12:00a.m. 30th September 2008

| By Nathan Woulfe

Weddings are expensive.

What with flowers, a celebrant, strippers for the bucks and hens nights, a venue, catering and the like.

But Caloundra touring pro Sarah-Jane Kenyon can erase $42,000-odd of her pending wedding bill, after turning in her career-best LPGA performance at the Navistar Classic in Alabama.

Kenyon, pictured right, finished in a five-way tie for sixth place, eclipsing her previous best result on the top-tier tour – a 16th placing at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic earlier this month. The 24-year-old – set to wed long-time partner (and caddy) Duane Smith in January – shot a final-round three-under 69, to end the tournament just two strokes off the pace.

Lorena Ochoa won the event in a three-way playoff, from Kristie Kerr and Candie Kung.

After shooting five birdies on her way to a five-under 67 in the third round, Kenyon picked up right where she left off, birdying three of the front nine in the final round.

She played to par on the back nine, closing out the three-under round to collect the biggest payday of her career, in doing so almost doubling her LPGA career earnings.

The win was Ochoa’s seventh victory of the season and her first since May.

After Kerr was eliminated with a bogey at the first extra hole, Ochoa triumphed at the second with her second par of the playoff.

“I think especially this one is going to be a good one for me,” Ochoa said.

“I had a slow summer, and I’m just trying to come back and come strong and it’s an important win for my career.”

As well as ending her dry spell, Ochoa was pleased to improve on the 1-5 playoff record she had coming into the tournament.

“If you look at the leaderboard, a lot of players were up there one and two shots behind,” said Ochoa, who goes into next week’s Samsung championship as defending champion.

“I’m happy that I won the playoff because I need to improve in my playoff results.

“I’m glad I did it this week and hopefully got in a good rhythm to keep it going and finish strong,”

Sunrise Beach pro Katherine Hull shot a mixed final round – six birdies and three bogeys – en route to a 69 of her own.

Hull finished tied for 11th place, after sitting as high as second place in the run home.

Bogeys on two of the final five holes dropped her back to finish one stroke outside the top 10.

The result was Hull’s worst in her last four starts, having won the Canadian Open in August, and finishing fourth at her last two starts.