LOS ANGELES – Hannah Green could not contain her emotions after winning her first LPGA championship in almost four years. The steady, often-stoic Aussie had finished in the top three at Wilshire Country Club the last two years. She won the JM Eagle LA Championship after a three way playoff.
Green said, “It has been a few long years.” He parred the opening 14 holes of the tournament on Sunday and birdied the par-3 closing 18th hole to finish with Aditi Ashok (who finished at 9-under 275) and Xiyu Lin (“Janet”) in third place.
The LA Championship leaderboard was crowded late in the afternoon, with five players tied on 8 under.
Cheyenne Knight, an American, looked like she was going to win her second LPGA championship until her second shot on the par-5 15th went out of bounds. This resulted in a double bogey. Ruoning Yi, of China, held the lead until two bogeys at the 17th and the 18th holes derailed her bid.
Three players made it into the playoff by making gutsy birdies at the 18th hole’s par-3 closing hole. Yin made the final two birdies in regulation.
India’s Ashok, on the 18th hole, a 156-yard par 4, suffered a lip-out in overtime. Yin then sank a 12-footer to put pressure on Green. She converted a 4-foot putt for her own birdie.
Green only needed to make a two-putt at 25 feet after Yin hit the bunker with her teeshot to join Katherine Kirk (3) and Wendy Doolan (4), Minjee Lee (8) Rachel Hetherington (8) Jan Stephenson (16), and Karrie Webb (40) as the seventh Australian to win three or more titles in LPGA’s history.
Green, who is now in her sixth LPGA season, broke through at the KPMG Women’s PGA in Hazeltine in 2019. She followed that up with a second win at the Portland Classic the following year. She is a former Karrie Webb Scholarship recipient, just like Minjee Lee (a major champion) and Grace Kim (a recent LPGA winner).
Green’s career earnings now total $3,983,874.
Green said, “I am really proud of myself because I didn’t expect to be in the race with how I played and made so many putts.” “Yeah, I’m happy but my emotions are showing.”
Hannah Green is not a name she was given by accident!
The playoff winning putt to clutch the @JMEagleLAChamp pic.twitter.com/RjenYbkGmy
LPGA (@LPGA May 1, 2020
Ashok said that she increased her swing speed during the off-season, and the extra distance allowed her to reach more par fives in two in this week. Ashok, a four-time winner of the Ladies European Tour (LET), began 2023 with a 1-3-2 record in her first three appearances on the LET.
Ashok said, “I have never played this position in the LPGA, so to be near the leader on the first-day, I kind of stayed there the entire tournament.” It’s a very tough competition out there. Ten people can have a great tournament, but only one will win. “I’m pleased with how I played.”
World No. Nelly Korda, the world’s number one, played with Jessica’s caddie over the weekend after Jason McDede, her usual looper, was forced to rush home Saturday morning to Florida after Caroline Masson, their wife, gave birth to a son.
Nelly said, “It’s very unexpected, but they are both doing well. They are both healthy. And Jason is home with the child. I’m so excited to meet him. Auntie Nelly.”
Masson, 33 years old, has been playing on the LPGA for the last 10 years. She won the 2016 Manulife LPGA Classic. She has represented Europe four times in the Solheim Cup.
Jessica’s regular bagman, Kyle Morrison will be with Nelly for the International Crown team tournament at TPC Harding Park next week in San Francisco. Nelly shared sixth place at Wilshire.
