LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ingrid Lindblad won the JM Eagle LA Championship on Sunday in her third start as an LPGA Tour member, avoiding a playoff when fellow rookie Akie Iwai bogeyed the final hole at El Caballero Country Club.
Playing a group ahead of Iwai, Lindblad shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 21-under 277. The 25-year-old former LSU star from Sweden made the last of her six birdies on the par-5 11th and parred the final seven holes. She had two front-nine bogeys.
Iwai followed a third-round 64 with a 69 to fall a stroke short. The 22-year-old Japanese player's twin sister, Chisato, tied for 11th at 15 under after a 68.
Iwai pulled even with Lindblad at 21 under with a birdie on the par-5 16th. After her drive went left and bounced twice on the cart path, Iwai hit a low cut around a tree to the front edge of the green and rolled a 75-foot eagle putt to inches of the hole.
On the par-4 18th, Iwai drove to the right over a bunker into rough, then hit a 9-iron from 150 that bounced near the flag and went off the back edge. From a good lie in choppy rough, she ran the downhill chip past the hole and missed the comebacker.
Lindblad got a break on the par-4 13th when her drive struck a tree on the left side and bounced into the fairway. She parred the hole to maintain a two-stroke lead.
Lauren Coughlin (70), Esther Henseleit (64), Miyu Yamashita (66) tied for third at 19 under. Nasa Hataoka had a 63 to get to 18 under.
Hannah Green, the winner each of the last two seasons at Wilshire Country Club, closed with a 67 to tie for ninth at 16 under. Second-ranked Jeeno Thitikul also was 16 under after a 69.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda had a 72 to tie for 16th at 14 under in her final start before her title defence in the major Chevron Championship. The major event starts Thursday outside Houston at The Woodlands.
Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., the only Canadian to survive the weekend cut, finished tied for 72nd at 2 over.
The tournament — the final event of the tour’s West Coast swing — was played at El Caballero because of renovations at Wilshire. It will return to Wilshire next season.
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The Associated Press
