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Wie Gets First LPGA Win
Michelle Wie closed with a 3-under 69 to win the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico. The victory was the first of Wie's career.
Wie, who shared the 54-hole lead with Cristie Kerr, finished at 13-under 275. The 20-year-old student at Stanford was two strokes better than Paula Creamer, who shot a 70. The win was worth $220,000.
Creamer was tied with Wie on No. 10 after carding an eagle on the par-5. But two bogeys on the back nine spelled the Californian's doom. "I gave it a chance, and Michelle played great," said Creamer, who went winless in 2009 after getting eight wins in her brief career.
"I feel a lot better with my golf," she added. "It's just unfortunate that you're so close, yet you're so far away."
Wie's previous top finishes this year were two runner-ups and a pair of thirds. When she birdied the par-5 18th hole at Guadalajara Country Club to secure her maiden win, Wie raised her arms in the air and put a hand over her mouth. After retrieving the ball from the cup, she turned to the gallery, looked skyward and breathed a sigh of relief.
She later confirmed that relieved look in the interview room. "For sure, it's definitely off my back," Wie remarked about the pressure to get that first victory. "I think that hopefully life will be a lot better, but I still have a lot of work to do. I still have a lot to improve. It just feels so great right now.
"Right now it feels fantastic. It's a great year," she said with a laugh. "I went through some ups and downs. It was a great learning experience for me this year.
"You know, there's just so many ups: Solheim Cup, and just being able to play every single tournament out here, just getting to know all of these girls a lot better. And obviously this tournament is the icing on top of the cake. But it's been a fun year."
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