Minjee keeps rivals at bay for victory in China

Korda in 2nd

HAINAN, China, Oct 23, (AP): Minjee Lee got upand-down one last time at Jian Lake on Sunday to win the Blue Bay LPGA for her second victory of the year and third in 17 months.

The 20-year-old Australian chipped to 3 feet from the front runoff area on the par-5 18th to match Jessica Korda’s birdie and beat the American by a stroke. Lee’s chip left Korda with an 18-footer for eagle from off the back edge that she missed to the left.

Australian teenager Minjee Lee in action. (AFP)

in hot and humid conditions to finish at 13-under 275. Korda had a 71. Jutanugarn shot 70, her closing bogey leaving her two strokes back.

Five days after Typhoon Sarika blew through the South China Sea beach resort, the wind jumped up on the final holes, making it more difficult to hit the valleys and plateaus on the large greens.

“It played like a totally different golf course,” Korda said. “It wasn’t the same as every day. The golf course conditions were a lot harder today. Some greens were slow and there were some greens that were fast. All in all, it was a tough day out there.”

Lee chipped in for birdie on the par-4 first to break a tie with Korda, chipped to 2 feet for birdie on the par-5 eighth and had eight straight pars before stumbling on the 154-yard 17th. She ran her 30-foot first putt 6 feet past, watched Jutanugarn make a 15-footer for birdie, then missed the comebacker to give up sole possession of the lead for the first time since the start of the round.

Lee earned $315,000 and is projected to jump from 17th to 16th in the world ranking. She won last year at Kingsmill and in April in Hawaii.

The Australian tied for 37th last week in South Korea and was one of the many players who didn’t get to Hainan until Wednesday afternoon, leaving little time to prepare.

“I really came into this week with no expectations,” Lee said. “Just wanted to have fun.”

She did, and her mother and grandmother were there to celebrate with her.

“My Nan, she my biggest supporter,” Lee said. “I love having her around. She normally comes around for the Asia Swing, so yeah, it’s nice to have won in front of her. She was here, so that’s really nice.”

Juan Martin Del Potro reacts as he lifts the heavy trophy during an award ceremony after defeating USA’s Jack Sock at the ATP Stockholm Open tennis tournament final match on Oct

23, in Stockholm. (AFP)