Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Swedish LPGA rookie Ingrid Lindblad kept her cool to hold on to the lead and win the LA Championship at El Caballero Country Club on Sunday for her maiden victory on the tour. Lindblad held a share of the lead heading into the final round and fired a four-under par 68 to fend off threats from Germany’s Ester Henseleit, who posted a brilliant eight-under par 64, and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who shot a nine-under 63.
The 25-year-old had shared the lead overnight with Japan’s Akie Iwai and American Lauren Coughlin, both of whom stayed in contention until the end. Lindblad made six birdies and a pair of bogeys in the first 11 holes and parred the last seven. She finished with a 21-under par total of 267 and, in just her third start on the LPGA Tour, was able to avoid a playoff when Iwai bogeyed the final hole.
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“You should never not expect it, right? But obviously got it done in a couple starts — just kind of crazy,” said Lindblad of her first win. “I made a couple birdies on the front nine and kind of just slowed down on the back. Obviously feel like I could have had a couple more on the back nine. But here we are,” she said.
The Swede had a bit of good fortune when her drive on the par-four 13th went into the trees but bounced back onto the course, allowing her to make par. “I had hit pretty good tee shots on that hole so felt pretty confident. Obviously I think the left miss is almost better than the right because it kicks down in the fairway,” she said. “I don’t know the camera guy up there, but he was like, there is a little squirrel up there who was nice to you and bumped it out on the fairway,” she added.
Coughlin finished tied for third along with Henseleit and Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, who shot a six-under 66. While the American paid the price for bogeys on the fifth and the 18th, she was pleased with her week’s work. “I felt like I played really solid. Hit some really good shots. Just couldn’t get the putts to go in today,” she said. “But overall I played really, really good golf all week, so a lot of good things to take away going into our first major next week,” she added, looking ahead to the Chevron Championship in Houston.
World number one Nelly Korda finished tied for 16th after making a double bogey on the 18th and carding an even-par 72.
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