THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Mao Saigo of Japan received the Chevron Championship on Sunday for her first main title, making a 3-foot birdie putt on the primary gap of a five-way playoff.
Saigo birdied the par-5 18th in regulation for a 2-under 74, leaving her tied with Hyo Joo Kim, Ruoning Yin, Ariya Jutanugarn and Lindy Duncan. They completed at 7-under 281 at The Membership at Carlton Woods.
Saigo received on the 18th within the playoff after Yin and Jutanugarn had birdie tries lip out. Jutanugarn bogeyed the 18th in regulation after stubbing her third quick solely inches.
Saigo received for the primary time on the LPGA Tour. She was the tour’s rookie of the 12 months final season. The 23-year-old participant is the primary Japanese winner within the occasion and the fifth main champion. She has six victories on the Japanese tour, 5 in 2022.
The 34-year-old Duncan bogeyed the playoff gap to come back up quick in her greater than a decade-long quest to win her first title.
It is the second time in three years that the event resulted in a playoff after American Lilia Vu birdied the primary additional gap to win in 2023.
Saigo took residence $1.2 million from a handbag of $8 million, a rise of $100,000 from final 12 months’s purse.
Winners had been leaping into Poppie’s Pond off the 18th inexperienced at Mission Hills since 1988, and Saigo grew to become the second to do it in Texas by leaping into the brown-tinged water. She shrieked and smiled as she went in holding palms with two members of her crew.
Saigo entered the day tied with Haeran Ryu at 9 beneath. However she bogeyed 5 holes Sunday to fall behind earlier than her birdie on the 18th gap acquired her a spot within the playoff to arrange the thrilling end.
Prime-ranked Nelly Korda shot 70 to tie for 14th at 2 beneath. Winless this season, she received the occasion final 12 months for the final of her record-tying 5 straight victories.
