(25 October 2010 – Miki, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan)
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Japanese starlet Sakura Yokomine collected her second win of the season after edging out compatriot Yukari Baba in a tense finish at the lucrative Masters GC Ladies overnight. A final round of 4-under par 68 was good enough to finish at 10-under par and a one shot victory with Korea’s Mi-Jeong Jeon in outright third at 7-under par.
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rnThe trio of Yokomine, Baba and Jeon headed into the final round at 6-under par with a one shot lead over Australia’s Tamie Durdin and a host of player’s were lurking just one shot further back at 4-under. Unfortunately for Durdin, she was unable to find her form from the first two days and finished with a round of 78 to slip to a tie for 18th.
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rnIt was left to the final group to fight it our for the first prize and after nine holes, Yokomine looked to have it in the bag after two birdies and an eagle moved her to 10-under par; a three shot lead over Baba and four in front of Jeon, who fell even further behind with a bogey at the 10th. Jeon would go on to birdie two holes on the run in but it was never enough and she had to settle for third.
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rnBaba on the other hand had certainly not given up and moved to within one shot after notching her third birdie in four holes at the 15th. Yokomine could only manage one birdie in that time but remained with a slender lead of one shot with two holes to play. Both players posted bogeys at the 17th hole and playing the last, Yokomine’s lead remained at one shot. A par at the last was good enough for Yokomine to post her 18th career victory; a career in which she has finished no worse than 4th on the end-of-season Money List. This year, after two wins and 15 Top-10’s, she sits in 2nd place behind runaway leader Sun-Ju Ahn.
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rnIt was a disappointing way for Durdin to finish what had been a good start to the tournament after some indifferent form of late. She moved back up to 47th on the Money List and needing to finish in the Top-50 at the end of the season, she will need to find more rounds like her first two to be assured of her card for 2011. There are no worries about Nikki Campbell keeping her card. She remained in 11th place after a solid if not spectacular tournament where she finished one shot behind Durdin in a tie for 23rd.
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Photo courtesy of LPGA of Japan.