Jiyai Shin captured the last major of 2012 with a dominating last day performance that saw her finish with a 9 shot victory from runner up, Inbee Park. Shin out-classed her competitors with a 71-73 finish in a 36-hole finale Sunday and was the only player in the field to finish under par in difficult conditions at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
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After bad weather forced the cancellation of the second round scores on Friday, the tournament geared for a 36 holes finish on Sunday. Players teed off for their third round in the morning and remained in the same groups, as organisers aimed to finish all 72 holes before the sun set on the final round Sunday.
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Australian and LPGA Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb was in the mix after she shot a superb 4 under par 68 in the third round on Sunday morning. This narrowed the margin from 5 shots after round two, to just 3 behind leader, Jiyai Shin as players proceeded immediately from the round three scorecard check, to the first tee to commence the final round.
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Webb&aposs momentum was halted however as she struggled with the opening holes which were giving all players grief as the weather turned nasty. A double bogey on the first was followed with bogies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. Shin also stumbled with an opening triple bogey seven on the first hole, but then re-grouped to retain a comfortable margin from both Webb and Inbee Park through the front nine. Heavy rain forced a short suspension of play when the leading group was on the 11th tee. When play resumed, Shin, holding a seven shot lead, continued her solid play to complete the final six holes in two under par and record a record breaking victory and her second British Open title, having won the 2009 Championship at Sunningdale.
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Webb struggled on the back nine and fell into a tie for 5th place after signing for a 10-over 82.
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Inbee Park was a model of consistency with another solid performance, finishing at even par for the tournament after a final round of 4-over par 76. She entered this week having recorded eight straight top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour.
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For Shin, it was a satisfying week which she said proved she was capable of winning in any conditions. "I said yesterday, my goal was 1 under par every single day. So my goal was 4-under. I think it was enough score," she said. "So I&aposm really surprised even from yesterday and then also today, I hit even par with 35 holes with this weather, so I&aposm really surprised and inspired by myself. Because really tough course here, so when I finished it today, I&aposm just like, wow, I can play good score any, any other course, I&aposm pretty sure of that".
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It was no surprise that New Zealander Lydia Ko, the recent CN Canadian Women&aposs Open and 2012 Women&aposs US Amateur Champion took home the honour of the low amateur at the Ricoh&aposs Women&aposs British Open. Ko won the Smyth Salver by finishing T17 at 9-over par. Her nearest rival, England&aposs Holly Clyburn, finished T26 at 11-over par.
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"I got leading amateur and that&aposs what I wanted after yesterday, so yeah, I guess I have to be happy about that, and this is my first experience at the British Open and I did much better than the U.S Open" Ko said at the post round interviews.
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Ko will head to Turkey in two weeks time to compete in the World Amateur Championships.
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Of the other Australians Lindsey Wright (T17), Katherine Hull (T33), Sarah Jane Smith (T43) and Stephanie Na (T47) performed well in the tough conditions. Wright&aposs final round of 2 over par 74 was one of the best of the afternoon play and catapulted her from T34 to T17.
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Click here for final scores
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