After seven years and six great champions, the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill has its first two-time winner.

Cristie Kerr (-16) held off the challenges of In-Kyung Kim (-14), Song-Hee Kim (-13) and Lindsey Wright (-13) on the back nine Sunday afternoon to claim earn her 12th career LPGA Tour victory and second at Kingsmill’s River Course.  Kerr also won the event in 2005.

“The course played a lot different today – a lot tougher,” said Kerr.  “It was pretty tight all the way through until the last couple holes.  I just tried to play my own game, tried to be good mentally on every shot, and the momentum kind of swung in my favor when I birdied 15.”

While Kerr was birdying the par five 15th, Song-Hee Kim, who had briefly grabbed a one-shot lead, was in the process of doubling the par four 16th.  Lindsey Wright, who played well all week and entered the final round tied with Kerr atop the leaderboard, also struggled down the stretch.  Kim and Wright finished tied for third place at 13-under par.

With the victory, Kerr wrestled the top spot on the 2009 LPGA money list from Lorena Ochoa, who finished the tournament in 10th place.  Kerr, who finished in a tie for second place at last month’s Kraft Nabisco Championship, leaves Kingsmill with a $330,000 payday and a world of confidence.

“I feel like I'm just tapping into my potential,” she said.  “I can do my job every day on the golf course, and the way I've been doing it, I’ve been making a believer out of myself.”

Sunday’s finish capped off another great edition of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill.  The tournament would like to extend a special thank you to its great fans, who yet again this year turned out in droves to support the women of the LPGA Tour.



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