Ai Miyazato
KAPOLEI, Hawaii - Japan's Ai Miyazato won the LPGA LOTTE Championship on Saturday for her eighth career LPGA Tour title, birdieing three of the last six holes for a 2-under 70 and a four-stroke victory.
Miyazato finished at 12-under 276 at wind-swept Ko Olina. She opened with rounds of 71, 65 and 70 to take a three-stroke lead in the final round.
Meena Lee, ahead early on the back nine and tied for the lead after a birdie on No. 15, had a 70 to tie for second with Azahara Munoz at 8 under. Munoz finished with a 70.
Women's U.S. Open champion So Yeon Ryu and American Cristie Kerr were tied for fourth at 7-under.
Alena Sharp of Hamilton was the top Canadian, carding a final round 70 to finish at 1-under par and in a tie for 25th. One stroke further back was Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., who also posted a final round 70. Lorie Kane of Charlottetown shot a final round 75 for a 2-over total while Rebecca Lee-Bentham finished at 5-over par after a final round 73.
The 26-year-old Miyazato made a 30-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 15th to break a tie with Lee. Lee, down one playing 18, then hit her approach into a bunker and three-putted from 30 feet for double bogey.
Miyazato lost the lead with a bogey on the par-3 12th after her tee shot buried in a bunker, the second straight day she carded a 4 on the hole. But Lee dropped back moments later with a three-putt bogey at 14.
After Miyazato's birdie at 15, she saved par from 8 feet at 16, then rolled in another birdie putt from 25 feet at 17 to wrap up her first victory since the Evian Masters last year in France.
Miyazato won after finishing second behind top-ranked Yani Tseng this year in Thailand and Phoenix. Tseng, a three-time winner this year, overcame an ankle injury early in the final round to shoot a 74 and tie for 10th at 4 under.