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Liu wins Zhuahi Classic after birdie blitz
http://www.ecns.cn/2014/03-23/106127.shtml
Mar 23rd 2014, 08:47
2014-03-23 17:47
Liu Yi-chen picked a good time to catch fire Saturday as the Chinese Taipei native reeled off five birdies over her last 10 holes to win the Zhuhai Classic by two strokes in Guangdong province.
With a strong wind blasting the field at the first regular tournament stop of the China LPGA Tour season, Liu, a 21-year-old from Taoyuan County, closed with a 69 for a 54-hole score of five-under 211. The victory, her first on the Tour, was worth 75,000 yuan.
Four players tied for runner-up at Zhuhai Orient Golf Club, including Thais Wichanee Meechai (70) and Pennapa Pulsawath (74), Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Yu-ling (72) and South Korean Chung Ye-na (72), the Tour's reigning Order of Merit winner.
After starting the day at two-under, Liu quickly found herself at even-par after three-putting the opening hole for bogey, and then dropping another stroke at the sixth when her tee shot found the water.
She then reeled off three consecutive birdies starting from the ninth hole, before picking up another stroke at the par-three 15th hole. Liu completed her comeback in style by draining a 30-foot, downhill birdie putt at the last as the rest of the field couldn't mount a challenge.
"This is my first win on the Tour, it is also the biggest so far. The main point is I didn't give up even though I had a very slow start," said Liu who moves to the top of the Order of Merit on the strength of her win and a top-10 finish at the World Ladies Championship earlier this month.
"The (Zhuhai) competition is very intense at the turn. When I got to the back nine, I told my caddie 'we will work very closely together on the greens.' So my putter goes hotter on the back nine and I made a very long putt to finish on the last hole."
Overnight co-leader Pennapa looked strong early as the Bangkok native got to six-under when she birdied the par-five fifth hole. Her game then unraveled at the next when she posted the first of three consecutive bogeys to fall out of contention.
"Today the shot was not that great as yesterday, especially tee shots," said the 26-year-old. "I hit into the water for numbers six and seven, so I made bogey from that, and then number eight I three-putted so three bogeys in a row. Only make two birdies today."
China's Li Dan (75) and Chinese Taipei's Lin Tzu-chi (75), the overnight co-leaders with Pennapa, were equal sixth with Thailand's Pavrisa Yoktuan (73) and Chinese Taipei's Chien Pei-yun (71), three shots off the pace.
Zhang Jienalin finished the tournament's top amateur as the 17-year-old Henan native closed with an even-par 72 for a one-under score, four shots back.
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