South Korea’s Mi Hyang Lee overcame a pair of double bogeys on the front nine and recorded a birdie on the final hole to seize a one-stroke win at the Blue Bay LPGA on Sunday at Hainan Island, China.
Lee, 32, won her third LPGA title and first since capturing the 2017 Women’s Scottish Open after firing a 1-over-par 73 on Sunday to finish with an 11-under 277 at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course.
She finished one stroke better than China’s Weiwei Zhang (69 on Sunday), who failed to hold the lead after a bogey on the 17th hole.
“Still kind of a little bit shake my hands,” Lee said of her nerves. “First hole make birdie, but like two double front nine and then finish 4-over so was almost give up, but my caddie just kept telling me keep fighting, fighting. I really fought by myself, just didn’t give up, and then I just got to make a lot of birdies, so I think amazing. Feels amazing, yes.”
Lee became only the second South Korean to win the Blue Bay LPGA, joining 2015 champion Sei Young Kim
Auston Kim (71) made three birdies over the final five holes to reside in a third-place tie with Aditi Ashok (72) of India.
“I’m proud of the three birdies that I made coming in, but it really (stinks) to play that well Thursday (67), Friday (68), and not get it done. Really frustrating,” Kim said. “I hope moving forward I won’t make the same mistakes that I did this week and play better.”
Lee saw her three-stroke lead evaporate following double bogeys on the fifth and ninth holes before making birdies on the 10th and 13th holes.
She took advantage of Zhang’s misstep on the 17th hole by hitting the pin on her third shot at the par-5 18th hole. She tapped in from 2 feet out to win the tournament.
“I just keep watching the scoreboard. I think that’s why this — that give me a lot of confidence,” Lee said. “I just keep making one more birdie, two more birdie, and so it was — yeah, just keep watching it, the scoreboard. I knew Weiwei and Rio (Takeda of Japan) play well, too.”
Takeda (73), the defending champion, tied for fifth with South Koreans Hye-Jin Choi (74) and A Lim Kim (73) and China’s Yu Liu (74).
