Choi Na-yeon of South Korea surrendered a seven-shot lead but steadied to post a one-under 71 that gave her a one-shot victory in the LPGA Samsung World Championship on Sunday.
Choi claimed her first LPGA Tour title with a 16-under total of 272, but it came down to the very last hole.
“I can’t believe that I won,” said Choi, a four-time winner on the Korean tour. “Throughout the second half I thought I was going to lose it again.”
Japan’s Ai Miyazato carded a 69, lowest round of the day, to finish second on 273. South Korea’s Shin Jiyai was third on 277.
Choi started the round with a two-shot lead. Two birdies in her first four holes were followed by an eagle at six — where she sank a 10-footer — as she stretched her lead to seven strokes.
But she hit a quagmire with three bogeys in a row from the ninth, and she lost the lead at the 14th with a three-putt bogey.
Meanwhile, Miyazato was gaining with a steady round that included back to back birdies at seven and eight.
Choi, who has been working with a sports psychologist, said she drew on what she’d learned after losing the lead with her bogey at 14.
“Mentally I felt I was very weak,” Choi said. “I kept telling myself to be positive. I wanted to be positive about everything.”
Miyazato came to the 18th with the lead, but found the water with her second shot.
After taking a drop, Miyazato landed her fourth within 20 feet but couldn’t make it to save par.
Choi, now sharing the lead, left an eagle attempt at the final hole five feet short, but made the pressure putt for birdie and the victory.
“I felt like I had just turned professional today,” Choi said of her nerves as she faced her putt to win. “I was so nervous.”
“It was easy, now I look back at it,” Choi said. “But it was really difficult when I was doing it.”
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng finished joint-eighth on 286 along with Suzann Pettersen of Norway.
RSS