05/04/25 03:50:00
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05/04 15:48 CDT Haeran Ryu pulls away for a wire-to-wire win at Black Desert
Championship
Haeran Ryu pulls away for a wire-to-wire win at Black Desert Championship
IVINS, Utah (AP) --- Haeran Ryu made an 8-foot eagle putt during a flawless
back nine that allowed her to pull away Sunday with an 8-under 64, giving her a
five-shot victory at the inaugural Black Desert Championship in the LPGA Tour's
return to Utah after a 61-year absence.
Ryu became the second player to go wire-to-wire on the LPGA Tour this year, and
it was her second time winning a new event. She won the FM Championship at the
TPC Boston last year.
She was coming off a rough finish at the Chevron Championship last week,
sharing the 54-hole lead at the first major of the year until closing with a 76.
This one was closer than the five-shot margin indicated. Ryu was clinging to a
one-shot lead over Esther Henseleit of Germany going to the back nine. She
missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 10th --- her third straight miss from short
range for birdie.
But then she made a 15-foot birdie putt at the 11th, and her eagle at the 13th
put her ahead by four shots.
"Incredible day," said Ryu, who now has won in each of the last seven years
dating to her first win as an 18-year-old on the Korea LPGA.
Henseleit, who started three shots behind, went out in 31 to get within one
shot. She cooled on the back nine, not making another birdie until the 18th
hole for a 66. She tied for second with Ruoning Yin (67), the final challenge
to Ryu.
"Started out great on the front nine and then couldn't quite keep up on the
back," Henseleit said. "Haeran played amazing and she really deserved to win it
today."
Yin, who got back into the mix with a 62 on Saturday, was four shots behind at
the turn. She ran off four straight birdies starting at the 11th, all of them
inside 8 feet. The last one got her to within three shots of Ryu.
The South Korean responded with an approach into 3 feet on the 15th for a
birdie to restore her lead to four shots, and Yin fell back with a double bogey
from the bunker on the 16th.
"I play 70 good holes," Yin said. "I made a triple on the first day and then a
double on 16 today. But overall, I think my game is really solid."
Yan Liu closed with a 65 to finish alone in fourth.
Stephanie Kyriacou of Australia finished with the shot of the day, a fairway
metal on the par-5 18th that rolled in for an albatross, giving her a 67 to tie
for sixth.
Ryu is the 10th winner in 10 tournaments on the LPGA Tour this season.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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