Associated Press
Associated Press
KAPOLEI, Oahu — Japan’s Ai Miyazato won the LPGA LOTTE Championship on Saturday for her eighth career LPGA Tour title, birdieing three of the last six holes for a 2-under 70 and a four-stroke victory.
Miyazato finished at 12-under 276 at wind-swept Ko Olina. She opened with rounds of 71, 65 and 70 to take a three-stroke lead in the final round.
Meena Lee, ahead early on the back nine and tied for the lead after a birdie on No. 15, had a 70 to tie for second with Azahara Munoz at 8 under. Munoz finished with a 71.
The whirlwind finish still had Miyazato a little flustered.
“I don’t know what happened,” said Miyazato, a 15-time winner on the Japan LPGA. “I just focused on my game. I was pretty nervous toward the end because I know everyone is playing so well. I had to finish really strong.”
The 26-year-old Miyazato made a 20-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 15th to break a tie with Lee. Lee, down one playing 18, then hit her approach into a bunker and three-putted from 30 feet for double bogey, ending her chances. Lee said she knew she needed to get it close on 18 to put pressure on Miyazato.
“But I was a little bit downwind,” Lee said about the shot that flew over the green and into the bunker. “I tried to go for the pin and then I end up three-putting. I tried.”
Miyazato lost the lead with a bogey on the par-3 12th after her tee shot buried in a bunker, the second straight day she carded a 4 on the hole. But Lee dropped back moments later with a three-putt bogey at 14.
After Miyazato’s birdie at 15, she saved par from 10 feet at 16, then rolled in another birdie putt from 25 feet at 17 to wrap up her first victory since the Evian Masters last year in France.
“I just keep saying to myself just to be patient and no rush,” Miyazato said. “I’ve been playing so well this year.”
TEXAS OPEN: Ben Curtis remained in position for his first PGA Tour victory since 2006 despite his first stumbles at the Texas Open, shooting a 1-over 73 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round in San Antonio.
Curtis, who climbed atop the leaderboard with two bogey-free rounds, had a 9-under 207 total on TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course.
Matt Every was second after a 73 in a bid for his first PGA Tour victory. Mayakoba winner John Huh (67), Seung-Yui Noh (68) and Charlie Wi (71) followed at 4 under.
LEGENDS OF GOLF: David Frost and Michael Allen birdied nine of the first 13 holes and combined for a 9-under 63 for a share of the second-round lead with Tom Purtzer and Brad Bryant in the Savannah, Ga.
CHINA OPEN: South Africa’s Branden Grace shot an 8-under 64 to take a three-shot lead over defending champion Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium after the third round in Tianjin.