Golf highlights: Ailing Creamer aims for LPGA money title

The Associated Press • Published November 22, 2008

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — – WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Paula Creamer has played well enough this week to have a chance of winning the LPGA Tour's money title.

That is, if she can get out of the hospital this morning.

Hours after becoming one of eight qualifiers for the final round of the ADT Championship and its $1 million first-place prize Saturday, Creamer — who has been sick since Wednesday night — was admitted to Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach because of severe abdominal distress.

She will stay there overnight, and "a decision as to whether or not she plays (today's) round will be made early (this) morning," said Jay Burton, the senior vice president of IMG, which represents Creamer.

Creamer said after her round Saturday that she was planning to play, but wanted to go have a CT scan to rule out appendicitis, something many of her symptoms pointed to, according to the medical staff who evaluated her at the Trump International course.

"If I was going to withdraw, it would have been earlier," Creamer said.

Provided she can play, Creamer will have a chance to be the first American to win the LPGA's season money crown in 15 years. All eight players will start tied at par when they embark on an 18-hole shootout for the $1 million winner's prize, and if Creamer cannot play, it'll be a seven-woman field.

"Money title or not, I want to win this event," Creamer said.

She began experiencing sharp stomach pains Wednesday night and they haven't subsided much since. Creamer cut her usual 90-minute warmup to a half-hour to conserve energy, hasn't been able to eat solid food for three days and nibbled on dry toast and bagels during her round Saturday.

At times during the third round, Creamer would hit a shot, then double over in pain.

"The best position for me is hunched over," Creamer said. "I'm not a big complainer, but one more day — that's what I keep telling myself."

If Creamer wins the season-ending event, not only will she nudge Lorena Ochoa by $41,457 for the title, she'll become the first U.S.-born money champion since Betsy King in 1993.

Ochoa earned $8,000 this week but didn't qualify for the weekend rounds. A victory would push Creamer just over $2.8 million for 2008; King won $595,992 when she took the cash crown.

Suzann Pettersen put together the best round Saturday with a 4-under 68. Angela Stanford shot a 69 to earn her spot in today's dash for the cash, which was displayed in a clear plastic box, with 10,000 bills — all $100s — neatly bundled. Creamer and Seon Hwa Lee shot 70s, and Ji-Yai Shin and Jeong Jang were another shot back.

A three-way playoff decided the final two spots: Karrie Webb and Eun-Hee Jee advanced when Sun Young Yoo three-putted the par-3 17th.

• 30-FOOT PUTT PUTS ARMOUR UP BY 5: Defending champion Tommy Armour III birdied the final two holes, holing a 30-footer on the 18th, to take a five-stroke lead over Rich Beem at the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational in Pebble Beach, Calif.

The 49-year-old Armour shot a 7-under 65 on his way to a 14-under 202 total. Beem shot a 68.

The 37th annual tournament features players from the four major tours as well as mini tour players, club pros and amateurs.