Haru Nomura of Japan withstood winds of nearly 40 mph to nail down her second title on the LPGA Tour.
Nomura posted a 1-over-par 73 to claim a four-stroke victory over Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, on the outskirts of San Francisco.
After making four bogeys in a span of five holes, Nomura sank an improbable 70-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole that righted the ship and added two more birdies down the stretch, including one for emphasis on the 18th hole.
“The putt (on No. 12) was a little fast, but it was on-line all the way to the hole and looked 100 percent in,” said Nomura, who captured the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open earlier this season.
“It wasn’t the windiest conditions I’ve ever played in, but it was certainly up there, but also temperature-wise, I thought it was one of the coldest days. Everybody same situation today, so I try my patience. I picked up my patience. … I feel so cold, but I also feel happy.
“When I came into this year, I had two goals. That’s to win an LPGA tournament and also win an LPGA major tournament. Now I’ve won two tournaments LPGA this year, so I think my goal now is to win a major.”
Pace, who has won nine times on the Ladies European Tour but whose only LPGA victory came in the 2014 Blue Bay LPGA, recovered from bogeys on the first five holes with five birdies the rest of the way in a 74 that gave her solo second.
Na Yeon Choi of South Korea was within one stroke of Nomura before going bogey-double bogey on the 15th and 16th holes and carded a 75 that left her five shots back in a tie for third with Gerina Piller, who totaled 73.
So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, who held the first-round lead with a course-record 63, finished with a 75 and was seven shots down in solo fifth.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand, two-time defending Swinging Skirts champion, had a lone birdie at No. 12 in a 75 that put her another stroke back in a tie for sixth with Lexi Thompson (71), South Koreans Jenny Shin (72) and Mi Jung Hur (74), and 18-year-old Canadian Brooke Henderson (76).
