Australia’s Hannah Green grabbed her second title of the season after a 12-foot birdie putt at the first play-off hole secured her victory at the JM Eagle LA Championship.
Going into Sunday’s final round at El Caballero three strokes off playing partner Sei Young Kim at the top of the leaderboard, Green’s rise was slow-going on the front nine. She birdied the 2nd but made a pair of bogeys at the 3rd and 6th holes, as Kim opened with a birdie and extended her lead to four by the turn.
Fellow South Korean Jin Hee Im made a charge of her own as she fired through three consecutive birdies from holes 3 to 5, then another at the 7th to come level with Kim. But she double bogeyed the 10th to fall back, just as Kim made an eagle at the 11th. The leading South Korean then stumbled with her second bogey of the round at the next hole. By then, Green was already finding momentum. A birdie at the 11th was the start as the Aussie made four further birdies, one after the other, on holes 13, 14, 15, and 16. She parred the final two to tie for the lead as Kim bogeyed the penultimate and Im made eagle at the 16th to climb once more and join the play-off.
The group returned to the par-4 18th to determine the champion, and Green ultimately rose to the title as she made birdie as the others parred, marking her third triumph at the event in four years.
“I had that putt, obviously very similar line in regulation, so I felt somewhat comfortable,” the 29-year-old said after her play-off success. “It still was a tough putt, so really glad it went in the hole.”
“I honestly didn’t think I was in the tournament still,” Green added, discussing her rapid rise into contention after the turn. “I was just like, `Oh, well just go for as many pins as possible.’ And got on a nice stretch there. I kind of thought the putt that I missed on 16 was the crucial moment. I mean, I’m just fortunate enough that I at least got into the playoff.”
It was a stunning victory for Green, reinforcing her fine form this season and building serious momentum ahead of this week’s opening major of the LPGA Tour season, the Chevron Championship.
While Kim and Im settled for a share of second place – the latter of whom was penalized for slow play on Saturday – their South Korean compatriot Ina Yoon finished fourth at 16 under. Haeran Ryu and Patty Tavatanakit closed out the top 5 in a share of fifth at 14 under.
What is the next event?
The next event on the LPGA Tour is The Chevron Championship taking place between 23-26 April at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.