Suwannapura downs Li in playoff to win LPGA Arkansas title; Ardina finishes tied for 44th with 14 others

[ad_1]

Los Angeles (AFP) — Jasmine Suwannapura eagled the second playoff hole to win the LPGA NW Arkansas Championship in Sunday, denying Lucy Li after a spectacular last-round duel.

Li, a 21-year-old Californian chasing her first title, had an LPGA record-equalling three eagles in her 11-under par 60 and had the clubhouse lead on 17-under 196.

- Advertisement -

But 31-year-old Thai veteran Jasmine recovered from an errant tee shot to eagle the 72nd hole and force the playoff with a 10-under round of 61.

It would be more than an hour before they returned to the par-five 18th, where Jasmine’s eagle putt was an inch short and they settled for matching birdies to start the playoff.

Off the tee of 18 again, Jasmine gained the edge when she found the fairway as Li hit into the left rough.

Jasmine’s second shot raced through the green and spun back and with Li trying to get up and down for birdie the Thai rattled in her eagle putt for the win.

“It’s been a long time,” said an emotional Jasmine, who claimed a third LPGA title but her first since the 2019 Dow Invitational pairs event. “There was a time that I thought I’m probably not going to win again.

“But today, everything just fell in the right place at the right time.”

The Philippines’ Dottie Ardina finished at six under with a 207 total, but was tied at 44th spot with 14 others, while fellow Paris Olympian Bianca Pagdanganan failed to make the cut.

Li became just the seventh player to post three eagles in an LPGA tour round.

The first was a hole-out at the par-four eighth, part of a burst that saw her pick up seven strokes in seven holes.

She had birdied the fifth and seventh, then birdied the ninth, 10th and 11th to seize a share of the lead on 12-under.

It was all the more unlikely considering she was one-over for the day after three-putt bogeys at the second and fourth.

Late magic

“I had honestly no clue that this was going to happen,” Li said. “I did not think I was in it at all. I mean, after two three-putts in the first four holes I was just like, I don’t know.

“And then some magic came and I shot 60. Even though I didn’t win, just this is the greatest thing.”

She briefly took the solo lead on 14-under with an eagle at 14, where a superb second shot left her a four-foot putt.

She drained a long birdie bomb from off the green at the 15th and had a two-shot lead after her eagle at the 72nd hole.

But first-round leader Jasmine was hot on her heels. After three front-nine birdies, she kept the pressure on with birdies at holes 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16.

Her chances of joining Li atop the leaderboard appeared to take a hit, however, when her tee shot at 18 sailed right and hit a cart path.

But her second shot from sparse rough left her a five-footer for eagle and she made it to complete her 61.

“Somehow it went straight, right at the pin,” she said.

South Korean Kim Sei-young carded a nine-under 63 for solo third on 197.

Overnight leader Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa and Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol were both within striking distance on the back nine.

But Yubol’s challenge faded with a bogey at the easiest hole on the course, 14, where she hit her tee shot into the hazard left of the fairway.

She closed with a 66 to share fourth with Japan’s Mao Saigo on 199. while Buhai’s 69 left her in solo sixth on 200.

[ad_1]

Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66fa6fe2cfeb466ab751fd90084d2974&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmanilastandard.net%2Fsports%2F314504320%2Fsuwannapura-downs-li-in-playoff-to-win-lpga-arkansas-title-ardina-finishes-tied-for-44th-with-14-others.html&c=5931080874843709457&mkt=en-us Author : Publish date : 2024-09-29 22:20:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source .

Suwannapura downs Li in playoff to win LPGA Arkansas title; Ardina finishes tied for 44th with 14 others

Oasis tour live: Fans steel themselves for huge announcement as band tease ‘warning’ in North America

How the US Lost the Solar Power Race to China

How the US Lost the Solar Power Race to China

As disasters surge, this system is helping keep rural America afloat – Fast Company

Discover Barbuda: 10 Fascinating Facts About This Hidden Gem in the Caribbean!

Café 080 | The nicest Dutch café in Aruba – Wereldreizigers.nl

Embark on an Epic 129-Day Adventure: Discover Holland America’s World Cruises!

Tragic Discovery: American Citizen Found Beaten to Death on Bahamas Beach

Inside African American History With Barbados And Why Every Black Traveler Should Visit – – Black Enterprise

How a Daring Raid on Bermuda Turned the Tide of the American Revolution

Brazil Now Requires Tourist Visas for U.S. Travelers – Upgraded Points

Discover the Ultimate British Virgin Islands: Top Beaches, Vibrant Nightlife, and Breathtaking Nature!

Americans, Canadians shake hands at the border in show of ‘longstanding friendship’ – Cascadia Daily News

Categories

Archives