Los Angeles: Brooke Henderson mencatat empat di bawah par 67 bagi muncul juara Terbuka Los Angeles LPGA mengetepikan Jessica Korda dengan kelebihan satu pukulan.
Brooke dari Kanada dan berusia 23 tahun, menamatkan saingan dengan melakukan keseluruhan 16 di bawah par 268 bagi meraih kejuaraan LPGA kali ke-10.
Ia juga adalah kejayaan pertama sejak muncul juara di Klasik Meijer LPGA di Michigan 2019.
"Saya merasakan seperti sedang bermain golf pada tahap terbaik. Rasa gembira dapat meraih kemenangan dan mendapat semula keyakinan," kata Brooke.
Enam birdie, termasuk pukulan lambung pada lubang ke-12 berjaya mengetepikan pendahulu sebelum ini, Jessica dan pemain nombor satu dunia, Ko Jin Young di Wilshire Country Club.
Selepas mencatatkan dua di bawah par pada sembilan lubang pertama, Brooke mendahului saingan secara bersendirian termasuk dengan membenam birdie pada lubang ke-11 dan melakukan perkara sama di lubang ke-12 hasil pukulan lambung.
"Saya sebenarnya kecewa kerana tidak dapat memukul bola ke green terlebih dulu. Tapi sebenarnya selepas itu banyak lagi peluang untuk saya bermain di green.
"Berjaya memasukkan bola ke dalam lubang (ke-12) dan mencatat birdie ternyata mengubah momentum saya, itulah titik tolak kemenangan saya," katanya.
Dia kemudian membenam satu lagi birdie di lubang ke-14 dan sedikit tertekan apabila mencatat bogey di lubang ke-17.
Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ontario, chipped up to three feet and made the putt to seal the win.
Korda, who had led after each of the first three rounds, finished with a one-over par 72 for 269.
Ko, who started the day one stroke behind Korda, also struggled to build momentum and posted a 72 for 270.
She was joined on 14-under by Australian Hannah Green, whose five-under 66 included an eagle and three birdies.
Henderson admitted that she felt the strain coming down the stretch.
"I think as I age I'm getting more nerves," she said. "But I'm just really happy with how I went out today. I was a lot of shots back but I just said to myself to keep the same game plan and try to make as many birdies as I could.
"I'm real happy with how everything turned out."
Korda was disappointed she didn't get the win but at least she closed her round with a birdie on 18.
"I had a lot of chances today," she said. "I guess to make that birdie on 18 is a kind of sweet."
bb/gph
