Novice Ingrid Lindblad wins initially LPGA Tour occasion at JM
LOS ANGELES– Ingrid Lindblad won the JM Eagle LA Championship on Sunday in her 3rd start as an LPGA Tour member, preventing a playoff when fellow novice Akie Iwai bogeyed the final hole at El Caballero Nation Club.Playing a group ahead of Iwai, Lindblad shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 21-under 277. The 25-year-old former LSU star from Sweden made the last of her six birdies on the par-5 11th and parred the last 7 holes. She had 2 front-none bogeys.Iwai followed a third-round 64 with a 69 to fall a stroke short. The 22-year-old Japanese player’s twin sis, Chisato, tied for 11th at 15 under after a 68.
Iwai pulled even with Lindblad at 21 under with a birdie on the par-5 16th. After her drive went left and bounced twice on the cart course, Iwai struck a low cut around a tree to the front edge of the green and rolled a 75-foot eagle putt to inches.On the par-4 18th, Iwai drove to the right over a bunker into rough, then struck a 9-iron from 150 that bounced near the flag and went off the back edge. From a great depend on choppy rough, she ran the downhill chip past the hole and missed out on the comebacker. Lindblad got a break on the par-4 13th when her
drive struck a tree on the left side and bounced into the fairway. She parred the hole to keep a two-stroke lead.Lauren Coughlin(70), Esther Henseleit(64 ), Miyu Yamashita(66)tied for third at 19 under. Nasa Hataoka had a 63 to get to 18 under.Hannah Green, the winner each of the last 2 seasons at Wilshire Nation Club, closed with a 67 to tie for ninth at
16 under. Second-ranked Jeeno Thitikul also was 16 under after a 69.Top-ranked Nelly Korda had a 72 to connect for 16th at 14 under in her last start before her title defense in the major Chevron Championship.
The major occasion starts Thursday outside Houston at The Woodlands.The competition– the last event of the tour’s West Coast swing– was dipped into El Caballero due to the fact that of renovations at Wilshire. It will return to Wilshire next season
.