(9 May 2011 – Tsukubamirai, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan)
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Korea&aposs Sun-Ju Ahn was in the hunt all week but it wasn&apost until three birdies over the closing five holes allowed her to pull ahead of Japan’s Miki Saiki and Taiwan’s Teresa Lu to win the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup, the first major of the Japanese season.
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rnLPGA player Momoko Ueda led the field into the final round after three rounds left her at 8-under par. Ahn was just a shot behind with Lu a shot behind Ahn and Saiki a further shot back at 5-under par. Ueda began poorly with three bogeys on the front nine to fall back to 5-under at the turn. Meanwhile Ahn, Lu and Saiki all played the front nine in even par leaving Ahn one-shot in front with nine to play.
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rnSaiki was the first to make a charge with birdies at the 10th and 12th holes seeing her join Ahn at 7-under par. Both Saiki and Lu made bogey at the par-3 13th hole and Ahn was again in the lead on her own. She rammed home the advantage with a birdie at the 14th which was matched by Saiki and Ahn led by one with four to play.
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rnThe four tournaments Ahn won last year on her way to the Money List title stood her in good stead down the stretch where she added further birdies on the 16th and 18th holes to finish too strongly for her challengers, reaching 10-under par to post a three shot victory, her first major and her fifth title in Japan.
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rnAfterwards she said, “I was very nervous on the course until I finally found my game after the birdie on 14. I just focused on every shot, and I’m so thrilled to have won this major.”
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rnNikki Campbell was the best of the Australians after a steady tournament saw her finish at 4-over par, in a tie for 25th. Tamie Durdin was briefly in the mix after a second round of 67 but finished with disappointing weekend rounds of 76 and 76 to finish in a tie for 36th.
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