Chinese rookie overcomes world No 1 to win first LPGA title

NORTON, Massachusetts — Miranda Wang Xinying lost the lead to the No 1 player in women's golf, but then delivered a series of clutch shots over the final three holes on Sunday to snatch a one-shot victory over Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul in the FM Championship to win her first LPGA title.

Wang, 26, became the seventh LPGA rookie to win this year, extending a remarkable streak of different winners through the tour's first 23 tournaments of the year.

"It's a dream come true," Wang said. "I hope this is the first of many and I'll keep working hard."

Wang fired a closing two-under 70 to finish on 268 for the top prize of $615,000, with Thitikul second on 269 after a closing-round 67.

World No 187 Wang became only the third player from the Chinese mainland to capture an LPGA crown after Feng Shanshan's 10 wins and Yin Ruoning's five titles.

Wang also became the tour's 11th first-time winner of the season.

Leading by three shots when the day began and four ahead of Thitikul, Wang held off the world No 1's charge late on with her clutch putting, something that had given her confidence since the opening round.

"On the back nine of the first round I started hitting really good shots," said Wang, who, in 2019, delivered the winning point when Duke won that year's NCAA team title.

"The shots and putts were going so well for me, I felt like this could be my week and I just worked really hard and didn't give up on that.

"I always think the putter is my best club in the bag. I also like the other clubs, but I love my putting so I'm happy to see it work out really well this week."

Thitikul, who took over the No 1 ranking from American Nelly Korda three weeks ago, was poised to end that streak and ruin Wang's hopes when the Thai hit a wedge to two feet on hole nine for her fifth birdie to go out in 31 on the TPC Boston and tie for the lead.

Wang showed some nerves when she jabbed at a three-foot birdie putt she missed on the par-5 12th. Then she came up well short from the fairway on hole 15 into a bunker, didn't reach the green and took bogey to fall out of the lead.

But, she showed plenty of moxie in the way she finished, and Thitikul gave her plenty of help.

Thitikul was in a collar of rough, the ball above her feet, after an aggressive drive on the 17th. She pulled her shot left of a bunker, chipped through the green and had to get up-and-down from the other side for bogey.

"I don't think I did anything wrong. Just technique-wise made some mistakes," Thitikul said.

Wang missed a seven-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, but then hit her approach on the 17th to six feet behind the hole and caught enough of the cup to make birdie and regain the lead.

On the par-5 closing hole, Thitikul laid up short of a ditch and her wedge landed five feet short of the pin and then rolled back some 20 feet. She made par for a 67.

Wang laid up and hit a wedge to 25 feet, two-putting for par to finish at 20-under 268. American Rose Zhang, who played in the final group with Wang, was among those who doused her with bubbly to celebrate becoming the 11th first-time winner on the LPGA this year.

Wang set the tone for her first LPGA title Thursday when, after she made eight birdies on the front nine. Her confidence only grew with the putter, and she led by three shots going into the final round.

Thitikul, who won her fifth career LPGA title in May at the Mizuho Americas Open, could not recover from a bogey on the 17th.

"I had no idea what other people were doing," said Thitikul, who fired birdies on five of the first nine holes.

"I was just trying to do my job the best I could.

"I'll take a positive, especially the final round I had, the front nine I had.

"I proved to myself I can go low in the final round."

South Korea's Kim Sei-young was third on 271, with American Andrea Lee fourth on 272, both firing 70, while Zhang and South Korean Im Jin-hee shared fifth place on 273, with Im posting a bogey-free 62.

Korda, a seven-time winner last year, closed with a 75 and tied for 35th, 14 shots behind Wang.

So far this season, the LPGA has had 24 different winners in 23 tournaments — one of them was a team event.

Next stop is Cincinnati in two weeks for the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Agencies