(2 July 2012 – Rogers, Arkansas)
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Japan&aposs Ai Miyazato fired a final round 6-under par 65 to overcome a five-shot deficit and win the NW Arkansas Championship for her second LPGA Tour victory of the year and ninth overall. In a tie for second place, one shot behind, were Spain’s Azahara Munoz and Japan’s Mika Miyazato.
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rnThe darling of Japanese golf made a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to reach 12-under par for the tournament, and her victory at Pinnacle Country Club was secured when her namesake, Mika Miyazato, missed a 15-foot attempt at the last hole to force a playoff. Ai Miyazato had seven birdies and one bogey in the final round. Mika Miyazato shot 67 while Munoz closed with a 65.
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rnAi Miyazato became the third player on the LPGA Tour to win multiple events this season, after also winning the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii in April. She is projected to rise from sixth to third in the Rolex World Rankings entering the U.S. Women&aposs Open this week.
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rnVeronica Felibert, a rookie from Venezuela who opened the day with a four-shot lead, shot a 72 to tie for fourth at 10-under par.
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While Felibert struggled in only her fifth LPGA tournament, Ai Miyazato opened with four birdies for a 32 on the front nine and reached 12-under after her sixth birdie of the day at the par-3 15th. She fell back to 11 under after her only bogey of the day at No. 17, but she used a 3-wood to reach the front fringe of the par-5 18th in two shots. After a chip to 5 feet, she calmly sank the downhill left-to-right putt to take a one-shot lead over Munoz, who was in the clubhouse.
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rnMika Miyazato was also at 12-under on the back nine, but a bogey on No. 16 left her one behind and needing a birdie on No. 18 to tie her compatriot to force a playoff. She hit the fairway on the final hole but elected to lay up. She hit her approach shot 15 feet left of the hole, but her birdie attempt went by to the left and kept her winless on the LPGA Tour.
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rnFelibert started the day at 11 under after only one bogey in the first two rounds. She reached 12 under twice on the front nine, but both times she quickly gave back the shots. Her bogey at No. 9 led to a brief three-way tie with Mika Miyazato and Inbee Park, but Felibert made bogey at Nos. 12 and 13 to fall out of the lead for good.
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rnThe former Southern California standout entered the week ranked No. 723 in the world and had earned only $2,489 in four previous LPGA events, in which she missed three cuts. Felibert earned $93,770 for her fourth-place tie and rose 470 spots on the Rolex Rankings to 253.
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rnOf the Australians in the field, Sarah-Jane Smith was the best in a tie for 10th. It was an important week for Smith who won $36,950, lifting her to 67th on the Money List and closer to assuring herself of a spot in the Ricoh Women’s British Open field. Katherine Hull (T28) and Wendy Doolan (T66) also made the cut.