Pace Wins Blue Bay LPGA

By Annette Walker | Oct 27, 2014

Lee-Anne Pace was invigorating this week and played simply stunning golf to claim her 1st LPGA victory. The well credentialed Pace carried herself like a true professional. She kept a cool and calm outlook all week against the adversities of torrential rain, play suspensions and the uncertainties that lost play may cause. A couple of things she had in her favour was the consistency of champagne golf that she had brought with her on the back of winning the Cell C South African Women’s Open and the faith of the recovery of this course’s greens which Pace had such an incredible feel for.

The Blue Bay LPGA hosted by the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club on Hainan Island, China, certainly had It’s challenges on this inaugural event. The weather was the only down side to this amazing tournament and like ‘mother nature’ can show, the rain was volatile. The excellent drainage on the course and attention to the fairways and greens by ground staff ensured play could continue after every interval of sodden rain.

Play had been on and off forcing a reduction of the 72 hole tournament to a 54 hole event. Then finally on Sunday after yet another change of conditions, darkness fell and forced the players to mark their ball position and head off the course once more.

I began to wonder on Monday morning if the play would ever remain long enough for the last groups to finish. It poured down.

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Through it all, some players sat and waited their time to get back out there. Some other players were already off to their next destinations, sharing their stories of the week.

Like drawing in a deep breath, the weather cleared, and players made their way to their positions and like clockwork, play resumed.

To win the event, Michelle Wie, Caroline Masson, Chella Choi and Jessica Korda needed to find something special to catch Lee-Anne Pace.

Wie came agonisingly close to making up ground on the leaderboard but her efforts were in vain as her flawless golf saw her only with pars to finish.

At the par 4, 16th hole, something started to change. Caroline Masson who was 5 strokes off the lead, dropped in a putt for birdie. Knowing that she had to take all the chances she could, Masson landed the next one on 17 in birdie range. With all her energy and determination, she put up a fight and took birdie there and again at the last, gaining on Pace. Masson now sat only 2 strokes behind.

Pace had a heart thumping moment on 17 as she watched her 5ft putt circle the hole slowly as if it was taking in the atmosphere and then finally the ball laboured into the cup. Clunk.

Pace saves par.

Chella Choi rallied, narrowly missing the pin on 17, and took birdie.

Credit: Tristan Jones – LET

Pace had 2 strokes in hand walking to the 18th. Her mind would have been racing. She had only bogeyed twice for the whole week and that putt had just come agonisingly close to rimming out.

She didn’t falter. After laying up, Pace ironed her third shot sweetly onto the 18th green within four feet of the flag. She watched on as Korda, then Choi took their birdies. Choi closed her event with birdie for -10 and a share of 5th place. Korda had her chances but could not put the pressure on Pace and had to settle for a tie with Wie in 3rd place.

I will never know how it feels to stand over a putt for birdie with 2 strokes in-hand to win an event. Lee-Anne Pace remained calm as she had been all week, stepped up to her ball and rolled it in beautifully for birdie and the Blue Bay LPGA championship.

Her face will still be beaming an infectious smile as we all reflect on her first LPGA title. Two victories in a row for the pride of South Africa. Soon she will be off to defend her tile at the Sanya Ladies Open.

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