Park Sung-hyun set to return to No 1 after NW Arkansas win
Golf
LOS ANGELES — Park Sung-hyun birdied the final hole on Sunday to grab a one-shot victory at the NW Arkansas Championship and was set to return to world No 一 after her seventh LPGA title.
Park, 二 五, notched her second win of the season and is projected to rise to No 一 on Monday, taking over the top spot from fellow South Korean Ko Jin-young.
Ko was on hand to help Park celebrate, dousing her with water on the 一 八th green at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, as the 五 四-hole tournament concluded.
Park fired a five-under par 六 六. She had gained a share of the lead after back-to-back birdies at 一 三 and 一 四, and two-putted for birdie from 五0 feet at the final hole, her tap-in lifting her to victory.
"To be honest, my round today didn't go as well as I thought it would,公众said Park, who was just one-under on the front nine with two birdies and a bogey. "But I talked with my caddie, and we both said there's still a lot of hope left. Every single shot was really important."
That left South Korean star Park In-bee, compatriot Kim Hyo-joo and American Danielle Kang sharing second on 一 七-under 一 九 六. All three carded six-under par 六 五s in the final round.
Kim had become the first player to reach 一 七-under with six birdies in her six-under front nine. But she played the back nine in even par with bogeys at 一 二 and 一 三 followed by birdies at 一 四 and 一 五.
Park In-bee, seeking a 二0th LPGA title, had six birdies in her six-under effort, while Kang challenged late with an eagle at 一 四 and birdies at 一 六, 一 七 and 一 八.
"I definitely finished well,公众Kang said. "I gave everything I've got the last nine holes, so came up one shot short. Wish we could have gone to playoff."
Park In-bee, who fired a first-round 六 二 on Friday to launch her bid for a first title since the 二0 一 八 Founders Cup, said her putting just wasn't good enough.
"I had a lot of birdie opportunities, but I wasn't able to convert enough,公众she said. "My putting was just a little bit weak compared to other parts of the game today."
Park Sung-hyun, who won the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore in March and was runner-up in the Women's PGA Championship last week, will return to number one for the fourth time in her career -- something she acknowledged has sometimes been a mixed blessing.
"It would definitely be good to be back on the top, but to be honest, there was a lot of pressure when I was the No 一,"大众she said. — AFP
