LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Nasa Hataoka fired an eagle and four birdies in a four-under par 67 yesterday to notch her sixth career LPGA title at the LA Open.
Japan’s Hataoka, who led by four entering the final round, finished with a 15-under total of 269.
That was one shot off the tournament record set by Canadian Brooke Henderson last year and gave her a five-stroke triumph over Australian Hannah Green, who carded a closing 68 for 274.
It was a particularly satisfying victory, coming a week after Hataoka missed the cut at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii.
The 23-year-old had four birdies and a bogey in the first seven holes at Wilshire Country Club.
She drilled a 35-foot eagle putt at the par-four 15th to lead by six shots so that a closing bogey was barely a blip. “That eagle really helped me kind of relax a little bit, kind of feel like I was putting really good today,” Hataoka said.
“Putting-wise, poa annua greens are really difficult to play, but my experience on this type of green helped me a lot.”
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