Jennifer Rosales shot a 7-under-par 65 for her first LPGA Tour victory on Sunday, overcoming Annika Sorenstam, Grace Park and other more acclaimed players to win the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship.
Rosales began the day four strokes behind 18-year-old Aree Song, who was trying to become the youngest winner in the history of the women's tour.
Song fell apart in the final-day spotlight, soaring to a 78 that put her nine strokes behind Rosales.
The 25-year-old from the Philippines, playing four threesomes ahead of the final group, saved par at the par-5 final hole despite knocking her second shot into the temporary clubs seats lining the left side of the green.
She signed for a 14-under 274, then watched nervously as several golfers tried to force a playoff at Eagle's Landing Country Club in suburban Atlanta. All failed.
Rosie Jones, who lives in Atlanta, needed a chip-in from the back fringe to pull even with the leader. The ball curled about two inches wide of the pin, leaving the 13-time LPGA Tour winner one stroke behind.
Becky Morgan of Wales had an easier chance for a tying birdie on 18, sticking her third shot just 6 feet from the cup. But she pulled the putt, also finishing at 275 and missing a chance to go for her first tour victory.
Park, who won the first major of the year at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, birdied 18 to wind up in a four-way tie for second.
Jung Yeon Lee of South Korea was the other runner-up, her closing-round 65 barely noticed since she finished more than hour before the last group came in.
Sorenstam couldn't make any putts and settled for a 71, failing to win for only the second time in five tournaments this year. She wound up four shots behind Rosales.
Sorenstam's frustration boiled over when she lipped out a short eagle putt at 13 to end any hopes of making a charge. She flipped her putter in the air and caught it on the way down.
Mi Hyun Kim got her score to 14 under with a birdie at No. 11, but bogeys at 15 and 17 ended the Korean's hopes. She wound alone in sixth with a 276.
Song, who celebrated her 18th birthday on Saturday, came into the final round with a one-stroke lead. While the Thai teenager has contended at major championships, this was her first time going into Sunday with a lead.
It showed. After extending her streak without a bogey to 44 holes, Song fell apart on the back nine. She took double-bogeys at 13 and 17, shooting 41 after the turn.
Volkswagen Masters China
Indian rookie Rahil Gangjee won his first Asian Tour title on Sunday after holding his nerve to win the inaugural Volkswagen Masters China in a sudden-death play-off.
The 25-year-old showed the poise of a veteran at Pine Valley Golf Club to emerge victorious after a pulsating final round which saw at least seven players in with a chance of winning the US$300,000 event.
Gangjee and South Korea's Mo Joong-kyung finished tied on 15-under-par 273 after rounds of 68 and 66 respectively. The unheralded Indian triumphed in the first play-off hole with a par on the 18th hole after Mo found trouble in the greenside trap.
Mo sent his approach shot in the play-off into the greenside bunker and failed to find the putting green with his third shot. After Mo's chip for par slipped by the hole, Gangjee safely two-putted from 15 feet to finish ahead of joint third-place finishers Phillip Price of Wales, Korea's Kang Wook-soon and Aussie duo Richard Moir and Adam Groom.
RSS