Brittany Lincicome of the United States is the 2006 HSBC Women's World Match Play champion after recording a 3&2 victory over Juli Inkster in Sunday's championship finale.
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Brittany Lincicome- the 2006 HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship winner.
© Getty Images
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The 20-year-old, seeded 39th for this week's event, also pockets a $US500,000 first prize cheque for her first tour success that included victories over World No.2 Michelle Wie and current ADT Money List leader Lorena Ochoa.
Lincicome, whose previous career best was a third place finish at the Takefuji Classic earlier this year, dominated proceedings during the final round and was never headed after taking the lead in the match at the second hole.
She also benefitted as her more experienced opponent faltered over the front nine, stretching her lead at the third and then the fifth with pars as Inkster bogeyed and double-bogeyed.
The 46-year-old Inkster found some form at thepar four 6th but her birdie was matched by Lincicome to halt any swingin momentum.
Two more, back-to-back, bogeys further blighted Inkster's card as Lincicome was able to once again benefit from just making par.
Inkster offered hope to her large support with another birdie at the following hole but again Lincicome snuffed out any hint of a comeback with her third birdie of the round at the 10th to move back restore her five hole advantage.
With pressure building, a Lincicome bogey on the short 12th offered Inkster some hope and the following two holes were halved to crank up the tension even further.
Another remarkable comeback, similar to Inkster's recovery against World No.1 Annika Sorenstam in the quarter-finals, looked a possibility as Lincicome made a hash of the par four 15th when the match was there for the taking.
Three holes in arrears heaing down the 16th, Inkster found the green safely but didn't threaten pin. In contrast Lincicome went for the pin, as she had done for much of this week, and was rewarded by landing within 15ft.
Inkster putted first, needing to hole out to keep the match and the championship alive but it sailed just past the hole. Lincicome took her time, knowing she had two putts for the title, as Inkster embraced her caddy in the knowledge that defeat was iminent.
Lincicome rolled the ball to within inches before Inkster stepped in, picked up the ball and conceded defeat.
Speaking to the media after her narrow defeat, a dejected Inkster commented, "I just didn't play very well and gave her too many holes...I got what I deserved."
The Florida-native Lincicome and Inkster set up their all-American showdown by seeing off the challenges of No.5 seed Paula Creamer and No.3 seed Ochoa respectively in the morning's semi-finals.
Veteran Inkster comprehensively saw off her Solheim Cup partner Creamer 5&4 while Lincicome needs one extra hole to edge out the resilient Ochoa.
Click here for the match reports and scorecards
Collated Results:
| First Round |
Prize Money |
| (57) Brandie Burton (US) bt (7) Yuri Fudoh (JPN) 4&3 |
US$5,000 |
| (38) Brittany Lincicome (US) bt Michele Redman (US) 20 holes |
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| (5) Paula Creamer (US) bt (59) Miriam Nagl (BRZ) 2&1 |
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| (36) Marisa Baena (COL) bt (28) Wendy Ward (US) 21 holes |
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| (8) Juli Inkster (US) bt (56) Tina Barrett (US) 2&1 |
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| (25) Catriona Matthew (SCO) bt (39) Beth Daniel (US) |
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| (6) Cristie Kerr (US) bt Young Jo (KOR) 1up |
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| (27) Sophie Gustafson (SWE) bt Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 3&2 |
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| (54) Kyeong Bae (KOR) bt (10) Ai Miyazato (JPN) 2up |
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| (41) Suzann Petterson (NOR) bt (23) Young Kim (KOR) 2&1 |
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| (12) Morgan Pressel (US) bt (53) Sarah Lee (KOR) 20 holes |
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| (21) Meena Lee (KOR) bt (43) Sherri Steinhauer (US) 2&1 |
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| (56) Marcy Hart (US) bt (9) Jeong Jang (KOR) 2up |
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| (24) Liselotte Neumann (SWE) bt (40) Karen Stupples (ENG) |
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| (53) Lindsey Wright (ENG) bt (11) Hee-Won Han (KOR) 5&4 |
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| (42) Laura Diaz (US) bt (25) Shi-Hyun Ahn (KOR) w/o |
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| (15) Se Ri Pak (KOR) bt (49) Angela Stanford (US) 5&4 |
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| (46) Lorie Kane (CAN) bt (18) Natalie Gulbis (US) 3&2 |
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| (13) Pat Hurst (US) bt (51) Reilley Rankin (US) 21 holes |
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| (44) Helen Alfredsson (SWE) bt (20) Julieta Granada (PAR) 3&2 |
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| (16) Seon-Hwa Lee (KOR) bt (48) Aree Song (KOR) 4&2 |
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| (17) Brittany Lang (US) bt (47) Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (FRA) 3&2 |
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| (14) Mi Hyun Kim (KOR) bt (50) Nicole Castrale (US) 4&2 |
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| (45) Laura Davies bt (19) Jee Young Lee (KOR) 2&1 |
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| (2) Michelle Wie (US) bt (63) Candy Hannemann (US) 5&3 |
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| (33) Christina Kim (US) bt (31) Joo Mi Kim (KOR) 2&1 |
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| (4) Karrie Webb (AUS) bt (61) Nancy Scranton (US) 4&2 |
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| (29) Gloria Hee Jung Park (KOR) bt (35) Rachel Hetherington (AUS) 1up |
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| (1) Annika Sorenstam bt (64) Virada Nirapathpongporn (THA) 3&2 |
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| (33) Heather Young (US) bt (33) Sung Ah Yim (KOR) 19 holes |
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| (3) Lorena Ochoa (MEX) bt (61) Il Mi Chung (KOR) 3&1 |
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| (34) Karine Icher (FRA) bt (30) Stacy Prammanasudh (US) 4&3 |
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| Second Round |
US$10,000 |
| (38) Brittany Lincicome (US) bt (57) Brandie Burton (US) 2&1 |
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| (5) Paula Creamer (US) bt (36) Marisa Baena (COL) 5&3 |
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| (8) Juli Inkster (US) bt (25) Catriona Matthew (SCO) 4&3 |
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| (27) Sophie Gustafson bt (6) Cristie Kerr (US) 4&2 |
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| (54) Kyeong Bae (KOR) bt (41) Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 1up |
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| (12) Morgan Pressel (US) bt (21) Meena Lee (KOR) |
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| (56) Marcy Hart (US) bt (24) Liselotte Neumann (SWE) 4&3 |
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| (42) Laura Diaz (US) bt (53) Lindsey Wright (ENG) 2 holes |
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| (15) Se Ri Pak (KOR) bt (46) Lorie Kane (CAN) 1 hole |
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| (13) Pat Hurst (US) bt (44) Helen Alfredsson (SWE) 4&2 |
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| (17) Brittany Lang (US) bt (16) Seon Hwa Lee (KOR) 3&2 |
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| (14) Mi Hyun Kim (KOR) bt (45) Laura Davies (ENG) 5&4 |
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| (2) Michelle Wie (US) bt (33) Christina Kim (US) 3&2 |
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| (4) Karrie Webb bt (29) Gloria Hee Jung Park (KOR) 5&4 |
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| (1) Annika Sorenstam (SWE) bt (32) Heather Young (US) 3&2 |
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| (3) Lorena Ochoa (3) bt (34) Karine Icher (FRA) 1 up |
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| Third Round |
US$25,000 |
| (27) Sophie Gustafson (SWE) by (43) Laura Diaz (US) 2&1 |
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| (3) Lorena Ochoa (MEX) bt (14) Mi Hyun Kim (KOR) 3&2 |
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| (39) Brittany Lincicome (US) bt (55) Kyeong Bae (KOR) 3&2 |
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| (2) Michelle Wie (US) bt (15) Se Ri Pak (KOR) 2&1 |
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| (5) Paula Creamer (US) bt (12) Morgan Pressel (US) 3&1 |
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| (4) Karrie Webb (AUS) bt (13) Pat Hurst (US) 3&2 |
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| (8) Juli Inkster (US) bt (56) Marcy Hart (US) 3&2 |
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| (1) Annika Sorenstam (SWE) bt (17) Brittany Lang (US) 6&5 |
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| Quarter-Finals |
US$50,000 |
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(3) Lorena Ochoa (MEX) bt (27) Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 3&2 |
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| (39) Brittany Lincicome (US) bt (2) Michelle Wie (US) 4&3 |
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| (5) Paula Creamer (US) bt (4) Karrie Webb (AUS) 3&2 |
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| (8) Juli Inkster (US) bt (1) Annika Sorenstam (SWE) 1 hole |
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| Semi-Finals |
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| (39) Brittany Lincicome (US) bt (3) Lorena Ochoa (MEX) 19 holes |
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| (8) Juli Inkster (US) bt (5) Paula Creamer (US) 5&4 |
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| 3rd/4th Play Off |
US$200,000/150,000 |
| (3) Lorena Ochoa (MEX) bt (5) Paula Creamer (US) 3&2 |
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| Final |
US$500 | |
