Date: March 06, 2011
Author: Paul Melville

LPGA of Japan – PARK GOES BACK-TO-BACK AT DAIKIN ORCHID

(7 March 2011 – Nanjo, Okinawa Pref., Japan)

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South Korea&aposs Inbee Park opened the 2011 LPGA of Japan season just the way she finished 2010; with a win. The 2008 US Women&aposs Open champion and Rolex World No. 13 fired a final round 6-under par 66 to leapfrog the star-studded field and record a comfortable 3-shot victory at the Ryuku Golf Club in Okinawa. Runner-up was Japan’s Miki Saiki while the South Korean pair of Bo-Mee Lee and Bo-Bae Song finished one shot further back in a tie for third.
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rnJapan’s Saiki Fujita headed the field into the final day at 8-under par with a one shot lead over Australia’s Nikki Campbell and little-known Lala Anai of Japan. However, it wasn’t to be a day where the final group featured in the finish. Fujita had made one birdie and one bogey on the front nine but found herself 2-shots behind Park. She then fell out of contention with three straight bogeys from the 13th hole and added another at the 17th to slip to a tie for 10th, where both Campbell and Anai also finished after rounds of 3-over par 75.
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rnCampbell’s was probably the hard-luck story of the final round. After a 1-under par 35 around the front nine, she proceeded to make an unfortunate quadruple bogey 9 on the par-5 11th hole to end her chances. She finished with a final hole birdie to sneak into the Top-10.
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rnThe day belonged to Park, who began her round with five birdies on the front nine including three straight from the 7th hole to forge a 2-shot lead over Campbell and Fujita. She consolidated with three pars before her only slip-up of the day, a bogey at the 13th. However, little did it matter as those still in the hunt had started to falter. She finished with birdies at the 16th and 18th holes to seal her third career victory on the Japanese Tour and second in two starts after winning the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship in November last year.
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rnApart from Campbell, Tamie Durdin is the only other Australian competing in Japan in 2011, however she started her season poorly, missing the cut after an opening round of 10-over par 82.

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Photos of courtesy of LPGA of Japan.
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