Bailey Tardy won her first LPGA championship in China’s Blue Bay, beating fellow American Sarah Schmelzel by four strokes.
The 27-year-old Tardy shot a 7-under 65 with five birdies in his last eight holes in Hainan Bay.
LPGA’s 2023 Rookie of the Year missed the lead at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open.
“I had a lot of doubts in my head about whether I could reach this level and win it. This is special,” she said.(안전놀이터)
Schmelzel led Tardy by three shots after birdieing on the first three holes, but three bogeys before the turn put her back and couldn’t keep up with her play partner’s score on the back nine.
The eagle at the par-5 8th started the final round of Tardy. Following a birdie at the 9th hole, she made a drop shot at the 10th hole with a birdie at the 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th and 17th holes, leaving the field.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue finished with a 65 to finish third at 14-under, while Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow shot a 69 to finish eighth at 11-under.
LPGA Blue Bay Final Rankings
-19 B tardiness (USA); -15 S Schmelzel (USA); -14 A Furue (Jpn); -13 M Lee (Australia), S Grewal (Can), L Ko (New Zealand)
Others selected: -12 L Ruixin (Chn); -11 S grasslands (NI); -10 Choi Hyun-jin (Korean); -9 L (US)
Source: 토토사이트