Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist made her first major championship as a professional a memorable one on Sunday as she fired a four-under 68 to win the LPGA Championship.
Nordqvist, who turned 22 on Wednesday, finished at 15-under 273, four shots ahead of Australian Lindsey Wright.
After seeing her five-stroke lead s10.6m shot for birdie at the next.
Wright, who like Nordqvist had to return early on Sunday to finish up her weather-delayed third round, fired a final-round 70 for 277.
South Korea’s Shin Ji-yai was third after a 68 for 278, and compatriot Kyeong Bae, 68, was a further shot back on 279.
Nordqvist had made the cut at the Women’s British Open the past two years as an amateur.
Taiwanese golfer Yani Tseng fired a 74 for 287, while compatriot Candie Kung also shot 74 for 293. Teresa Lu was at 296 after shooting five-over par at 77.
■ST JUDE CLASSIC
REUTERS, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
American Brian Gay crowned a consistent week by clinching the St Jude Classic on Sunday with a five-shot win over compatriots David Toms and Bryce Molder.
The 37-year-old Gay finished on 18-under par to claim his third PGA Tour win, and his second of the year, having led after all four rounds at the TPC Southwind.
World No. 2 Phil Mickelson, returning from a five-week lay-off after his wife was diagnosed with cancer last month, shot a disappointing five-over 75 on the final day to finish one-over for the week. Mickelson ended tied for 59th along with twice major winner John Daly, who returned to the PGA Tour after a six-month ban for improper conduct.
Gay, who won the Heritage Classic in April, has now booked himself a starting place in next week’s US Open.
BUMRAH WATCH: Captain Jasprit Bumrah left the SCG for scans for back spasms and although he returned to the ground, there was no word on if he would play Rishabh Pant’s blistering counterattack yesterday capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India, with 15 wickets falling and the star bowler of the series leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort. Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.” Australia were bowled out for
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek yesterday beat Elena Rybakina in straight sets to take Poland into the final of the mixed-teams United Cup with victory over Kazakhstan. Last year’s runners-up face the US today for the title in Sydney after they beat the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. “This win makes me really proud,” Swiatek said after seeing off Rybakina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was a statement of intent from the world number two with the first major of the year to start on Jan. 12. “It is perfect preparation for the
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Jiang Xinyu of China yesterday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, while Naomi Osaka retired from the women’s singles final with an abdominal injury. Second seeds Wu and Jiang defeated Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US 6-3, 6-4 on ASB Tennis Centre’s Stadium Court in 1 hour, 5 minutes. The WTA 250 victory was 25-year-old Wu’s second WTA Tour title, after winning the 2023 Hua Hin Championships in Thailand with Taiwanese partner Chan Hao-ching. Later that year, Wu and Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-hsiou won the mixed doubles gold at the World
RSS