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Paula Creamer’s Miracle Putt

by Jeff Skinner

It wasn’t the “shot heard round the world.”  But for Paula Creamer it is.  America’s golfing sweetheart sank an incredible 75 foot eagle putt to beat Azahara Munoz in a playoff and win the HSBC Women’s Champions.

Maybe we’ll call it the “shot from the other side of the world.”  After all, Singapore is a hefty plane ride from the states but Creamer doesn’t mind.  In fact she has gushed about loving her trips to Asia and this win makes this trip very sweet.

Creamer has struggled to win since her last win at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. It has been 79 starts since that win and Creamer, a tour and fan favorite has felt the pressure of try to get back in the winner’s circle.

“It might be one of my favorite wins, and that’s going — taking a pretty big leap right there,” said Creamer. “But you know, it has, it’s been almost three years and you know, so much has happened…It has been coming and it just shows you perseverance.  That’s why I love the game.  I work hard for this reason. And holding that trophy, gosh, it was so nice.”

As leader Karrie Webb faltered down the stretch, three bogies in her last six holes, Creamer and Munoz found themselves tied at ten under par.  They halved the first playoff hole with par fives and returned to the eighteenth hole once again.

Creamer’s second shot finished well past the hole and  left her with a long, curving downhill putt for eagle.  It was a daunting task and the odds of making a 75 footer are astronomical, but that is why they play the game.  “It’s one of those putts where if you just get it in the right spot, it’s going to fall down,” she said. “But I could stand there all day long and putt that and I don’t think get it within six, seven feet.”

I did my best to stay awake and watch The Golf Channel coverage but somewhere around 1:30 am when Webb started imploding My Saturday Night Guinness took over and I fell asleep.
Luckily there’s some great video of Paula and miracle on grass putt.  The putt is amazing and her reaction very emotional.  It’s her “shot from the other side of the world.”

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