JAPAN’s Akie Iwai carded a six-under 66 to secure her maiden LPGA victory at the Portland Classic.
The win makes her the 10th first-time champion this season and the fifth Japanese player to lift a trophy.
Iwai finished with a 24-under total of 264, four strokes clear of American Gurleen Kaur in second place.
Kaur posted a bogey-free 65, her best LPGA round, but couldn’t close the gap on the steady Iwai.
Chisato Iwai, Akie’s twin sister, charged up the leaderboard with an eight-under 64 to finish tied for third.
Chisato had previously won the Riviera Maya Open in May, inspiring Akie to push for her own breakthrough.
“(She) really inspired me,“ said Akie, who also finished runner-up in Thailand and at the LA Championship this year.
Akie started strong with birdies on the fifth and sixth, then added two more at the 11th and 14th.
She sealed the win with back-to-back birdies on the final two holes, including an 18-footer at the last.
“Today I was able to conquer myself,“ she said after the emotional victory.
Chisato was the first to celebrate, rushing onto the green to spray champagne with her sister.
“Just watching, so nervous,“ Chisato admitted as Akie closed out the win.
Chisato’s round included two eagles and four straight birdies, but an early bogey kept her from contention.
Sweden’s Linn Grant matched Chisato’s 19-under total, while Australia’s Grace Kim finished fifth at 18-under.
The victory cements the Iwai twins as rising stars in women’s golf. – AFP
