Jang Ha-na yesterday sank a short eagle putt on the last and immediately broke into a Beyonce-inspired shimmy to celebrate her second win of the season with a brilliant four-shot triumph at the HSBC Women’s Champions.
The South Korean started the day one ahead of the pack, but stormed clear on the back nine to close with a seven-under-par 65 for a 19-under total, capped by the gutsy eagle on the par-five last when she took on the lake with a fairway wood to attack the pin.
“I felt very comfortable today, but am really, really happy this year, because I have two wins right now,” Jang, who is to rise to No. 5 in the world rankings, told reporters. “Closing with that eagle was amazing in my mind, very lovely.”
Photo: EPA
The effervescent Jang was tracked all the way by playing partner Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand, who scrambled brilliantly to stay in touch and closed with a bogey-free 68, but was thwarted once more in her latest attempt to win on tour.
Pornanong has three second-place finishes in as many years and would have secured victory had it not been for the brilliance of Jang, the Thai finishing four clear of South Korea’s Amy Yang in third.
Kaohsiung-born Candie Kung of the US was in a group of five tied for fourth a further shot back after carding a three-under 69 in the final round.
Jang started the year by becoming the first player on the LPGA Tour to score a hole-in-one on a par-four in the Bahamas and has backed that up with a victory in Florida last month and another in Singapore to continue her rich vein of form.
That maiden triumph was celebrated with her self-styled “Samurai-lasso” dance, and after inventing a new way to enjoy her victory yesterday, the 23-year-old could soon be running out of ideas to mark each victory as her stock rises on the LPGA Tour.
“This week, I’ve been listening to Beyonce’s music. So I’m watching the concert at the Super Bowl and it looks really nice,” she added. “So I tried to be like Beyonce, the single lady. I’m single right now too, so I try the single lady.”
World No. 1 Lydia Ko, who was eight adrift at the start of the day, sizzled on the front nine and moved to within four of the lead on the 12th hole, but an error-strewn finish left her 12 shots off the pace in a tie for 15th at seven-under.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng finished play with a two-over 74 for 12-over-par to take second-last place.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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