Chun wins 1st LPGA title in two years
Hull finishes 3 strokes behind
INCHEON, South Korea, Oct 14, (AFP): Local favourite Chun In-gee shot a final-round 66 to win her first LPGA title in more than two years before a cheering home crowd on Sunday.
Chun, ranked 27th in the world, finished 16 under par 272 to claim the US$300,000 first prize at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championships.
The 24-year-old fired seven birdies champion Ko Jin-young (64) shot eight birdies to finish seventh at 11-under. Scores: 272 – Chun In-gee (KOR) 70-7066-66
275 – Charley Hull (ENG) 67-6968-71
276 – Park Sung-hyun (KOR) 68-68-71-69, Minjee Lee (AUS) 6871-67-70, Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) 69-67-69-71, Danielle Kang (USA) 67-69-68-72
277 – Ko Jin-young (KOR) 71-7270-64
278 – Nasa Hataoka (JPN) 65-7373-67, Bae Seon-woo (KOR) 71-6967-71 279 – Nelly Korda (USA) 75-70-69-65 280 – Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 73-7169-67, Lydia Ko (NZL) 70-68-68-74
281 – Lexi Thompson (USA) 72-7168-70
282 – Lee Jeong-eun (KOR) 77-7067-68, Kim Ji-yeong (KOR) 73-70-7168, Lee Mi-hyang (KOR) 74-69-7069, Kim Ji-hyun (KOR) 69-73-70-70, Brooke Henderson (CAN) 73-73-6571
This was more of a stay-busy fight for Crawford but he was eager to take the bout after being called out by Benavidez, who is only the 10th-ranked 147-pounder by the WBO.
Benavidez confronted the champion at a boxing event in Corpus Christi, Texas, in February, accusing Crawford of ducking him repeatedly. The fighters’ camps traded barbs at a media workout Wednesday and the bickering continued Thursday at a news conference. Insults were lobbed both ways during the weigh-in Friday, with Benavidez shoving Crawford and Crawford taking a swing that narrowly missed.
In the co-main event, 2016 US Olympic silver medalist and top featherweight prospect Shakur Stevenson of Newark, New Jersey, stopped Viorel Simion of Romania just before the bell ending the first round. Stevenson (9-0, 5 KOs) delivered a powerful left-right combination to the head to send Simion (21-3, 9 KOs) to his knees for his third knockdown.
On the undercard, 2016 Olympian Mikaela Mayer of Los Angeles won a regional super featherweight belt with a unanimous decision over Vanessa Bradford of Edmonton, Alberta. Mayer (8-0, 4 KOs) was the aggressor throughout the eight-round bout and knocked down Bradford (41-2) with a right to the head in the seventh.
Also, former WBO welterweight champ Mike Alvarado (40-4, 28 KOs) of Denver knocked out Robbie Cannon (16-14-3, 7 KOs) of Festus, Missouri, with a right to the chin at 41 seconds of the second round.