GOLF

KERR TAKES WOMEN’S U.S. OPEN

Even with the silver trophy at her side, Cristie Kerr felt uneasy sharing the premonition she had all year about coming to Pine Needles and winning the U.S. Women’s Open.

She might not have scripted it quite like this.

With a swing she spent the week end trying to fix, Kerr played the final 45 holes with only two bogeys. She three-putted only once all week on the treacherous Donald Ross greens by using a putter she purchased at a pro shop in South Korea.

And going head-to-head with the no. 1 player in the world Sunday afternoon, Kerr drilled an 18-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole to take the lead and then watched as Lorena Ochoa made another series of mistakes down the stretch in a major.

BATEMAN GETS FIRST WIN AT BUICK OPEN

Brian Bateman’s knees buckled. He tossed his putter in the air and pumped his fists.

His long wait for a PGA Tour victory ended with a birdie on the last hole Sunday at the Buick Open, breaking a four-way tie and making him the improbable winner.

“It seemed like it took forever to get to the hole,” Bateman said of the slow-rolling putt that broke slightly from right to left. “Then, I just went blank and threw my hands up and said, Man, I finally did it.'”

Bateman entered his 151st PGA Tour event 204th on the money list in his sixth year with the world’s best golfers.

His best previous finish was third before he closed with a 3 under to finish 15-under 273 and win by a shot with the highest winning score at Warwick Hills since 1997.