Yealimi Noh of Concord didn’t look like she has played in only a handful of LPGA Tour events, not until the final holes of the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater Country Club www.cecc.com in Portland, Ore.
The 18-year-old Noh held a three-stroke lead before making bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes, allowing Hannah Green of Australia to win the tournament with two late birdies and a six-foot par putt on the final hole.
“It’s hard,” said Noh, who played at Corondelet High in Concord and turned down a scholarship to UCLA to turn pro in February. “I tried my best, but I wasn’t hitting the ball as well today. Hannah played well and stayed really solid. It was fun to watch.
“I’m going to go to (LPGA) Tour School next and hopefully will be playing on the LPGA next year.”
Green closed with a 5-under-par 67, sinking an 18-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to pull even and finished with a 72-hole total of 21-under 267, including scores of 64-63 in the first two rounds. Noh finished with a 71
The Aussie claimed her second LPGA Tour victory, the first coming at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June.
“I had to stay patient today because Yealimi was playing well and made some big putts early,” said Green, who bounced back from a 73 in the third round. “I played a lot better than I did yesterday, but I played well overall this week and just had to remain positive.
“The greens got firmer, but you just had to make putts when you got the opportunity.
“To hole that last putt was really awesome.”
Noh, who took the lead with a 64 in the third round, was trying to become the third Monday qualifier in LPGA Tour history to win an event, the last Brooke Henderson in this tournament four years ago.
The native of San Francisco, who last month tied for sixth in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, decided to pass on UCLA after winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, the Girls’ Junior PGA Championship, the California Junior Girls’ Championship and the Hana Financial Group Se Ri Pak Classic in a banner season last year.
It was a two-player chase for most of the final round and Brittany Altomare closed with a 67 to finish four shots back in third, while Henderson shot 71 to wind up six behind in a tie for fourth with Nasa Hataoka of Japan, who carded a 66.
Sarah Schmelzel totaled 71 and was one more down in sixth, while Jane Park of Rancho Cucamonga and UCLA posted a 66 and was eight back in a tie for seventh with Marina Alex, who had a 67.
Alena Sharp of Canada shot 69 and finished nine strokes behind in a tie for ninth with Jeongeun Lee6 (70) of South Korea, Sarah Burnham (72), Sei Young Kim (71) of South Korea, Peiyun Chien (73) of Taiwan and Mi Jung Hur (73) of South Korea.
For complete results, visit https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cambia-portland-classic/leaderboard
