Natalie Gulbis, LPGA’s top career earner without a win, missed her best chances, when tied atop the leaderboard at 18-under-par, with Mi Hyun Kim in the final round. The Korean won the 2006 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in a three-hole sudden death playoff.

Natalie Gulbis’ words “I’m always smiling. But it’s very upsetting,” expresses her mood on Sunday at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.

Natalie Gulbis and Kim entering the round as co-leaders, both shot six under for the regulation round and 18 under for the tournament.

But the Korean came back from two shots down with birdies on No. 16 and 17. Both golfers missed near chances in regulation and overtime.

Natalie Gulbis took the sole lead with a birdie at the fourth hole, the first of five straight birdies she nailed. Also Natalie Gulbis had a couple of three-stroke leads, but Kim stayed close with three straight birdies from No. 8-10.

In the 15th hole, Kim saved par with a long birdie where Natalie Gulbis missed a short birdie that could have sealed the win.

“It’s not like I finished last. I had a pretty good week. There’s definitely a lot of positive stuff from here. I’m going to go back home, work on my game,” Natalie Gulbis said.

Natalie Gulbis expressed her confidence, “This was a really big week for me, because I really wanted to qualify for the ADT (Championships on Nov. 16-19), and I’m on the bubble.”

Kim bagged US$180,000, said, “She had soooo many fans! I still cannot hear.”

“I understand that I’m Korean and that many Americans fans are rooting for Natalie Gulbis,” Kim said. “I was happy that a few people said my name or my nickname, or `Go Mi Hyun Kim.’”

Sunday, at Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, end of Natalie Gulbis’ 126th start, was her best chance and sixth top - 10 finish this season.

Natalie Gulbis’ career-to-date earnings of more than $2.2 million is the most ever by a tour player without a victory.

FINAL LEADERBOARD
- 18 Natalie Gulbis (US), Mi Hyun Kim (Kor) [Kim won play-off]
- 17 Paula Creamer (US)
- 16 S Pak (Kor)

Natalie Gulbis interview with Pam Warner on May 24, pre round in the LPGA Corning Classic 2006.

Question to Natalie Gulbis: [Pam Warner] Natalie, thanks for coming in and joining us back here at Corning.

Natalie Gulbis: Thank you for having me.

Q. You’ve played pretty well here in the past. You just got done with your pro am. Talk about being back at Corning and the course and everything.

Natalie Gulbis: The course is probably in the best shape that I’ve seen. It’s just perfect. The greens, the fairways. Everything is immaculate. They have done a phenomenal job getting it in good shape. And if we can keep this 70 degree weather for the next four days, the better.

Q. (No microphone.)

Natalie Gulbis: I thought I was playing pretty normal. It wasn’t really soft or fast. This course usually we’re used to playing in a lot of rain, a lot of weather, and it playing very soft. It’s just in really good shape.

Q. You’re pretty much a regular here in your young career. What is it about Corning that brings you back?

Natalie Gulbis: I really like the golf course. But I think what’s amazing about this event is, not only the history of the event, but just how many people really come out to support us. This whole city of Corning really embraces the LPGA and they have for many years and it’s hard not to want to come back to an area that just loves the LPGA. It’s a lot of fun for us?

Q. Looking ahead to the tournament just in your own mind, who do you see as a favorite?

Natalie Gulbis: I’m not sure exactly. Morgan Pressel, I saw her last night. I’m not sure of all the players that are in the field, but our Tour is getting more deep all the time. Whoever plays good for four days.

Q. This week there are a lot of big names that aren’t here, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, does that provide more of an opportunity, do you think?

Natalie Gulbis: They are very strong players, the top three or four players on our money list, but there are a lot of really good players out here. It just all depends how I play. It doesn’t matter who is in the field. I feel if I’m playing well, then I’m the best player; and if I’m struggling, then pretty much anybody can beat me.

Q. You’re having a pretty good year this year. What are you doing?

Natalie Gulbis: The last couple of years I just really tried to be more of a consistent player, just working on that and trying to tighten everything up. I’ll try that again this week, hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, give myself a lot of chances for birdie.

Q. You’re still looking for that first win. What do you think needs to happen for you to get it?

Natalie Gulbis: Consistency. For me, I’ve played well in events and had really good rounds or really good maybe 70 holes out of 72, or whatever it is, but I haven’t been able to be strong for an entire event, putting that together for four rounds, three or three and a half or three and three quarters. You have to play well when somebody else is.

Q. What part of your game, putting, iron game, driving?

Natalie Gulbis: Just inconsistencies. At least in the last couple of weeks I’ve made a lot of birdies, but I’ve also made a lot of bogeys, too, so just consistent.

Q. What would it mean to win?

Natalie Gulbis: It would be great. I try every week to win an event. I’ve always loved this golf course. I’ve played well here in years past. I look forward to playing here.

Q. (No microphone.)

Natalie Gulbis: Not so much, I don’t think. It seems like every time I’ve been in the hunt I’ve played well in that position.

Q. (No microphone.)

Natalie Gulbis: I’ve been doing that for about two years. The company is out of Chicago, and they came up to me and asked me to try it and I putted well with it and I’ve still been using it.

Q. What kind of score do you think will win?

Natalie Gulbis: We were talking about that today. I think if the weather is like it is now, probably 15, somewhere in there. You can make a lot of birdies on this golf course, especially if you’re hitting your irons well and if you’re hitting fairways. But if the ball is straying a little bit, it’s tough. Because out of the trees you can’t score, out of the rough you can’t score; the rough is good.

Pam Warner: Thank you, Natalie Gulbis.

Natalie Gulbis interview on May 20, after the third round in the Sybase Classic 2006.

Question to Natalie Gulbis: Just in general, how would you assess your round?

Natalie Gulbis: Not so good. I started off okay and then just kind of made some mistakes and three putted. Just not a very clean round. I’m still working on tightening things up for tomorrow.

Q. How would you assess it in comparison to Thursday’s round, like to contrast what you thought you did well on Thursday that wasn’t working so well for you today?

Natalie Gulbis: I putted better on Thursday than I did today.

Q. Was there a reason for that perhaps? Teeing off later in the afternoon, were the greens bumpy?

Natalie Gulbis: No, these are tough greens and I putted really well on Thursday and didn’t putt quite as well. Just golf in general.

Q. How about the fact that you were coming into today’s round, you know, a great course, a tough course, a tough field and you’re in the lead. What was your mental makeup?

Natalie Gulbis: To try to get to 6 or 7 under today. I knew the conditions would be tough. I did really well on the range and just didn’t really get anything going. Every time I made a birdie, I made a bogey. And then I would make another birdie and then I made double. It was just kind of up and down.

Q. The fact that you were in the lead and looking for a nice win here and everything, did you feel any extra pressure being in the lead or not?

Natalie Gulbis: No. In between shots, yes, I was definitely pretty relaxed. I have to be able to turn on the concentration and turn it off. We’re out here for a long time.

Q. I think it was your 8th hole, which was the 17th hole. When you went under the tree to the back of the green. That third shot, what kind of lie was it and what iron did you use?

Natalie Gulbis: That chip?

Q. Yes. You saved par with a great chip.

Natalie Gulbis: Just a 7 iron bump and run. I hit a drive there, but I underestimated the wind. I should have played it out a lot more right.

Q. The wind drew it underneath the tree?

Natalie Gulbis: No, I hit it straight, but it was more into the wind.

Q. What’s the mindset tomorrow?

Natalie Gulbis: Go out and play aggressive. I’ll see my instructor on the range and have him clean up a few things and go out and have fun.

Q. What happened on 6?

Natalie Gulbis: On 6, I pushed it right into the back edge of the bunker and didn’t have a really easy bunker shot to a tight pin and then I left it in the rough. Then I hit my chip up and it went down on the other tier and I 2 putted.