Meunier-Labouc Wins First LPGA Title

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ France's Patricia Meunier-Labouc won her first LPGA Tour title Sunday, shooting a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory in the State Farm Classic. <br><br>Meunier-Labouc, playing

Sunday, September 1st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ France's Patricia Meunier-Labouc won her first LPGA Tour title Sunday, shooting a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory in the State Farm Classic.

Meunier-Labouc, playing her second season on the LPGA Tour after winning five times on the Ladies European Tour, had an 18-under 270 total on the Rail Golf Course.

South Korean stars Se Ri Pak and Mi Hyun Kim tied for second. Pak shot a 65, and Kim, the 1999 tournament winner, had a 69.

Emilee Klein played her way onto the U.S. Solheim Cup team, closing with a 69 to tie for fourth at 15 under with rookie Beth Bauer (67) and England's Laura Davies (67).

Klein, who began the week 13th in the race for the 10 automatic spots, jumped to 10th, with the top 11 earning shots because No. 5 Dottie Pepper is sidelined by a shoulder injury. Patty Sheehan completed the squad by adding Kelly Robbins, who dropped to 12th when Klein moved up, and Pat Hurst as captain's picks.

Juli Inkster, Laura Diaz, Rosie Jones, Michele Redman, Cristie Kerr, Meg Mallon, Beth Daniel, Wendy Ward and Kelli Kuehne also earned automatic spots on the U.S. team for the Sept. 20-22 matches against Europe at Interlachen in Edina, Minn.

Coming back from a mid-winter back injury, Meunier-LeBouc earned $165,000 and became the 11th first-time winner in the event.

Kim, seeking her third win of 2002, had four birdies on the front nine to take a one-stroke lead, but Meunier-LeBouc pulled even with a 25-foot birdie putt from the back fringe on No. 13.

Meunier-LeBouc pulled ahead when Kim bogeyed the 414-yard 14th after hitting her approach shot from the rough over the green.

Both players birdied the par-5 15th, and Meunier-LeBouc closed with three straight pars, while Kim bogeyed the 18th to fall two strokes back.

Bauer had a brief share of the lead after a birdie on No. 15, but followed with a double bogey on the 163-yard 16th after hitting into the water hazard right of the pin.

Kim kept herself in contention on No. 16 with an explosion shot from beneath the lip of a bunker that wound up a foot from the pin. She also saved par from a bunker on No. 17, but couldn't do it again on the final hole after her 6-iron approach finished in a greenside bunker.

Kim won the $100,000 top prize in the 10-event State Farm Series. Pak finished second in the competition.