Weeks of near misses turned into an emotional victory for Amy Yang in Thailand last year.
After recording top-five finishes in three of her four previous events dating back to 2014 – including a runner-up finish to Lydia Ko in Australia the week before – the talented pro from Republic of South Korea was finally able to put together four strong rounds en route to her second career LPGA Tour victory at Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course. Yang’s closing-round 69 left her two strokes clear of two-time Honda LPGA Thailand winner Yani Tseng, Stacy Lewis and Mirim Lee and earned the seven-year veteran her first win since 2013.
She was in disbelief after the triumph.
“I don’t know what just happened,” Yang said after the victory. “I still can’t believe I did it today.”
The par-4 15th loomed large, as Lewis double-bogeyed the hole and Yang knocked in a birdie. That three-shot swing broke a tie between them atop the leaderboard, and Yang just concentrated harder on the task at hand.
“We had three more holes to go, and they’re not easy,” Yang said about taking a three-stroke lead into the closing holes. “So, I just kept focusing.”
The win was the highlight of a massive season for Yang, who finished seventh on the money list with more than $1.4 million on the strength of 10 top-10 finishes. She was simply a force to be reckoned with the remainder of the 2015 season, finishing sixth in the final Rolex Player of the Year standings.
Yang will be back in Thailand this week looking for the same magic to defend her title against Tseng – the 2011-12 tournament champion – and other past champions Anna Nordqvist (2014), Ai Miyazato (2010) and Suzann Pettersen (2007).
This week also means the return of world No. 2 Inbee Park, who is believed to be fully recovered from a back injury that forced her withdrawal from the season’s first event in the Bahamas. If Park – who won the event at the same course in 2013 – is in 2015 form, she will no doubt be in the mix for the trophy on Sunday.
Hyo Joo Kim and Ha Na Jang, who already have tournament victories on their 2016 resumes, will be looking for another win this week. Lewis and Lee are also back with hopes of moving up one spot from last year, and Hall of Famer Karrie Webb, Michelle Wie, Brittany Lincicome, Lexi Thompson and Shanshan Feng are also in the stacked field.
Beatriz Recari will be another player to watch this weekend. The Spaniard carded a course-record 9-under 63 in the final round – a round that included two bogeys – on her way to a tie for fifth place.
Golf Channel will carry the broadcast live from 1-5 a.m. ET each day, so early risers on the East Coast can enjoy some golf before they start their days in earnest.
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