Sport - Golf

Meunier-Lebouc wins title

France's Patricia Meunier-Lebouc waves to the crowd after winning the Kraft Nabisco championship on Sunday. — AP

RANCHO MIRAGE March 31. When Patricia Meunier-Lebouc began playing with Annika Sorenstam last week, she thought the best female golfer in the world couldn't make a mistake.

When the Frenchwoman found out Sorenstam wasn't perfect, she went about finding a way to beat her.

Sorenstam made two big mistakes on the back nine on Sunday and Meunier-Lebouc took advantage to win the Kraft Nabisco and deny Sorenstam the chance to make history by winning the same Major championship three years in a row.

"To see that she was about to be a human and miss shots helped me a lot to win today," Meunier-Lebouc said.

"She makes mistakes like everybody does. So I think that helped me."

Meunier-Lebouc played two rounds with Sorenstam in Phoenix last week and all four in the Kraft Nabisco. She saw her up close and realized she could be beaten.

"Getting so close to her to see that she's a wonderful player, the best out there, I mean she is," Meunier-Lebouc said.

"I was trying to look at her as a player. And she was making mistakes out there."

Sorenstam three-putted the 13th hole, then hit a wayward tee shot on the par-3 14th, giving Meunier-Lebouc all she needed to take a lead she would not give up.

She three-putted the 18th for a meaningless bogey to win by one stroke at 7 under. "I didn't mean to give her all my secrets," Sorenstam said.

Most of the final round of the first LPGA Major of the year was a two-person duel, as 13-year-old Michelle Wie never mounted a challenge.

Wie, a Korean-American from Hawaii, was in the final group after shooting 66 on Saturday, but she faded to a 76 with some short missed putts on the back nine.

The 30-year-old Meunier-Lebouc, who is the best female player in France, though that doesn't mean a lot. Beating Sorenstam did, though, giving Meunier-Lebouc her second LPGA title and first Major championship.

"I really was feeling that maybe it's my day, I deserve it," Meunier-Lebouc said.

Meunier-Lebouc had to overcome an out-of-bounds tee shot on the third hole with some steady play in the final holes. She birdied the 13th hole to take the lead, then parred her way in before a meaningless three-putt bogey on the final hole gave her a 1-over 73 and a one-shot win over Sorenstam.

Meunier-Lebouc eagled the second hole by pitching in, but her celebration turned to disgust one swing later when her tee shot on the third hole went out of bounds.

Sorenstam had won the last two Kraft Nabiscos and was going for an unprecedented third. She has 42 wins to just one for Meunier-Lebouc, who won the State Farm Classic last year.

It was Sorenstam, though, who cracked, three-putting the 13th hole after taking the lead with a birdie the hole before and then nearly hitting her next shot on the 14th hole into the water.

"Unfortunately, I made two mistakes on 13 and 14," Sorenstam said. "After that I was trying to chase her the last few holes." Sorenstam finished with a 1-under 71 for second place, a stroke ahead of Mexican rookie Lorena Ochoa, who shot a 68. — AP

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