Miranda Wang lost the lead to the No. 1 player in women’s golf and then delivered the clutch shots over the final three holes for a 2-under 70 and a one-shot victory over Jeeno Thitikul on Sunday in the FM Championship for her first LPGA title.
Wang became the seventh LPGA rookie to win this year, extending a remarkable streak of no multiple winners through the tour’s first 23 tournaments of the year.
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Thitikul, who took over the No. 1 ranking from Nelly Korda three weeks ago, was poised to end that streak and ruin Wang’s hopes when the Thai hit wedge to 2 feet at No. 9 for her fifth birdie to go out in 31 on the TPC Boston and tie for the lead. She shot 67.
Thitikul bogeyed the 17th hole, and Wang made a 6-foot birdie on the 17th to regain the lead and win it with a par.
Sei Young Kim (70) finished third, three shots behind. Andrea Lee also shot 70 and finished another shot back. Rose Zhang had to settle for a 72 to tie for fifth with Jin Hee Im, who had a bogey-free 62.
European Tour
CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Thriston Lawrence of South Africa recovered from making bogey at his first three holes to shoot 4-under 66 and win the European Masters in Switzerland for his fifth title on the European tour.
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Lawrence won by two strokes from three players — Matt Wallace (67), Sami Valimaki (65) and Rasmus Hojgaard (62).
Matt Fitzpatrick, who is hoping to secure a captain’s pick from Luke Donald on Monday to get into Europe’s Ryder Cup team alongside Hojgaard, was alone in fifth place, one shot further back after a 67.
Lawrence steadied himself after a sloppy start, driving the green and holing an eagle putt from 20 feet at the par-4 sixth hole and then making five birdies at picturesque Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club. His most recent title was at the BMW International Open in June 2023.
Other tours
Yuma Kosahihira atoned for losing in a playoff a year ago by closing with a 5-under 67 for a one-shot victory in the Sansan KBC Augusta Golf Tour for his first title on the Japan Golf Tour. … Suteepat Prateeptienchai made two eagles in his round of 8-under 64 for a seven-shot victory in the Mandiri Indonesia Open, his fourth Asian Tour title. … Anders Emil Ejlersen won his first Challenge Tour event with birdies on three of his last four holes for a 6-under 65, giving the Dane a one-shot victory over Magnus Haraldur of Iceland. Haraldur closed with a 60. … Michael Brennan won his second PGA Tour Americas title when he close with an 8-under 63 and beat Derek Hitchner with a par on the first playoff hole in the CRMC Championship played in Minnestoa. … Andrew Martin closed with an even-par 71 for a one-shot victory in the Tailor-Made Building Services NT PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia. … Markus Brier shot a 2-under 70 and won the Black Desert NI Legends by two shots on the European Legends Tour. … Ai Suzuki rallied with a 5-under 68 to win the Nitori Ladies on the Japan LPGA. … Dain Shin birdied the 18th hole for a 1-under 71, then made two birdies to win a three-way playoff in the KG Ladies Open on the Korea LPGA.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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