(12 September 2011 – Chiba Prefecture, Japan)
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Japan&aposs Yuko Mitsuka has been seeking some sort of redemption on the LPGA of Japan for the last 17 months. She made international headlines last year when penalised for slow play and walking off the course. She paid the price with a ¥2million fine and a self-imposed 11-tournament ban, but she bounced from the embarrassment this week at the LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup to record her first win since 2009 and the most significant among her four career victories. A final-round of 3-under par 69 saw her hold off China’s fast-finishing Shan Shan Feng with compatriot Sakura Yokomine in outright third.
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rnYokomine began the final round with a three shot cushion and many expected the 18-time winner to run away with it and claim her third Major title in Japan. However, it wasn’t to pan out that way, with the crowd favourite posting bogeys at the 4th and 9th holes for an outward half of 2-over par 38. Playing partner, Mitsuka picked up three birdies and a bogey to turn a three shot deficit into a one shot advantage with nine holes to play.
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rnFeng had also picked up two shots on the front nine and a birdie at the 10th hole saw her move into contention just one shot behind Mitsuka. Meanwhile, the back nine started badly for Yokomine who played herself out of contention with four bogeys in the first six holes to slip to 1-under par, leaving Feng as the only player to challenge Mitsuka who made eight pars in a row from the 7th hole.
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rnA costly bogey by Feng on the 13th hole saw Mitsuka’s lead stretched to two shots, which she followed with a birdie on the 15th leaving her three in front with three to play. Feng finished with a bang, posting birdies at the final two holes to pull within a shot. However, Mitsuka kept her nerve with three pars to finish to secure the win and the biggest pay cheque of her career; ¥25,200,000 (approx. AUD$310,000).
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rnIt was an amazing turnaround by Mitsuka, who up until this point in the season, had missed 10 of 17 cuts and was languishing in 80th place on the Money List. She moved up to 11th with the big pay day from the year&aposs second Major.
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rnIt was an encouraging week for both Tamie Durdin (T12) and Nikki Campbell (T17) who both require a good finish to the season to finish in the Top-50 and secure their cards for 2012. Durdin’s 12th place finish saw her move up two spots to 54th with season earnings of ¥8,274,857 (approx. AUD$101,800). Campbell also moved up two spots to 40th on the list with ¥12,442,500 (approx. AUD$153,000).