Kang celebrates birthday in style
Print Edition
Danielle Kang celebrated her 27th birthday in style yesterday by successfully defending her Buick LPGA Shanghai title with a one-shot victory at Qizhong Garden Golf Club.
The American, who started the day a shot off the lead at the China LPGA-US LPGA Tour co-sanctioned event, closed with a round of 2-under-par 70 for a 72-hole score of 16-under 272. Kang’s third LPGA title earned the San Francisco native US$315,000.
Overnight leader Jessica Korda was runner-up as the American struggled to an even-par 72 in a round that saw her three birdies offset by three bogeys. China’s Liu Yu (65) was equal third with Japanese Nasa Hataoka (68) and American Kirsten Gillman (68) at three shots back.
A birdie by Kang on the first hole marked a two-shot swing as Korda made bogey at the 409-yard opener. Korda rebounded for a birdie at the next to deadlock the score. As Kang made a string of pars, Korda would bogey the fourth hole before making a birdie at the 488-yard ninth to draw even for the lead at the turn.
A bogey four by Korda at the 149-yard 11th would prove the difference with Kang making a birdie three at the 419-yard 15th hole for a two-shot lead. Korda would then make a birdie four at the penultimate hole to make it close but could not get the birdie putt she needed at the final when her approach shot went 20 feet past the pin.
Kang said she had come back to Shanghai “wanting to win” but “never felt safe” in her bid to repeat as champion until the last putt dropped. She called ball striking the “forte of her game” and her “short game showed up” today.
“It was a really stressful day. I definitely played well out there. It was really tough because you’re definitely watching what Jessica is shooting and scoring, and always just try to keep in my own game,” she said.
“There were a lot of birdie opportunities. I made some really great up and downs. I’ve never been more nervous than the last putt for some reason, but I made it.”
Korda, daughter of Czech tennis great Petr Korda, lamented how she couldn’t get “anything going” in the hunt for her sixth LPGA Tour title.
“Everything was half shots. I was either short or I was long. It was just one of those days where it just wasn’t meant to be, I guess,” said the 26-year-old Florida native.
“But if you were going to tell me at the start of the week I would’ve come out finishing second, play in the final group, and had the week I did, I would’ve probably taken it. But this one definitely sucks.”
Liu, the China No. 2, posted her seventh top-10 finish on the US LPGA Tour this year with her best result of the week. Her round featured eight birdies, three of them coming over the last four holes, and a lone bogey.
“At the very beginning my hand was very hot and I hit many shots close to the pin and made three birdies in a row. I nearly made four birdies in a row but missed a short putt (of two feet). After that I cooled down but overall it’s a 100 percent performance,” said the 23-year-old Beijinger.
China No. 1 Feng Shanshan also registered her best result of the week when she closed with a 4-under 68 to finish equal 14th on 7-under. The Guangdong native, who will be in the field for December’s Macalline Women’s China Open, carded a bogey-free round featuring four birdies. She gave herself 80 out of 100 for her performance.
“Today my overall feeling is good. I successfully adjusted my swing and made no big mistakes,” said Feng. “Although I did not catch enough birdies, my 4-under result was acceptable. Although it was not perfect, I did my best.”
American Megan Khang (64) and China’s Zhang Yunjie (69) both registered a hole-in-one yesterday. The fourth and fifth aces of the tournament set a new mark for most holes-in-one at the CLPGA Tour event.
Notable scores included world No. 1 Ko Jin-young of South Korea closing with a 69 to sit equal ninth at 9-under in a group that included Canadian Brooke Henderson, the halfway leader, who struggled to a second consecutive round of 1-over 73.
Yin Ruoning (74) was the top amateur as the Shanghai teenager finished equal 38th at 2-over for the tournament.
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