Date: June 24, 2013
Author: Omnisport

Inbee Park salutes at Arkansas

Inbee Park has notched her fifth LPGA title of 2013, overcoming fellow South Korean So Yeon Ryu in a play-off at the NW Arkansas Championship. Park shot a four-under 67 to claim a share of the lead with Ryu at the end of Sunday&aposs final round at Pinnacle Country Club, before birdying the first play-off hole to clinch her second title for the month. Japan&aposs Mika Miyazato matched Park&aposs 67 to claim third at the NW Arkansas Championship at 11 under overall, while New Zealand&aposs Lydia Ko, I.K. Kim of South Korea and Stacy Lewis finished in a tie for fourth, a further stroke back. Sarah Kemp was the best-placed of the Australians in Rogers, Arkansas, claiming a tie for 17th at six under, while Lindsey Wright (one under) and Sarah Jane Smith (two over) were well out of contention. Park started Sunday&aposs third round with a share of fifth place, two shots behind Ryu, Lewis, Spain&aposs Beatriz Recari and Chie Arimura of Japan. The world number one started her move up the leaderboard with three-straight birdies starting on the sixth hole and then birdied the 18th to reach 12 under overall. While Arimura, Recari and Lewis fell down the leaderboard, Ryu recovered from a double-bogey on the par-four 13th hole to end her round with two-consecutive birdies and join Park on 12 under. Ryu and Park returned to the par-five 18th for the opening play-off hole and, after getting lost in the rough, the former faced a birdie chip to have any realistic chance of victory. With Park looking at a four-foot birdie putt, Ryu narrowly missed her chip and then watched on as the world number one made no mistake to win the NW Arkansas Championship. The victory handed Park her second title in June following the LPGA Championship at Locust Hill Country Club, while the 24-year-old South Korean has also won the Honda LPGA Thailand, the Kraft Nabisco Championship and the North Texas LPGA Shootout this year.