Park wins second LPGA Championship in playoff
Inbee Park successfully defended her title in the LPGA Championship, beating Brittany Lincicome with a par on the first hole of a playoff Sunday to end the United States’ major streak at three.
On the playoff hole on Monroe Golf Club’s par-4 18th, Park hit her second into the rough behind the hole. Lincicome hit her approach to the left fringe, nearly identical to her position on the final hole of regulation when she made a bogey to fall in the playoff.
Lincicome chipped 6 feet past the hole and failed to convert for bogey. Park, the winner last year at Locust Hill in a playoff with Catriona Matthew, chipped to 3 feet and calmly sank her par putt for her fifth major title and fourth in the last two seasons.
Park finished with a 2-under 70 to match Lincicome at 11-under 276. Lincicome had a 71.
Americans had won the first three majors of the LPGA Tour season for the first time since 1999. Lexi Thompson began the run at Kraft Nabisco, Michelle Wie won the U.S. Women’s Open and Mo Martin the Women’s British Open.
The 26-year-old Park, from South Korea, was coming off a playoff loss to Mirim Lee last week in Michigan. Park also won this season in Canada and has 11 LPGA Tour victories.
She’s projected to jump from third to second in the world, passing 17-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand. Ko, trying to become the youngest major winner in LPGA history, shot a 70 to finish third at 8 under.
Yang wins U.S. Amateur: South Korea’s Gunn Yang completed his improbable run to the U.S. Amateur title with a 2-and-1 victory over Canada’s Corey Conners Sunday.
At No. 776, Yang became the lowest-ranked player in the world amateur standings to win the country’s biggest title for non-professional golfers. Along the way, he beat five players inside the top 100, including the 44th-ranked Conners.
Another win for Langer: Bernhard Langer rallied to win the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open on Sunday for his fifth Champions Tour victory of the year, while Kevin Sutherland followed his tour-record 59 with a 74 to drop into a tie for seventh.
The 56-year-old Langer closed with a bogey-free 66 for a one-stroke victory over Woody Austin and Mark O’Meara. Langer finished at 16-under 200 at En-Joie for his 23rd career victory on the 50-and-over tour.
Villegas wins Wyndham Championship: Camilo Villegas won the Wyndham Championship by a stroke Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory since 2010.
Villegas shot a 7-under 63 and finished at 17-under 263. He earned $954,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points in the final regular-season event.
Piller wins Web.com event: Martin Piller won the News Sentinel Open Sunday at Fox Den to give himself a chance to earn a PGA Tour card through the regular-season money list.