China’s Miranda Wang has overcome a surge from world No.1 Jeeno Thitikul to claim her first LPGA Tour title with a one-stroke victory at the FM Championship.
Tour rookie Wang lost the lead to Thitikul and then delivered the clutch shots over the final three holes as she posted a two-under 70 to reach 20 under and edge out the Thai star who shot 67.
Wang became the seventh LPGA rookie to win this year, extending a remarkable streak of no multiple winners through the tour’s first 23 tournaments of the year.
“It’s a dream come true,” Wang said. “Winning LPGA has been my dream since actually since Day 1 of my golf, because I started playing golf because when I was eight years old I was watching LPGA tournament on TV. I was like ‘Oh, that’s I want to do and I want to be on this tour. I want to win out there.’ So I finally did this. Very proud of myself.”
Minjee Lee finished as the leading Australian, closing with a 70 to be tied 20th but 10 shots behind Wang, with Hannah Green (74) tied 28th, Cassie Porter (70) tied 32nd and Gabriela Ruffels (71) tied 45th.
Thitikul, who took over the No.1 ranking from Nelly Korda three weeks ago, was poised to ruin Wang’s hopes when she hit wedge to two feet at No. 9 for her fifth birdie to go out in 31 on the TPC Boston and tie for the lead.
Wang showed some nerves when she jabbed at a 3-foot birdie putt she missed on the par-5 12th. Then she came up well short from the fairway on No. 15 into a bunker, didn’t reach the green and took bogey to fall out of the lead.
But she showed plenty of moxie the way she finished, and Thitikul gave her plenty of help.
Thitikul was in the collar of rough, the ball above her feet, after an aggressive drive on the 17th. She pulled her shot left of a bunker, chipped through the green and had to get up-and-down from the other side for bogey.
“I don’t think I do anything wrong. Just technique-wise just some mistakes,” Thitikul said.
Wang missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, but then hit her approach on the 17th to 6 feet behind the hole and caught enough of the cup to make birdie and regain the lead.
On the par-5 closing hole, Thitikul laid up short of a ditch and her wedge landed 5 feet short of the pin and then rolled back some 20 feet. She made par.
Wang laid up and hit wedge to 25 feet, two-putting for par to finish at 20-under 268.
Sei Young Kim (70) finished third, three shots behind. Andrea Lee also shot 70 and finished another shot back. Rose Zhang had to settle for a 72 to tie for fifth with Jin Hee Im, who had a bogey-free 62.
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au