Jutanugarn prevails in a playoff
Henderson top Canadian in 11th, while Sharp falls from contention after early lead
CAMBRIDGE, Ont. — Wouldn’t it have been grand, with the 150th birthday of our grand ol’ country just around the corner, if a homegrown player could have won the Manulife LPGA Classic for the very first time in its six-year history?
It certainly was within the realm of possibility before play began on Sunday at Whistle Bear Golf Club here with three Canadians in the top 14.
But, in tough, windy conditions, where few players went low, it just didn’t happen. Instead, fans were treated to a three-way playoff between world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, world No. 4 Lexi Thompson of the U.S., and world No. 5 In Gee Chun of South Korea.
Not a bad consolation prize when all is said and done.
Jutanugarn won the playoff on the first extra hole when she dropped a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th green for her first tour victory of the season and sixth of her career. It was her ninth top-10 finish this year. “I knew it was a good putt, I just didn’t know it was going to go in,” Jutanugarn said. “I just told myself, ‘don’t leave it short.’”
And she didn’t. She rammed it home.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. had a final round 71 to finish at 11-under 227, good enough for a tie for 11th. Alexa Sharp of Hamilton, who shared the lead at the halfway point, struggled with 76 on Sunday to finish at 10-under 278 and a tie for 15th. The third Canadian to make the cut, Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., was in contention before falling apart on Sunday with 81 to finish at 3-under 285 and a tie for 46th.
Jutanugarn likely will take over the world No. 1 ranking from Lydia Ko, who was conspicuously absent from this tournament.
“I don’t pay much attention to the ranking, I’ll still play the same next week,” Jutanugarn said.
The long-hitting Jutanugarn had an unspectacular but steady round of four birdies and one bogey for a 3-under 69 and a four-round total of 271. Her best round came on Saturday when she shot a 7-under 65 to move into contention.
After the birdie putt fell, a happy Jutanugarn hugged her caddie, seemingly as shocked as the gallery that it had been drained, and tears flowed as she hoisted the championship trophy.
She jokingly said she was planning to celebrate the victory by sleeping in the car as her caddie drove her to Grand Rapids, Mich., the site of the next week’s Meijer LPGA Classic.
The playoff actually came as a bit of a shocker.
Thompson, who started the day as the sole leader at 17-under and was looking to become the first multiple winner on the LPGA Tour this season, seemed to be cruising along until holes 17 and 18 when she missed two short putts.
“I just struggled with the putter,” Thompson said of her collapse. “You know, I seemed to make everything all week, and then just the two last two holes — actually the last three holes — I had like a five-footer, six-footer, and about a four-footer and missed them all.” It all added up to an even-par 72. Chun, who started the round in third place at 15-under, shot a 2-under 70 to get into the playoff.
Of the Canadians, Sharp was just three strokes back of Thompson when the day began. But a bogey on the very first hole seemed to set the tone for her. She never recorded a birdie all day and had two bogeys and a double-bogey on the final hole.
“I hit it left and it’s not a hazard, so I had to take an unplayable,” Sharp said of the mishap on No. 18. But her 15th place tie was her second best of the season, and best ever at this tournament.
“It’s been an amazing week. I played well today actually,” said Sharp, who is still looking for her first LPGA Tour victory. “I played better today than yesterday. Just hit one bad shot on the last and didn’t make any putts.”
Henderson, a three-time champion on the LPGA tour, had a wild final round that included an eagle, five birdies and six bogeys.