LPGA Corning Classic breakdown
By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
Sunday, May 28

Details
When Thursday-Sunday
Course Corning Country Club, Corning, N.Y.
Par/Yardage Par 72; 6,062 yards
Purse $800,000 (Winner: $120,000)
1999 champion Kelli Kuehne
Tournament record 20-under 268 (Tammie Green, 1998)
Television Daily: 2-5 p.m. ET (TGC)

The tournament
  Hole by hole
  Hole Par Yards
  1 4 402
  2 4 446
  3 3 191
  4 4 355
  5 5 449
  6 4 307
  7 3 152
  8 4 345
  9 4 364
  Out 36 3011
  10 4 364
  11 3 158
  12 5 465
  13 4 412
  14 5 510
  15 3 125
  16 4 304
  17 4 336
  18 4 377
  In 36 3051
  Total 72 6062
Kelli Kuehne picked up the first win of her professional career at last year's Corning Classic. She hopes a return to Corning helps bring back her game.

Kuehne, who posted seven top-10 finishes last season, has yet to hit a groove in 2000. In nine starts this season, her best finish has been a tie for 11th, achieved at both the Standard Register Ping in March and in her last start two weeks ago at the Electrolux USA Championship.

In 31 rounds this year on the LPGA Tour, Kuehne has shot a combined 6-over and played just 13 rounds under par. That's not the game she had last year at Corning.

Kuehne shot 69s on Thursday and Friday and 70s on the weekend to finish at 10-under 278, one stroke better than Rosie Jones and three shots up on four other golfers. Her play denied Jones a third Corning title in four years.

But it wasn't easy. Kuehne had a six-shot lead with four holes to play. She had bunker trouble on No. 15 and made double-bogey, then three-putted for bogey on No. 16 while Jones was making birdie.

After both made par on No. 17, Kuehne put her tee shot in the trees on the 18th. She pitched out, hit a 9-iron to the green and two-putted for the one-stroke victory.

With the win, Kuehne joined Kelly Robbins, Alison Nicholas and Penny Pulz as players making Corning their first LPGA Tour victory.

Kuehne is one of the few big names on the LPGA Tour at this year's event. Only two players in the top 10 on the money list are entered -- No. 6 Pat Hurst and No. 7 Sherri Steinhauer. And just five in the top 20 are in the field.

Karrie Webb, Annika Sorenstam, Juli Inkster, Laura Davies and Dottie Pepper are among those skipping the event. Jones is back, however, as is 1998 winner Tammie Green.
ALSO SEE
King rules in Corning Classic playoff

Kuehne shrugs off ugly start, takes Corning lead

Aching Kim hangs on to Corning lead

Quick start carries Kim to Corning lead

LPGA Corning Classic field

Corning Classic past champions

1999 Corning Classic results

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