University Southern California Trojans
Former Trojan Salas Takes 2nd At LPGA Lotte Championship
April 20, 2013 | Women's Golf
April 20, 2013
Former Trojan Lizette Salas fired a tournament-record 62 to erase a huge final-round lead and force a playoff with LPGA vet Suzann Petterson before falling to the Norwegian in the first extra hole of the 2013 LPGA Lotte Championships in Kapolei, Hawaii at Ko Olina.
Salas rebounded from a a final-round 79 two weeks ago at the Kraft Nabisco that dropped her from second to a tie for 25th with a 10-under on Saturday.
She opened with a 3-under front 9, but that was a mere warm up for a 7-under 29 on the back 9 that included an eagle on 10 and five straight birdies between 12 and 16. The blistering round was just enough to tie 11-time PGA champ Petterson at 19-under. Salas began the day tied for fifth, five off the lead.
The second-place finish was a career best and the fourth top 10 in seven starts this year and netted her biggest career pay day ($155,874). The win puts her fourth on this year's LPGA money list at more than $340,000.
"From shooting a 79 at Kraft to shooting a 62 here in Hawaii, like that just -- I can't really describe the feeling, just I feel so proud of myself to put that 79 in the back of my mind and just to go out and play some golf," Salas said. "I took a big risk in using the short putter, but I felt extremely comfortable. I felt like me again."
Salas was one of an amazing 11 Trojans in the field. Paolo Moreno tied for 23rd while Jennifer Rosales, Nicole Castrale, Belen Mozo, Irene Cho, Lisa McCloskey and Jennifer Song also finished in the money. Former USC golfers Candie Kung, Dewi Claire Schreefel and Veronica Felibert did not make the cut.
