LPGA Tour: Founders Cup – Anna Nordqvist

Nordqvist left a star-studded leaderboard behind her as she picked up her seventh win on Tour. The Swede led by two overnight and put together a closing 68 to beat In Gee Chun, Ariya Jutanugarn and Stacy Lewis by two.

Inbee Park was part of a tie for fifth while Lydia Ko, who finished with six birdies on Saturday, had an incredible bogey-free week to finish on 20 under and only finish 8th!

But Nordqvist, who was round in 61 on Saturday, got to 25 under for the tournament and could afford to drop one at the last.

The Swede went to nearby Arizona State and saw this as a bit of a home game with so many friends supporting her this week.

What Nordqvist said: “Of all the wins probably that’s going to be more special. Like if it wouldn’t be for me getting an opportunity to come to Arizona State University about 10 years ago, I wouldn’t be here. This truly still feels like home, even though I’m based in Florida.

“I have so many friends and family here. They feel like family, my US family. You know, couldn’t think of a better place to be. I’m just so happy to be back. I wasn’t even going to play a couple weeks and just ended up adding it last minute. Maybe it was meant to be.”

LET: World Ladies Championship – Hae Rym Kim

The overnight leader beat her fellow South Korean Seon Woo Bae at the second play-off hole in this tri-sanctioned event.

Kim holed a four-foor birdie putt at Mission Hills’ 18th, something she had done in regulation play, to follow in some illustrious footsteps – Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu and Jung Min Lee were the last three winners here.

At the first time of asking she drove into some rocks and had to take an unplayable before saving her par. Bae then missed from eight feet for the win, on the second visit she again missed from in side that range and Kim took advantage.

Of the top 12 on the leaderboard only England’s Georgia Hall wasn’t Korean and Hall earned some handy Solheim Cup points with a share of third, three behind the leaders.

The next tournament on the LET will be the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco on April 13-16.

Hae Rym KimWhat Kim said: “I watched Bae’s game and her micro-expressions and knew what she was thinking deep in her mind. That’s the key. I knew her and I could adjust my strategy according to her expressions.”

What Hall said: “I played well and my long game was really good. My putting wasn’t quite there and I couldn’t see the lines as well as the last two days and my pace was a bit off. I left quite a lot short actually, but my long game all week has been amazing, and my putting has as well, apart from today. I had 33 putts and shot three under, so if I had reached the hole with more of my putts then I might have been in a play-off, but I didn’t, so I’m joint third.”

 

 

 

 

Mark Townsend

Been watching and playing golf since the early 80s and generally still stuck in this period. Huge fan of all things Robert Rock, less so white belts. Handicap of 8, fragile mind and short game

Handicap: 8

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