Park storms to HSBC Women's World Championship victory
HSBC Women’s World Championship report: What happened at the Sentosa Golf Club?
Sung Hyun Park birdied five of the first seven holes as she posted a blistering final day 64 to claim her sixth LPGA Tour crown at the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
The world number two trailed rankings topper Ariya Jutanugarn by four shots at the start of the day but got off to a lightning start in windy conditions at the Tanjong course at Sentosa, in Singapore.
Park birdied the first three holes and added birdies at the sixth and seventh before bogeying the eighth.
Sung Hyun Park makes ANOTHER birdie on No. 7 to take a share of the lead with Minjee Lee at 12-under.
Watch live @GolfChannel#HWWCGolf pic.twitter.com/8wh1IcKCqi
— LPGA (@LPGA) March 3, 2019
That did not derail her progress as she birdied 10 and then picked up further shots at 13, 14 and 16 to secure the $225,000 first prize.
What was all the more impressive was that she had largely struggled on the back nine during the first three days of the championship – carding a three-over score through the first 54 holes.
Minjee Lee was her closest challenger and led through the turn after birdies at the first, fifth and eighth.
The key hole was the par 4 14th, which Lee bogeyed. Park took full advantage to decisively grab the lead and hold on for a two shot success.
“I’m really happy with my play today,” she said. “I am really happy because I used to have rough starts to my year, and I think that I will now feel really comfortable for the rest of the season.”
Jutanugarn, who had surged to the head of affairs after a third round 66 and started with a one shot lead, saw her challenge blunted by a double bogey at the short fourth.
She fought her way back into contention and was two behind after a birdie at the 12th.
But she doubled the par 5 13th and then bogeyed the next to slide to a 75 and a share of tied-eighth.
England’s Jodie Ewart Shadoff, who started the final round two off the pace, dropped a shot at the first and doubled the 10th as her challenge faltered. She finished tied with Jutanugarn.
Georgia Hall’s 73 saw her tied for 34th, while Charley Hull’s closing 79 dropped her into a tie for 47th.
Sung Hyun Park finished atop the leaderboard with her sizzling 8-under 64 in the final round of the HSBC Women's World Championship.
Full final leaderboard: https://t.co/zG49NllETk#NECLPGAStats @NEC pic.twitter.com/FPDXnObz12
— LPGA (@LPGA) March 3, 2019
On the LET…
Anne Van Dam came through a final round duel with defending champion Jiyai Shin in thrilling fashion to take the Canberra Women’s Classic, in Australia.
She picked up four shots in her last four holes for a 65 and won her third LET title in the last six months. It is her fourth overall.
The pair had begun as joint leaders on 11 under, along with Katja Pogacar, and while the Slovenian also finished strongly to finish a shot ahead of Shin, she couldn’t cope with the Dutch woman’s electric finish.
Van Dam said the key had been firing an eight under second round to get into contention.
“It gave me so much confidence that I knew I could birdie every hole here,” she said. “I just had to stay patient, trust my long game and I was really happy with the way I putted.”
What’s next?
The LPGA Tour doesn’t resume for the best part of three weeks with the Bank of Hope Founders Cup staged in Phoenix from March 21 to 24. The LET, meanwhile, moves on to the Women’s New South Wales Open at Queanbeyan.
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