by Jeff Skinner
In what felt like a Solheim Cup pairing on the final day, Cristie Kerr and Suzann Pettersen battled their way around the River Course at the Kingsmill Championship with Kerr holding 
on for the playoff victory.
The two Solheim Cup stalwarts and LPGA Tour heavyweights went head to head all day and finished regulation play at twelve under par.
Kerr had started the day with a two stroke lead over Pettersen and Stacy Lewis but Pettersen’s bogey free four under 67 tied her with Kerr after 72 holes. They traded blows all day with Pettersen actually taking the lead by a shot but Kerr fought back and the two went to the last hole of regulation tied. Pettersen’s long birdie for the win just squeezed by the hole and they headed to a playoff.
Kerr blew a great chance at the win on the first playoff hole when she missed her six foot birdie putt. But she persevered and when Pettersen opened the door with a poor approach on the second playoff hole Kerr wasn’t about to let another chance pass her by. Her par putt earned her the championship and her 16th career victory and it was the first one her father was actually there to see in person.
“’For the last 17 years, I’ve been dreaming of watching her win a professional tournament,” he said. ”It was a dream come true. If I never see anything else in my life, this was it and this was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.’”
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