ROGERS, Ark. — Hae Ran Ryu accomplished a wire-to-wire run to her first LPGA Tour title, a three-shot victory Sunday on the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
The 22-year-old rookie from South Korea had 4 birdies and an eagle in her final 9 holes at Pinnacle Nation Membership to shoot a 5-under 66 and end at 19-under 194 within the 54-hole occasion. Ryu, the LPGA Q-Collection medalist final 12 months, earned $345,000 and is projected to climb into the highest 10 within the Race to CME Globe.
“I am so joyful as a result of at all times I feel profitable the primary of the 12 months, nevertheless it’s first time I am taking part in in Arkansas,” Ryu mentioned. “It is fantastic course. I am fairly good participant, so, so joyful.”
Linnea Strom closed with a 64 to complete second at 16 below.
After taking part in with out a bogey whereas capturing 64s in every of the primary two rounds, Ryu dropped two pictures to lose her lead with bogeys on Nos. 2 and 5. After making the flip at 1 over for her spherical, Ryu had birdies on Nos. 10 and 12, then eagled the par-5 14th to maneuver again forward at 17 below.
She added birdies at 16 and 18 in a back-nine 29. Ryu turned the fifth rookie to win this 12 months, and the primary to do it whereas main after each spherical since Patty Tavatanakit on the 2021 Chevron Championship.
“Final three holes I attempted to not see the scoreboard,” Ryu mentioned. “Simply deal with my play, and I made two extra birdies. Yeah, it is extra confidence.”
4 gamers tied for third at 15 below: South Koreans Jenny Shin (67) and Sei Younger Kim (66), Japan’s Yuna Nishimura (68) and Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines (64).
Lexi Thompson, an 11-time winner who’s winless since 2019, had a share of the lead after making 4 birdies in a five-hole stretch from Nos. 7 by 12, however managed just one extra birdie and completed in a tie for eighth.
#Hae #Ran #Ryu #South #Korea #wins #LPGA #Tour #title