Park birdie on 18th seals win

– Reigning US Women’s Open champion Park Sung-hyun (above) of South Korea chipped in for birdie on the final hole on Sunday to edge fast-closing Lindy Duncan and win the storm-shortened LPGA Texas Classic.

Park fired a five-under-par 66 to finish the 36-hole event at 11-under 131 at Old American Golf Club near Dallas for a one-stroke victory over American Duncan with Chinese rookie Liu Yu another shot adrift in third on 133.

Park’s pitching wedge chip-in at the 18th hole provided her margin of victory over Duncan, who closed with three birdies in a row after Park was in the clubhouse, and Liu, who like Duncan had a career-best LPGA finish.

“I knew it was a pretty important shot,” Park said. “That shot was a difficult situation for me but I’m glad I made it.”

It was the third LPGA title for Park, who captured her first major crown last July in the Open at Trump National and added the Canadian Women’s Open six weeks later.

Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and South Korea Kim Sei-young shared fourth with South Korean Jenny Shin and India’s Aditi Ashok on 135.

Storms that wiped out almost all play on Thursday and Friday forced organisers to trim the event to 36 holes, with the final round starting on Saturday afternoon.

Ashok, seeking her first LPGA title, birdied the par-five 15th on a five-foot putt and closed with three pars. The 20-year-old Olympian from Bangalore, three times a winner on the Ladies European Tour, had completed a 66 to grab the early clubhouse lead. –