Soaring to new LPGA heights

• By Randall Mell
• Sep 22, 2009 5:39 PM ET

Kristy McPherson didn’t sign up to jump off a cliff, but she was the first one over the edge at Torrey Pines last weekend.

She can thank her pal Brittany Lincicome for that.

When Lincicome signed up to paraglide after the third round of the Samsung World Championship on Saturday, she signed up McPherson, Angela Stanford and a number of other LPGA pros to go.

“Brittany just told everyone they were going with her,” McPherson said.

McPherson is frightened of heights, but she went anyway. In fact, she was the first one buckled up and ready to go. An expert paraglider pilot was fastened behind each player as a guide.

“He told me to just keep running until I ran off the cliff,” McPherson said. “You’re thinking all kinds of things, like `What if the wind dies down when I jump?’ It was an unbelievable feeling.”

It was a fitting flight to new heights for McPherson. The third-year pro of Golf Channel Big Break fame, McPherson has reached new heights on tour this season. Making the American Solheim Cup team and the elite 20-player Samsung field represents a step up to an elite level.

“Unfortunately, I’m still short one of my goals, to win, but it’s definitely been a big improvement this year,” McPherson said. “I consider it a successful year.”