Sun Jul 6 20:01:32 2008

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Seon-Hwa Lee wins for second time this year

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Rogers, AR (Sports Network) - Seon-Hwa Lee birdied the 18th hole Sunday to pick up a one-shot win at the NW Arkansas Championship.

Lee completed her fourth tour title at 15-under-par 201 after a final-round, four-under 68. She also won earlier this year at the Ginn Tribute.

"I feel great. This is my second win this year," said Lee, who collected $255,000 for the win. "It was a really tough day. The weather was really hard, and everything was really hard. But I really felt good about my game."

Jane Park was in the first group out off the first tee as players went off split tees and played in threesomes for the final round. Park nearly rallied for the win as she fired a 10-under 62 to tie for second at minus-14.

Meena Lee closed with a two-under 70 at Pinnacle Country Club to join Park in second.

Angela Park, who shot 62 on Saturday, managed a two-under 70 in the final round to end in a tie for fourth at 13-under-par 203. She ended alongside Karen Stupples (66), Ai Miyazato (68) and Kristy McPherson (70).

The second and final rounds were both completed on Sunday after a five-hour weather delay on Friday and a 98-minute stoppage on Saturday pushed the completion of the second round into Sunday morning.

Seon-Hwa Lee trailed by one to start the final round. She got off to a quick start by sinking a 10-foot birdie putt at the first, but she then parred six in a row.

The 22-year old holed a wedge shot from 45 yards out for eagle on the par-five seventh.

Lee cruised through the back nine running off 10 straight pars from the eighth. At the par-five closing hole, she dropped her third three feet from the cup and kicked that in for birdie and the win.

"When I was on the 18th green, I saw the scoreboard," Lee recalled. "Meena Lee was 15-under and through 16 holes. I didn't know she made bogey on 17. I thought it would be a playoff."

Meena Lee birdied the third and fifth to get to 14-under and a share of the lead. She moved atop the leaderboard with a 15-foot birdie putt at the 15th.

However, Lee missed the green at the par-three 17th and that led to a bogey that cost her a chance at a playoff.

"I talked to my caddie and my iron was a little bit short to the green, and I hit it a little bad. So it was a problem on 17," stated Lee.

Jane Park birdied the third and fifth from 15 and six feet, respectively. She started a run of four straight birdies at the seventh. That spurt moved her to 10-under.

The 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur champ dropped in back-to-back birdies from the 12th. Park also birdied Nos. 16 and 18 to finish a bogey-free round.

"I came out this morning at 5:00 a.m. (local time) to finish my second round," Park said. "I was a little tired. I think I was so relaxed today, and I started to roll the ball really well early in the round that I just got it going really quick."

Na Yeon Choi (68) and Eun Hee Ji (72) shared eighth place at 12-under-par 204.

Newly crowned U.S. Women's Open champ Inbee Park closed with a two-under 70 to finish alone in 10th at 11-under-par 205.