Taiwanese golfer Phoebe Yao yesterday outplayed Mamiko Higa of Japan in a playoff to win the AXA Ladies’ Golf tournament in Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture, her second career title on the JLPGA tour.
Yao needed a birdie on the final hole to finish the three-round ￥80 million (US$764,000) event at 12-under par and force a playoff with Higa.
She then scored another birdie on the third hole in the playoff, beating Higa’s par to clinch the title and take home the ￥14.4 million top prize.
Yao started the final round tied for 10th, four shots behind second round leader Momoko Miura and two behind Higa, but Miura yesterday fired a three-over 75 while Yao shot a six-under 66, tied for the best round of the day.
There was little to suggest Yao would do well in Miyazaki this week.
She missed the cut in her first two tournaments on the Japanese tour this year and finished tied for 34th at the T-Point Ladies’ Golf Tournament last week.
Yao last year finished 34th on the JLPGA money list with winnings of 35.2 million yen and had six top 10 finishes.
Her only other title on the JLPGA tour came at the Fuji Sankei Ladies’ Classic in 2014.
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