Miranda Wang lost the lead to the No. 1 player in women’s golf and then delivered the clutch shots over the final three holes for a 2-under 70 and a one-shot victory over Jeeno Thitikul on Sunday in the FM Championship for her first LPGA title.
Wang became the seventh LPGA rookie to win this year, extending a remarkable streak of no multiple winners through the tour’s first 23 tournaments of the year.
Thitikul, who took over the No. 1 ranking from Nelly Korda three weeks ago, was poised to end that streak and ruin Wang’s hopes when the Thai hit wedge to 2 feet at No. 9 for her fifth birdie to go out in 31 on the TPC Boston and tie for the lead. She shot 67.
Thitikul bogeyed the 17th hole, and Wang made a 6-foot birdie on the 17th to regain the lead and win it with a par.
Sei Young Kim (70) finished third, three shots behind. Andrea Lee also shot 70 and finished another shot back. Rose Zhang had to settle for a 72 to tie for fifth with Jin Hee Im, who had a bogey-free 62.
European Tour
CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Thriston Lawrence of South Africa recovered from making bogey at his first three holes to shoot 4-under 66 and win the European Masters in Switzerland for his fifth title on the European tour.
Lawrence won by two strokes from three players — Matt Wallace (67), Sami Valimaki (65) and Rasmus Hojgaard (62).
Matt Fitzpatrick, who is hoping to secure a captain’s pick from Luke Donald on Monday to get into Europe’s Ryder Cup team alongside Hojgaard, was alone in fifth place, one shot further back after a 67.
Lawrence steadied himself after a sloppy start, driving the green and holing an eagle putt from 20 feet at the par-4 sixth hole and then making five birdies at picturesque Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club. His most recent title was at the BMW International Open in June 2023.
Other tours
Yuma Kosahihira atoned for losing in a playoff a year ago by closing with a 5-under 67 for a one-shot victory in the Sansan KBC Augusta Golf Tour for his first title on the Japan Golf Tour. ... Suteepat Prateeptienchai made two eagles in his round of 8-under 64 for a seven-shot victory in the Mandiri Indonesia Open, his fourth Asian Tour title. ... Anders Emil Ejlersen won his first Challenge Tour event with birdies on three of his last four holes for a 6-under 65, giving the Dane a one-shot victory over Magnus Haraldur of Iceland. Haraldur closed with a 60. ... Michael Brennan won his second PGA Tour Americas title when he close with an 8-under 63 and beat Derek Hitchner with a par on the first playoff hole in the CRMC Championship played in Minnestoa. ... Andrew Martin closed with an even-par 71 for a one-shot victory in the Tailor-Made Building Services NT PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia. ... Markus Brier shot a 2-under 70 and won the Black Desert NI Legends by two shots on the European Legends Tour. ... Ai Suzuki rallied with a 5-under 68 to win the Nitori Ladies on the Japan LPGA. ... Dain Shin birdied the 18th hole for a 1-under 71, then made two birdies to win a three-way playoff in the KG Ladies Open on the Korea LPGA.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
The Associated Press
