Ariya Jutanugarn is No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and seemingly on her way to No. 1.
The 20-year-old from Thailand claimed her fifth LPGA Tour victory of the season, shooting 6-under-par 66 to win the Canadian Pacific Open by four strokes over Sei Young Kim of South Korea at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
“I think like before today I felt like I wanted to have fun and be happy on the course,” said Jutanugarn, whose last victory was her first major title in the Ricoh Women’s British Open last month. “No matter what’s going to happen, I can handle it. I feel really happy with myself right now.
“After I won my first tournament, after that, I feel like I reached my goal, and after that I feel like I don’t care like what my ranking is going to be. I don’t care if I’m going to win the tournament or not. The only thing I want to be is I really want to be happy on the course. That’s the only key I want to be right now.”
Jutanugarn finished at 23-under, the lowest winning total of 2016 on the LPGA Tour and tied the tournament record set by So Yeon Ryu of South Korea in 2014.
Kim, the 2015 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year who has won five times in the last two seasons on the circuit, had eight birdies in a closing 65, while In Gee Chun of South Korea was another shot back in third after a 70 and Alena Sharp of Canada thrilled the home crowd by finishing with a 67 that left her seven back in solo fourth.
Karrie Webb of Australia posted a bogey-free 64 that was the low score of the day, making birdies on the last four holes, and was another stroke behind in a tie for fifth with Anna Nordqvist of Sweden, who closed with a 68.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand shot 69 to tie for seventh, 10 shots down, with Alison Lee of Valencia and UCLA, who carded a 68, and Chella Choi of South Korea, who came in at 70.
Mo Martin of Pasadena recorded a 66 that included three birdies on the last five holes and wound up 11 down in a tie for 10th with Stephanie Meadow (72) of Northern Ireland, Ayako Uehara (67) of Japan and Suzann Pettersen (70) of Norway.
Brooke Henderson, the budding 18-year-old star from Canada, closed with a 69 and was in a tie for 14th that included Cristie Kerr, who also had a 69.
Stacy Lewis finished alone in 22nd after a 70.
