Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Monday 26 June 2017

So Yeon Ryu wins in Arkansas; 1st 2-time winner this year

By KURT VOIGT the fourth round.
AP Sports Writer “To be honest, after I won
ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — This the ANA Inspiration, a lot
time, So Yeon Ryu was able of people said I maybe I
to celebrate — without any didn’t deserve to win the
hint of drama or suspense. tournament,” Ryu said.
And the third-ranked South “It was understandable if
Korean might just have someone was a big fan of
used victory Sunday in Lexi ... (Sunday’s win) feels
the Walmart NW Arkansas a bit more free than after
Championship as a spring- the ANA.”
board for a possible rise to Five strokes ahead after a
No. 1 in the world. course-record 10-uner 61
Ryu became the LPGA on Saturday, Ryu closed
Tour’s first two-time winner with a 69 for a two-shot
this season, finishing at a victory over fellow South
tournament-record 18-un- Korean player Amy Yang
der 195. She won the ANA and Thailand’s Moriya Ju-
Inspiration two months ago tanugarn.
in California for her second Yang finished with a 64,
major title, a controversial and Jutanugarn had a 66.
playoff victory after Lexi Local favorite Stacy Lewis
Thompson was penalized (69) and Michelle Wie (64)
four strokes for a third-round tied for fourth at 13 under.
rules violation reported by Ryu became the tour’s first
a television viewer during repeat winner in the 16th
So Yeon Ryu from South Korea holds up her trophy after winning
the LPGA Wal-Mart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament
at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark., Sunday, June 25, 2017.
Associated Press
event of the year, win- bunker on the par-4 13th.
ning at Pinnacle Country Despite the big lead to
Club four years after losing open the round, Ryu con-
a playoff to Inbee Park in tinued to play aggressively.
Located in the Riu Antilles Resort (Formerly the Westin Resort) event. She went at a difficult pin
FREE TRANSPORTATION TO THE CASINO FROM ALL “Hopefully, there are location on the par-3 sixth
HIGH RISE AND LOW RISE HOTELS AND TIMESHARES. many more to come,” Ryu and on her third shot into
CALL 525-7777 FOR MORE INFORMATION said before leaving for the par-5 14th — with the
the KPMG Women’s PGA pin perilously close the front
LIVE POKER Championship in Illinois. of the green and a steep
Ryu’s lead was at four shots slope leading into the wa-
midway through the final ter.
GAMES START 8 PM TO THE WEE HOURS round, but it closed to two “I just tried not to do some-
for a brief stretch on the thing special,” Ryu said.
back nine. Moments after “Just better to be like me
1-2.....2-5......5-5 1-3.....2-5......5-5 Ryu fell to 17 under after and play to win the tourna-
$100 HIGH HAND BONUSES EVERY HOUR missing the green on the ment.”
par-3 11th en route to her Lewis began the day five
OVER $20,000 PER WEEK GIVEN OUT IN HIGH HAND BONUSES lone bogey of the week, shots back and in the final
CRAPS Yang gave the final round pairing with Ryu, but strug-
its first taste of suspense gled for much of the day
ONLY CASINO IN ARUBA TO OFFER 3, 4 & 5 TIME ODDS with a birdie on the 12th. before closing with an ea-
The birdie pushed Yang to gle on the par-5 18th.
15 under, but she followed “So Yeon’s played great for
SPORTSBOOK with bogeys on 13 and 14 a year now, so I’m not sur-
— and Ryu quickly extend-
prised,” Lewis said. “She did
LIVE SIMULCAST OF ALL MAJOR TRACKS ed her lead back to five exactly what she needed
shots with a birdie of her to do today; made some
THROUGHOBRED AND HARNESS own on the par-4 12th. She good key par putts, espe-
also had a long par-saving cially there on the back
up-and-down out of the side.”q