Choi Na-yeon made a 2 1/2-foot birdie putt at the second playoff hole on Sunday to see off fellow South Koreans Kim In-kyung and Kim Song-hee and American Christina Kim in the LPGA Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
“As I was walking toward the green today, I was thinking about how I had won the last two tournaments and I said to myself: ‘Maybe I can do it again,’” said Choi, who birdied her final hole to claim both of her prior two LPGA Tour titles.
Choi carded a final-round 71, and it took a 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to continue her day after she had squandered what had been a lead of as many as five strokes.
“It was tough out there. I was nervous at times,” Choi said. “But I tried to focus on my game. Now I’m really happy, and proud that I controlled my emotions today.”
Choi had led after each of the first three rounds. She was up by two through nine holes on Sunday, but gave up that lead with back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15.
Kim In-kyung had four birdies in the last seven holes as she posted a 14-under total of 270 that saw her slip past Choi.
Kim Song-hee, who had a final-round 66, birdied the 17th to join Kim In-kyung on 270, while Christina Kim, who was five back of Choi after a double bogey at 10, birdied the next three holes and added another one at 17 to join the growing group at 14-under.
Playing in the same pairing with Choi, Christina Kim watched Choi nail her long birdie putt at the 72nd to get to 270 and then had a 12-footer for the win.
“I knew that if I wanted to win I had to at least give it a go to make it to the hole,” the American said. “So I said: ‘Screw it. I hit it and it’s either going to go in or not.’”
It missed right, and the four players headed to a playoff, in which the par-five 18th and par-five 17th were the designated playoff holes.
All reached the green of the first playoff hole in regulation, but all four missed birdie putts of 10 feet to 18 feet.
After the other three missed their birdie attempts, Kim Song-hee failed to make a 10-footer.
The quartet went back to 17. Kim Song-hee flew her third shot over the green and into a bad lie in the back bunker. She barely got her fourth shot out, ending her chances.
Christina Kim had a 20-footer for birdie, Kim In-kyung a 12-footer and Choi’s wedge nestled close.
After the first two missed their birdie attempts, Choi sank hers.
Taiwan’s Amy Hung finished 10 strokes behind the leaders, along with Briton Karen Stupples and South Korea’s Yoo Sun-young. Compatriot Candie Kung was in a group of seven players a further shot back.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
AT&T NATIONAL
REUTERS, NEWTOWN SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA
Justin Rose banished the demons of his final-round freeze at Hartford last week by grinding out a tense one-stroke victory at the AT&T National on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Briton, who blew a three-stroke lead to crash out of the Travelers Championship, all but squandered a five-stroke lead on the back nine, but steadied to see off a late charge from American Ryan Moore at the Aronimink course.
Rose’s 10-under total of 270 earned the Englishman his second title in three starts after he won the Memorial last month.
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