South Korea’s Mi Hyang Lee overcame a pair of double bogeys on the entrance 9 and recorded a birdie on the ultimate gap to grab a one-stroke win on the Blue Bay LPGA on Sunday at Hainan Island, China.
Lee, 32, received her third LPGA title and first since capturing the 2017 Girls’s Scottish Open after firing a 1-over-par 73 on Sunday to complete with an 11-under 277 on the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course.
She completed one stroke higher than China’s Weiwei Zhang (69 on Sunday), who failed to carry the lead after a bogey on the seventeenth gap.
“Nonetheless sort of somewhat bit shake my arms,” Lee stated of her nerves. “First gap make birdie, however like two double entrance 9 after which end 4-over so was nearly quit, however my caddie simply saved telling me hold combating, combating. I actually fought on my own, simply did not quit, after which I simply received to make plenty of birdies, so I feel superb. Feels superb, sure.”
Lee grew to become solely the second South Korean to win the Blue Bay LPGA, becoming a member of 2015 champion Sei Younger Kim
Auston Kim (71) made three birdies over the ultimate 5 holes to reside in a third-place tie with Aditi Ashok (72) of India.
“I am pleased with the three birdies that I made coming in, however it actually (stinks) to play that nicely Thursday (67), Friday (68), and never get it completed. Actually irritating,” Kim stated. “I hope transferring ahead I will not make the identical errors that I did this week and play higher.”
Lee noticed her three-stroke lead evaporate following double bogeys on the fifth and ninth holes earlier than making birdies on the tenth and thirteenth holes.
She took benefit of Zhang’s misstep on the seventeenth gap by hitting the pin on her third shot on the par-5 18th gap. She tapped in from 2 toes out to win the event.
“I simply hold watching the scoreboard. I feel that is why this — that give me plenty of confidence,” Lee stated. “I simply hold making yet another birdie, two extra birdie, and so it was — yeah, simply hold watching it, the scoreboard. I knew Weiwei and Rio (Takeda of Japan) play nicely, too.”
Takeda (73), the defending champion, tied for fifth with South Koreans Hye-Jin Choi (74) and A Lim Kim (73) and China’s Yu Liu (74).
–Discipline Stage Media
