Taiwanese golfer Teresa Lu scored a five-under 67 in the final round of the Japan Women’s Open Golf Championship yesterday, winning her third JLPGA title.
The 26-year-old finished with an eight-under 280 in the four-round Japan Tour tournament at the Biwako Country Club’s Ritto Mikami Course from Oct. 2 to Oct. 5, with prize money of ¥28 million (US$254,800).
Lu grabbed six birdies in the front 11 holes yesterday, lifting her above the second-ranked Lee Na-ri of South Korea with a seven-under 281 to win the game.
Her compatriot Wei Yun-jye tied for sixth with a three-under 285.
Organized by the Ladies Professional Golf Association of Japan (JLPGA), the tournament is one of the two richest tournaments on the LPGA circuit of the Japan Tour, with a prize fund of ¥140 million.
REIGNWOOD CLASSIC
AP, BEIJING
South Korea’s Mirim Lee won the second title of her rookie LPGA Tour season, shooting a five-under 69 in the final round yesterday to capture the Reignwood Classic by two strokes.
Starting the day tied for third, Lee birdied three holes on the front nine and added two more on No. 16 and 18 to offset one bogey. She finished at 15-under 277.
Lee’s first LPGA victory came just two months ago at the Meijer LPGA Classic, where she beat her third-ranked countrywoman Inbee Park in a playoff.
“I really didn’t think I would get my second win this quickly,” Lee said. “I was a lot more nervous this time than first time around.”
Top-ranked Stacy Lewis and Caroline Hedwall, the co-overnight leaders, both fell short on a windy final day at Pine Valley Golf Club.
Hedwall, who was aiming for her first LPGA title, shot a 73 to finish second at 13 under.
“It was tougher out there today,” the Swede said. “I think most girls out there were struggling a little bit with the wind, because it’s a tough golf course in the wind.”
Meanwhile, Lewis started off her round with a birdie, but bogeyed No. 7 and added three more bogeys on the back nine to slip out of contention. She shot a 75 for equal sixth at 11 under.
Lee said she learned a lot playing in the final group with Lewis, who was aiming for her fourth title of the year.
“Usually when I play my rounds, I don’t watch the other players,” she said.
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Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
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