(5 July 2010 – Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, Japan)
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Australians would remember Hyun-Ju Shin as the player who missed a short putt on the last green to lose the ANZ Ladies Masters in 2008. She bounced back well from that to win twice in Japan in that same year, and has once again triumphed at the Nichiko Women&aposs Open, this time in a playoff over Japan’s Chieko Amanuma. In third place was Japan’s Hiroko Ayada who made a bogey at the last hole to miss the playoff by one shot.
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Cold, wet and blustery conditions faced the players as they made their way to the first tee on the final day. Shin and Amanuma started the day teid for the lead at 10-under par with Ayada two shots behind. By the ninth hole, Amanuma held a three shot lead, going out in 2-under par while both Shin and Ayada played the front side in 1-over.
rnThe tournament was tipped on its head when Amanuma made a triple bogey at the 10th hole. Shin also made bogey and the lead was just one. Ayada made a birdie at the 11th to pull within one shot while Shin went birdie-bogey through 11 and 12 to still be one behind with six to play.
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All three players played the next five holes in regulation pars meaning Amanuma went to the final tee with a one shot lead. However, she proceeded to make bogey, as did Ayada and when Shin tapped in for par extra holes were required to determine a winner.
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Shin prevailed in the playoff with a birdie at the first extra hole, capturing her 5th title in Japan and moving her up to 13th on Money List which Sakura Yokomine continues to lead narrowly from Mi-Jeong Jeon.
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Unfortunately for both Nikki Campbell and Susie Mathews, they both failed to make the cut.
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Photos courtesy of LPGA of Japan and Anthony Powter.