Japan's Takeda equals course record in dominant China LPGA win / Photo: © AFP
Japan's Takeda equals course record in dominant China LPGA win
Japanese rookie Rio Takeda equalled the course record on her way to a dominant victory at the Blue Bay LPGA in China on Sunday.
Takeda shot a blistering bogey-free round of 64, which included eight birdies, to end at 17-under-par and claim her second LPGA title.
Her six-shot winning margin on Hainan Island was the largest of the season.
Australian two-time major winner Minjee Lee, who finished second on 11-under-par, briefly threatened to challenge for the trophy after making up three shots with a chip-in birdie at seven and another for eagle at eight.
Though Lee made a further four birdies on the back-nine, Takeda consistently made up shots to always stay comfortably ahead.
Japan's Ayaka Furue finished third on 10-under and Australia's Cassie Porter - another rookie - took fourth.
Poker-faced for much of the day as she sunk putts all over the course, Takeda finally broke into a smile after making yet another birdie on the final hole before being showered with champagne by her supporters.
Ahead by two strokes overnight, the 21-year-old made birdies at holes one, three and four and never looked like relinquishing the lead.
"I'm really happy to win this tournament because the course layout is really different... compared to Japanese courses," Takeda said after her victory.
She attributed the triumph to her strong driving game, heralding it as her "strongest point".
The young Japanese golfer took home $375,000 prize money with her trophy.
Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul, the world number two coming into this tournament, shot a disappointing 74 to slip from joint third overnight to a joint twelfth finish.
V.Allen--TNT
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