Super Suzuki reigns in home country for first LPGA win
TOTO Japan Classic report: What happened at Seta Golf Club?
Ai Suzuki won her first LPGA Tour event as she blew away the field at the TOTO Japan Classic winning with a score of 17 under.
The JLPGA star has won 14 times on her home country’s tour but has never before collected a title on the LPGA Tour.
Suzuki played brilliantly throughout the three-round tournament and went bogey-free over the concluding two days, which ultimately made the difference.
Her Sunday 67 added to her opening round of the same number but her round of the week came on Saturday as she soared to a 65.
The 25-year-old teed it up on Sunday with a comfortable three-shot lead over Hyo Joo Kim and it was birdies at 2, 5, 6, 7 and 18 that saw her maintain the advantage throughout the final round.
Speaking after her round, she said: “I am very settled, and my shots were solid.
“So I did not have to worry about other players. I just had to play a bogey-free round. One thing I wanted to improve on is to have some birdies on the back nine on Sunday.
“It was my 15th win. This one is special because it is an LPGA Tour event – it’s beyond Japan, an international event.”
There was a second consecutive top-three finish for Australian ace Minjee Lee who carded rounds of 68-69-68.
LPGA Tour rookie Jennifer Kupcho enjoyed a good week and picked up some much-needed form ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship.
The American had five birdies in her opening seven holes on Sunday and finished in a tie for 4th.
Joe Hughes
Tour editor covering men's golf, women's golf and anything else that involves the word golf, really. The talk is far better than the game, but the work has begun to change that.
