Yang falls short down stretch

She played well in the final round, just not good enough to win.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- As the weather caused another delay in the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic, Young-A Yang felt comfort in the drama unfolding.
She had just birdied the 13th hole in the final round Sunday at Squaw Creek Country Club when thunder, lightning and rain stopped play for about three hours.
"I was relaxed," said Yang, a 25-year-old South Korean who shared the second-round lead with Michelle Estill. "I was in the locker room watching the British Open and the BC Open."
Birdie burst
When Yang returned to the course, she didn't let up, capping back-to-back birdies at No. 14 that put her alone atop the leaderboard.
"I birdied when I came back from the rain delay, and I felt pretty good after that," Yang said.
But on this day, Moira Dunn simply had too much steam, using three late birdies to separate from Yang and win the Mahoning Valley's 15th LPGA tournament.
"I'm very pleased with the way I played -- 4-under for the day is not a bad score," said Yang, whose 68 left her in second place at 10-under-par 206 and with a $92,000 check.
"Before I started today, I thought if I could get in double digits, I'd be pretty happy, and that's exactly what I did," she added. "I just needed to play better than I did."
A second-year professional who resides in Knoxville, Tenn., Yang recorded her best finish on tour. She finished in a tie for sixth place at the 2003 McDonald's LPGA Championship.
"It's the best finish I've had so it helps with my confidence," she said. "The last couple of times, I felt like I was close. It was just one shot here or there that got me in trouble."
For the most part, Yang avoided those holes at Squaw Creek. She made one bogey in the final round, and she put herself in contention with solid iron play that allowed her to hit 92 1/2 percent of greens for the tournament.
"I hit the ball really well," she said. "I hit a lot of shots on the greens, and I gave myself more opportunities for birdies."
Sunday, those opportunities were farther out than she would have liked, and her putts didn't fall. That gave Dunn the opening she needed to pull away.
"I didn't think about what I had to do [in relation] to her," Yang said of Dunn. "I was congratulating her on her birdies, and I was just trying to focus on my game."
Too little, too late
Yang was aware of where she stood on the leaderboard, only because she was playing with Dunn. It wasn't until the 18th hole that she officially saw the players' names listed, but by that time Dunn was putting the finishing touches on a winning round.
"It's not discouraging," Yang said of her finish. "I have the British Open in two weeks, and it's something more to look forward to. I feel like I'm hitting it better and my game's coming around."
richesson@vindy.com