(15 August 2011 – Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan)
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South Korea&aposs Sun-Ju Ahn picked up her third win of the season on Sunday with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff against Akiko Fukushima at the NEC Karuizawa 72. Ahn shot a bogey-free 6-under par 66 to finish at 16-under par 200 alongside Fukushima. Japan’s Sakura Yokomine and Korea’s Na-Ri Kim tied for third, a massive six shots behind the leaders.
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rnAhn, the 23-year-old Rolex World No.8, entered the final round two strokes behind Fukushima, who was attempting to tie Annika Sorenstam’s record of winning the same tournament in Japan five times. The Swedish golfing legend won the Mizuno Classic, co-sanctioned by the Japanese and U.S. LPGA tours, in five consecutive years from 2001.
rnBoth players made an early birdie before Fukushima made a bogey at the 4th hole to have her lead cut to one shot. They then both made four straight pars before each made a birdie at the 9th hole, leaving Fukushima one ahead with nine to play.
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rnFukushima quickly found herself behind as Ahn applied the pressure with further birdies at the 10th and 11th holes to take a one shot lead. They traded birdies on the 13th and 14th holes before Fukushima joined Ahn in the lead with another birdie on the 15th hole; both players on 15-under for the tournament. They both moved to 16-under at the very next hole before finishing with two pars to go into ‘overtime.’
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rnBoth players made regulation pars at the first playoff hole before Ahn knocked in her winning putt from 30-feet at the next. Afterwards she said, “I didn&apost want to leave that putt short, so I hit it hard. I give myself 100 points for my play today. I just tried to stay focused on my game. The golf course is wide, so I guess it suited my game.”
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rnAhn won ¥12.6million to record her seventh career title. She added to her lead on the money list, now more than ¥14million in front of second placed Miki Saiki. She is well on her way to backing up her win on the Money list from last year, which she did in her rookie season.
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rnThe South Korean also become the fastest player in JLPGA history to reach ¥200million in career earnings, reaching the mark in just 36 tournaments, passing Ai Miyazato, who needed 44 starts.
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rnFukushima made just two birdies on the front nine, where the long-hitting veteran had racked up five birdies each in the first two rounds. “I couldn&apost really control the distance of my iron shots today,” said Fukushima. "I&aposll enter the next event as defending champion and I&aposm sure I&aposll have a chance again to win in the coming tournaments."
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rnBoth of the Australians in the field made the cut but lacked the necessary birdies to get anywhere near the leaders. Tamie Durdin finished strongly with a final round of 2-under par 70 to move up to a tie for 28th while Nikki Campbell had a disappointing final round (75) to finish in a tie for 54th.