(27 April 2010 – Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan)
rn
Japan&aposs Mayu Hattori claimed her second career title on the Japanese tour with victory on Sunday at the Fujisankei Ladies Classic. After looking comfortable for most of the day Hattori dropped three shots down the stretch to give the others a sniff. In the end, she finished two shots ahead of Australia’s Nikki Campbell, Japan’s Asako Fujimoto and Korea’s Inbee Park.
rn
rnHattori and Korean Bo-Bae Song walked to the first tee on the final day sitting on 8-under par and holding a three-shot cushion over Campbell, with another four players a further shot back on 4-under. Campbell moved within a shot of the lead after birdies at the 3rd, 5th and 7th holes, however dropped shots at both the 8th and 9th holes to fall four behind at the turn. Song had made a disastrous bogey, triple bogey start and finished with a 5-over par 77 to finish in a tie for 8th. Hattori played a bogey-free front nine, adding two birdies to move to a comfortable 4-shot lead with 9 holes to play.
rn
rnPark, who before this week had placed runner-up three times and a victory last week, had started the day at even par, however made a run at the leaders when she was 7-under par through 16 holes. A double-bogey at the 17th put paid to her chances and she posted her fourth runner-up finish in 5 starts this year. Hattori, who may have been watching Park’s charge on the leaderboard wobbled through the middle part of her back nine, making a bogey at the 13th and a double bogey at the 15th to slip back to 7-under. Campbell couldn’t make any birdies on the back nine to put any pressure on Hattori, who steadied and made three straight pars to finish.
rn
rnHattori, who has finished 15th on the Money List for the past two years added this title to the Hisako Higuchi Ladies title she won in 2008. She now sits 7th on the current Money List, however a long way behind Park who has a lead of over ¥10,000,000 (approx. AUD$115,000). Campbell moved up to 15th with ¥9,577,475 (approx. AUD$110,000) in season earnings.
rn
rnTamie Durdin, who was defending the title she won here last year, was the only other Australian in the field. She finished in a tie for 29th after rounds of 75, 71 and 74 left her at 4-over par.
rn
Photos by Paul Melville – ALPG