Ariya Jutanugarn dramatically fluffed a chip on the closing regulation gap earlier than dropping in a five-way play-off as Mao Saigo gained The Chevron Championship after a outstanding end in Texas.
Jutanugarn tried to dink onto the 18th inexperienced from the adjoining tough however the ball solely moved a matter of inches.
She went on to undergo a bogey six to lose her one-shot lead, drop to seven below and slip into an additional time shootout with Saigo, Hyo-Joo Kim, Ruoning Yin and Lindy Duncan on the first main of the season.
Yin, Duncan and Saigo all nailed birdie putts on the ultimate inexperienced to achieve the play-off however Kim missed one in all her personal that may finally have seen her victorious in regulation time after Jutanugarn’s weird second on the final.
The only play-off gap required was additionally full of chaos as Yin did not convert an eagle effort that may have seen her take the trophy after which noticed the next birdie look lip out.
After Jutanugarn and Kim squandered their birdie shouts, too, Saigo – who held the co-lead heading into the ultimate spherical however then shot a two-over 74 – drained hers to make sure her maiden victory on the LPGA Tour, after six on the LPGA of Japan Tour, was a serious.
Jutanugarn misses out on third main title
Jutanugarn was inside touching distance of a 3rd main and first in seven years, after the 2016 Girls’s Open and 2018 US Girls’s Open, just for her late mistake – when nerves maybe settled in for a participant who has not gained an occasion since 2021 – to price her.
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The 29-year-old had made two birdies and an eagle throughout her first eight holes to open up a two-shot lead earlier than bogeys at 9 and 13 set her again, though various clutch par saves round that stored her in management whereas a lot of her rivals, together with Saigo and Yin, stuttered.
Duncan registered successive birdies at 13 and 14 to earn a share of the lead at eight below, solely to then report consecutive bogeys at 15 and 16 as her hopes of a maiden main appeared to have evaporated.
Jutanugarn’s woe at 18 let Duncan again in, although, and the American had an eagle putt from off the inexperienced to win the title, just for that to skid on previous the outlet and depart a tough birdie putt to drive her method into the play-off.
Duncan made bogey in additional time.
Defending champion Nelly Korda’s hopes of back-to-back titles had been largely wrecked by a five-over opening spherical
Korda left to rue opening 77 and third-round double bogeys
Defending champion and world No 1 Nelly Korda ended up in a tie for 14th on two below together with her hopes of going again to-back largely wrecked on the opening day when she shot a five-over 77 but additionally dented by successive double bogeys on the again 9 throughout her third spherical.
Korda – but to win an occasion this season after seven victories in 2024 – carded a two-under 70 on the ultimate day.
Lexi Thompson’s bid for a second main title – and first since getting into semi-retirement – light as she shot a four-over 76 after starting on six below par and three strokes adrift of 54-hole leaders Saigo and Hae-Ran Ryu.
Lexi Thompson’s cost light on the ultimate day at The Woodlands
Thompson, who gained this occasion in 2014, has stepped again from full-time golf and is simply enjoying in chosen occasions.
The highest European was ninth-placed Carlota Ciganda on 4 below with the most effective Brit England’s Georgia Corridor, who ended up in joint twenty eighth on one over.
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