Danielle Kang simply repeated herself.
Kang, celebrating her 27th birthday, won the Buick LPGA Thailand for the second straight year, holding off Jessica Korda by one stroke at Qizhong Garden Golf Club http://frystraka.com/en/golf-course/qizhong-garden-golf-club in Shanghai, China.
“It was a really stressful day,” said Kang, from Westlake Village and Pepperdine. “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
“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.”
Kang, who was one stroke behind Korda entering the final round, took a two-stroke lead with her second birdie of the day at No. 16 before sinking a three-foot par putt to cap a bogey-free, 2-under-par 70 and claim her third LPGA Tour victory at 16-under 272.
Korda, who has five LPGA Tour victories, birdied No. 17 to pull close but could manage only a par on the last hole to finish at 72.
“I just didn’t have any like good numbers,” said Korda, who was virtually neck-and-neck with Kang from the first round on. “I couldn’t get anything going. Everything was half-shots. I was either short or I was long.
“You know, I just couldn’t get anything going today. It was just one of those days where it just wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”
Yu Liu of China collected eight birdies in a 65 to finish three shots back in a tie for third with Kristen Gillman, who birdied five of the last six holes for a 68, and fourth-ranked Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who birdied three of the last seven for her own 68.
Sei Young Kim of South Korea also had a 68 to finish four behind in solo sixth, while Megan Khang made a hole-in-one on the 11th hole in a bogey-free 64 to wind up two more down in a tie for seventh with 10th-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who birdied three of the last four holes for a 67.
Eighth-ranked Nelly Korda eagled the 17th hole en route to a 68 to finish seven strokes back in a tie for ninth with top-ranked Jin Young Ko of South Korea, who wound up at 69, and sixth-ranked Brooke Henderson of Canada, who came in at 73.
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