American Brittany Lincicome birdied the 18th hole on Sunday to complete a bogey-free weekend and take a one-stroke victory at the LPGA ShopRite Classic.
Lincicome escaped dense grass and sank a four-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18th to finish a five-under-par 66 final round and take the top prize with a 54-hole total of 11-under 202.
South Korean Shin Ji-yai and American Cristie Kerr shared second on 203, one stroke atop Scotland’s Catriona Matthew with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and South Korean I.K. Kim on 205 and world No. 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan seventh on 206.
Taiwan’s Amy Hung carded a 72 to finish tied for 42nd place on two-over 215, while compatriot Candie Kung was tied for 52nd place after a final-round 71 saw her finish on 217.
Lincicome, who captured her fourth LPGA crown, had not won since taking a major crown at the 2009 Kraft Nabisco.
Shin and Lincicome reached the par-five 18th hole tied for the lead at 10-under-par, one stroke ahead of Kerr.
Shin chipped 15 feet past the hole and left her birdie putt just on the right edge of the cup, leaving the door open for the Americans.
Lincicome’s approach from 230 yards bounded over the green and into deep grass behind the putting surface, a lie that prompted a grimace from Lincicome when she walked up to her ball.
Lincicome responded by blasting out of the dense fescue to four feet from the cup and rolled in a straight birdie putt to seize the lead, forcing Kerr to make eagle to force a playoff.
Kerr was four feet off the fringe in the front of the green with her approach and left her putt for eagle six feet short to hand Lincicome the victory. Kerr sank her birdie putt to share second with Shin.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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