Patty Tavatanakit survived Lydia Ko's final-round charge Sunday to win the ANA Inspiration for her first LPGA Tour victory.
Five strokes ahead entering the day and six in front after a chip-in eagle on the par-5 second, Tavatanakit shot a 4-under 68 in 100-degree heat to beat Ko by two strokes in the first major championship of the year.
Ko matched Lorena Ochoa's tournament record with a 62, shooting 7-under 29 on the front nine for the best nine-hole score in event's 50-year history. The New Zealander began the day tied for seventh at 6 under, eight strokes behind Tavatanakit in the tournament played without spectators for the second time in seven months.
Jin Young Ko, of South Korea, watches her shot from the second tee during the final round of the LPGA's ANA Inspiration golf tournament at Mission Hills Country Club on Sunday, April 4, 2021, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
Winless since April 2018, the 23-year-old Ko played the first 11 holes in 9 under and added a birdie on the par-4 15th. On the par-5 18th, she drove into rough near the water that lines the left side, laid up and hit a wedge 30 feet long and right. Her birdie try missed to the left, stopping inches away.
Tavatanakit had a series of late par saves to keep her two-stroke lead. Her 8-footer on the par-4 15th circled the cup and dropped in, she lagged a 45-footer to 2 feet on the par-4 16th, and chipped to inches on the par-3 17th after missing the green left.
The 21-year-old Thai player finished the wire-to-wire victory with a short par putt on 18. A day after matching the tournament 54-hole record of 14 under set by Pernilla Lindberg in her 2018 victory, Tavatanakit finished a stroke off Dottie Pepper's 72-hole mark of 19 under set in 1999.
Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit watches her shot from the third tee during the final round of the LPGA's ANA Inspiration golf tournament at Mission Hills Country Club on Sunday, April 4, 2021, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
Ranked 103rd in the world, the former UCLA star became the sixth straight international winner. She's the first rookie to win the event since Juli Inkster in 1984 and the fourth straight first-time major winner.
Tavatanakit won seven times in two seasons at UCLA and had three Symetra Tour victories in 2019.
Ko has 15 LPGA Tour victories, winning at Mission Hills in 2016 for her second major victory.
Patty Tavatanakit, of Thailand, watches her shot from the third tee during the final round of the LPGA's ANA Inspiration golf tournament at Mission Hills Country Club on Sunday, April 4, 2021, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
Nelly Korda (66), Sei Young Kim (66) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen (66) and Shanshan Feng (69) tied for third at 11 under.
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Lydia Ko, of New Zealand, hits on the first hole during the final round of the LPGA's ANA Inspiration golf tournament at Mission Hills Country Club on Sunday, April 4, 2021, in Rancho Mirage, Calif. (AP PhotoRingo H.W. Chiu)
Jin Young Ko had five back-nine birdies in a 7-under 64 at demanding Wilshire Country Club for a share of the second-round lead Friday with Nasa Hataoka in the DIO Implant LA Open.
Five strokes behind first-round leader Alison Lee after a 71, the top-ranked Ko moved into position for her second victory of the season in the first of two straight LPGA Tour events in the Los Angeles area.
“My putting was so good today,” Ko said. “I wasn’t expecting to play really well today because in the afternoon it’s always hard to play this course. But my putting was good, so I’m happy with it.”
Jin Young Ko waves to fans after sinking a putt on the first green during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)
Hataoka birdied her final three holes for a 68 to match Ko at 7 under. Eighteen players were unable to finish the round because of darkness.
After dropping a stroke on the par-4 ninth, Ko birdied Nos. 11-14 and added her eighth birdie of the day on the par-4 17th.
“I didn’t think I played 5 under on the back nine,” Ko said. “I didn’t know that. I was in the zone.”
Jin Young Ko tees off at the second tee during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)
The 26-year-old South Korean star won in Singapore early last month for her 13th LPGA Tour title. She won five times last year.
“I have two more rounds and nobody knows how it goes,” Ko said. “So working hard and focus on it and go get it”
Hataoka had seven birdies and four bogeys. The 23-year-old from Japan has five LPGA Tour victories, winning twice last season.
Nasa Hataoka tees off at the 17th tee during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)
“The wind was pretty strong,” Hayaoka said. “The greens are pretty tight, narrow. So my plan was to hit the green, not try to be too aggressive. On the back nine, the wind kind of got weaker, so I was able to hit at the pin.”
Hannah Green was third at 5 under after a bogey-free 67. The Australian won her two LPGA Tour titles in 2019.
“I’m very pleased,” Green said. “I guess today’s round kind of felt like even more under par than what it was. I was pretty solid with my putting all day today which was nice because yesterday I had a couple three-putts.”
Nasa Hataoka, right, fist bumps her caddie, after sinking a shot on the 17th green during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)
Fellow Australian Minjee Lee, the 2019 winner, had a 68 to match Haeji Kang (69) at 4 under. Inbee Park (67) topped the group at 3 under.
“You’ve got to really be careful how you play the holes — and you can’t get too greedy,” Park said. “Even though the course is short, it’s just really tough.”
Lee was 2 under, following her opening 66 with a 74.
Maddie Szeryk hits from the sand on to the first green during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)
Defending champion Brooke Henderson, playing alongside Ko, shot 76-72 to miss the cut.
The Palos Verdes Championship is next week.
Inbee Park tees off at the fifth tee during the second round of LPGA's DIO Implant LA Open golf tournament at Wilshire Country Club on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP PhotoAshley Landis)
