A birdie at the 72nd hole has earned West Australian Hannah Green her second career top 10 finish at an LPGA Major championship.
American Jennifer Kupcho (74) held off charges by Jessica Korda (69) and Pia Babnik (66) to complete a maiden LPGA Tour win with a Major no less, finishing two strokes clear to win the final Chevron Championship to be played at Mission Hills Country Club in California.
Six shots clear at the start of the final round, Kupcho’s coronation was not without its nervous moments – dropped shots at eight and 10 and consecutive bogeys at 13 and 14 bringing Korda briefly within two.
But Korda’s subsequent bogey at 15 and Kupcho’s birdie shortly thereafter re-established a four-shot advantage, a buffer that would prove to be crucial as she closed out the tournament with two further bogeys at 17 and 18.
The Aussie charge that threatened a number of times throughout the week faced a mountainous task on Sunday and it was Green who made the greatest impression.
The 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA champion picked up birdies at 10, 11 and 18 on the back nine of a round of two-under 70 to post eight-under for the week and a share of eighth position, her best performance in a Major outside her victory at Hazeltine National.
Co-leader with Kupcho after day one, Minjee Lee rediscovered some of that Thursday form to close with a round of three-under 69 and outright 12th position.
Seeking her best result in three appearances at Mission Hills, Gabi Ruffels began the final round tied for fifth but made double-bogey at the par-4 fourth in a closing two-over 74 that saw her fall into a share of 25th.
Results
LPGA Tour
Chevron Championship
Mission Hills Country Club (Dinah Shore Tournament Cse), Rancho Mirage, California
Winner Jennifer Kupcho 66-70-64-74—274 $US750,000
T8 Hannah Green 70-72-68-70—280 $108,708
12 Minjee Lee 66-73-73-69—281 $88,481
T25 Lydia Ko 68-73-70-73—284 $40,702
T25 Gabriela Ruffels 68-71-71-74—284 $40,702
MC Sarah Kemp 73-73—146
MC Su Oh 74-74—148
