New York (AFP) – Chinese rookie Miranda Wang captured her first LPGA title on Sunday, edging Thailand’s top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul by one stroke to win the FM Championship at TPC Boston. Wang, a 26-year-old who helped Duke University win the prestigious NCAA US collegiate team crown in 2019, birdied the par-four 17th and made a clutch par at the par-five 18th for a tension-packed triumph.
“It’s a dream come true,” Wang said. “I hope this is the first of many and I’ll keep working hard.” Wang fired a closing two-under par 70 to finish on 268 for the top prize of $615,000, with Jeeno second on 269 after a 67. World number 187 Wang became only the third Chinese player to capture an LPGA crown after Feng Shanshan’s 10 wins and Yin Ruoning’s five titles. Wang also became the seventh rookie to seize an LPGA victory this year and the tour’s 11th first-time winner of the season.
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Leading by three shots when the day began and four ahead of Jeeno, Wang held off the world number one’s charge late with clutch putting, something that had given her confidence since the opening round. “On the back nine of the first round I started hitting really good shots,” Wang said. “The shots and putts were going so well for me I feel like this could be my week and I just worked really hard and didn’t give up on that. I always think putter is my best club in the bag. I also like the other clubs but I love my putting so I’m happy to see it work out really good this week.”
Wang, tied with Jeeno for the lead, sank a six-foot birdie putt at the par-four 17th to grab the lead at 20-under and after Jeeno parred the par-five 18th, Wang needed only a closing par for the crown. She sent her third shot comfortably onto the 18th green, rolled her fourth shot inches from the hole, and tapped in for victory. Jeeno, who won her fifth career LPGA title in May at the Mizuho Americas Open, could not recover from a bogey at the 17th.
“I had no idea what other people were doing. I was just trying to do my job the best,” said Jeeno, who fired a closing 67 after birdies on five of the first nine holes. “I’ll take a positive, especially the final round I had, the front nine I had,” she said. “I proved to myself I can go low in the final round.”
South Korea’s Kim Sei-young was third on 271 with American Andrea Lee fourth on 272, both firing 70, and American Rose Zhang and South Korean Im Jin-hee shared fifth on 273, Im after a bogey-free 62. Wang birdied the par-five second and par-three third and answered a bogey at the fifth with a birdie at the ninth to reach 20-under and lead Jeeno by one at the turn. Jeeno birdied the par-five 12th to grab a share of the lead and claimed the solo lead when Wang made bogey at the 15th. Jeeno missed the 17th green with her approach and made bogey, falling into a tie for the lead to set up the closing drama.
© 2024 AFP
