(3 October 2011 – Togo, Aichi Prefecture, Japan)
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Most of the players in the field would have considered it a cruel joke except for Yukari Baba who managed a par on the last hole to win the Japan Women&aposs Open and claim her first major title. Money leader Sun-Ju Ahn (73) and Ritsuko Ryu (75) shared second place just one shot behind Baba. Baba’s total of 12-over par 292 was the second worst winning score in the history of the Japan LPGA Tour. There were, in fact, only three rounds under par for the whole tournament.
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rnBaba, at 6-over par, held a two shot lead heading into the final round, with Ryu and previous winner Ji-Hee Lee her closest pursuers, while Ahn was four shot behind at 10-over par. Baba’s lead had evaporated at the second hole where she took bogey and Ryu made birdie. She was also quickly joined in second with making back-to-back birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes while Baba made another bogey at the 3rd leaving Ryu ahead by one early on.
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rnTwo more bogeys, a double and a birdie had seen Baba go out in 5-over par 40, relinquishing her lead and be two shots behind both Ahn and Ryu with nine holes to play.
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rnIt was an amazing turnaround by the diminutive Baba, who at 149cm is the shortest player on tour. She played the back nine in just 1-over par with 8 pars and a solitary bogey on the 12th hole. Meanwhile, both Ahn and Ryu were collecting regular bogeys. Ahn, playing the group in front had finished at 13-over par after a bogey at the last hole saw her slip out of a tie for the lead.
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rnBy the time the leaders reached the 18th tee, it was all tied up in what was effectively a playoff hole. Baba took advantage of a brilliant second shot to make par while Ryu needed three shots to reach the green and narrowly missed her par attempt at Nagoya Golf Club&aposs famed Wago Course.
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rnThe key to victory for Baba was that the 28-year-old limited herself to just one bogey on the back nine of a course that features tight fairways and a killer rough. Afterwards she said, “I made so many mistakes on the front nine, and I asked myself what the heck I was doing. But I managed to regroup on the back. It&aposs unbelievable that I got my first tour win in three years at a major tournament."
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rnBaba pocketed ¥28 million ¥140 million purse for her third career title.
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rnFormer Rolex World No.1, Ai Miyazato stayed in contention for most of the day before fading with five bogeys over the last seven holes. She was alone in sixth at 15 over after a 76.
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rnTamie Durdin was the only Australian to participate, finishing in a tie for 37th at a remarkable 27-over par.
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