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SPORTS Monday 16 april 2018

Brooke Henderson wins in Hawaii for 6th LPGA Tour title

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) — it and all the ones that tured rain squalls and winds
For the final two days of have passed away, I want gusting to 30 mph.
the Lotte Championship, to show them that we’re “Crazy windy again” said
it was pretty clear that the here for them and we’re Henderson, who was third
only player who could beat supporting them. They’re in greens in regulation (52
Brooke Henderson was always going to be in our of 72) and sixth in driving dis-
Brooke Henderson. thoughts and prayers.” tance (288.8) for the week.
She wasn’t about to let it Henderson, who won’t be “Just being able to adjust
happen Saturday at windy 21 until September, won to it, kind of stay poised in
Ko Olina Golf Club, where her sixth LPGA Tour title, it. Things aren’t going to
she won by four shots. The leaving her just two short of always go perfectly, but I
Canadian was too talent- Sandra Post for most wins felt like my ball striking was
ed, and she had some very by a Canadian player. probably the best it’s ever
important people to play She collected $300,000, been.”
for, dedicating her victory giving her nearly $500,000 Jutanugarn tied for third, Brooke Henderson, of Canada, holds the trophy after winning
to the people involved in this year and $4 million in five back, with top-ranked the LPGA Lotte Championship golf tournament Saturday, April
the Humboldt Broncos ju- her three-year career. Her Shanshan Feng (71) and 14, 2018, in Kapolei, Hawaii.
nior hockey team bus crash final-round 3-under 69 left third-ranked Inbee Park stretched to five at the turn came on the 12th and she
in Saskatchewan. her at 12 under, four ahead (72), who bogeyed the last Friday, before putting prob- missed a short birdie putt at
“It’s extremely sad, a ter- of Azahara Munoz, whose two holes. lems brought the field back the next hole.
rible tragedy what hap- 67 was the low round on a Henderson came into the into it. This time she recovered
pened up there,” Hender- very difficult scoring day. week ranked 14th and in a Henderson led by just one quickly, hitting driver-driver
son said. “I know it kind of It was Munoz’s best finish in comfort zone. She has nev- heading into the final day. within 20 yards of the 14th
affected my whole coun- more than four years. Hen- er finished worse than 11th She played the first 11 green, then sinking a short
try. Everybody really took it derson and sixth-ranked at Ko Olina. holes Saturday in 2 under birdie putt. She drained a
kind of personally. Ariya Jutanugarn (69) were At the halfway point, she to carve out a three-shot 10-footer for another birdie
“For all the survivors that the only other golfers to was 10 under, bogey-free advantage, then faltered one the 16th, where she
are still fighting through break 70 on a day that fea- and two shots ahead. That again. Her only bogey four-putted Friday.q

RBC Heritage List all came back to the
pack. Kodaira became
Continued from Page 18 third. Third-round leader the sixth straight RBC Heri-
Poulter’s bid for a second tage champion who was
It ended a drama-filled tour title in three weeks three strokes down or
final round in which it ap- ended with a 75 and a tie more at the start of the fi-
peared that Kim, Ian Poul- for seventh. nal round.Playing Harbour
ter and Luke List had the Starting times for the final Town for the first time, Ko-
lock on the title at different round were moved up daira opened with a 73,
points. because of a forecast for then followed with the
But it was Kodaira’s relent- bad weather. tournament’s best round
less grind to the top that Kodaira won $1.206 mil- of the week, 63, on Friday.
won the day. And with the lion. He’ll be exempt on That game kicked in once
game he showed at Har- the PGA Tour through the more in the final round,
bour Town Golf Links, Kod- 2019-20 season. with six birdies on the
aira appears like he’s got The tournament appeared Satoshi Kodaira, of Japan, holds the trophy after winning the way to the playoff. De-
more big moments on tour in steady hands with Kim, RBC Heritage golf tournament in a three-hole playoff against Si Chambeau, the 24-year-
ahead like countryman whose bulldog focus and Woo Kim, of South Korea, during the final round of the tourna- old second-round leader
and five-time tour winner shot-making held every- ment in Hilton Head Island, S.C., Sunday, April 15, 2018. who fell apart with a Sat-
Hideki Matsuyama. one off to win The Players Associated Press urday 75, bounced back
“I feel like I’m getting Championship last May. try to extend things, but he won the Houston Open Sunday with a 66 to finish
closer to that level,” said But the 22-year-old from came up short. two weeks ago for his first two shots back. His roller
Kodaira, who is ranked South Korea faltered over Kim thought the increased tour win in more than five coaster of a tournament
46th in the world and has his final nine holes of regu- winds slowed down the years, had six bogeys Sun- played out again in the fi-
played in 15 tour events. lation, with three bogeys greens, making putts more day after making just two nal round as he rose three
“I’d like to do my best in to fall into the tie with Ko- difficult on the final nine in his first three rounds. shots to 9-under, then fell
major championships and, daira. Kodaira might have holes. “But I tried my best Kodaira was the hardest back to 7-under before
hopefully, work hard at it.” had a few butterflies on and the putts didn’t drop,” charged and few even re- closing with consecutive
Bryson DeChambeau (66) the final playoff hole as Kim said. “It is what it is.” alized until the final three- birdies on the 15th, 16th,
and List (72) were tied for Kim had a 21-foot birdie Poulter, who dramatically some of Kim, Poulter and 17th and 18th holes.q