Yoo couldn’t
believe she missed it

Will this be the fate of I.K. Kim who improbably missed a one-footer for the 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship and then lost the subsequent playoff to fellow South Korean Sun Young Yoo? Time will tell. But the look of shock and heartbreak she wore over the sudden-death hole would indicate it will take some heavy duty mental strength indeed to move on.

The first major of the 2012 LPGA season threw up some interesting stuff – a lot of it to do with mental challenges but some positives too.

Looking at the good stuff first, bar THAT putt I.K. Kim had a great tournament and showed herself to be at major level. She also showed class in post-tournament media conference, firstly turning up at all before running through what happened – putting it straight when it borrowed ever so slightly right.

a spirited defence of her 2011 title to tie fourth with Sjodin, Amy Yang and Hee Kyung Seo.

Which brings us to those with some homework. Seo led by three at one point only to post four straight bogeys to end her chance.

The 2011 Rookie of the Year has now lost the 2011 U.S. Open in a playoff after missing a short putt at the penultimate hole, missed another short putt for victory on the 18th hole to fall into six-way playoff at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open earlier this year, and this. Her career is very young; when her self-belief matches her talent she will go far.

Yani Tseng went into this event seeking her sixth major, and her fourth win from six starts this season. Her lacklustre performance after leading into the final round, the ninth time in her last ten starts, suggested a tired mind. Or did she just try too hard?

She suggested as much afterwards. To still finish third – with a putt on the last to make playoff – without one’s A-game is a mark of champions and the reason this girl is clearly number one in the world.

Of the Aussies, Karrie Webb finished best of our girls, tied 15th, Katherine Hull tied 20th and Lindsey Wright’s playing renaissance continued.

Wright led after the first round with a sterling 67 and was right in the hunt until an unfortunate double bogey on the second day halted her momentum. She completed the tournament tied 43rd.