Hannah Green joined some elite company after notching her sixth career LPGA win — and third title of the year — at the BMW Ladies Championship at Seowon Valley Country Club in Korea.
The 27-year-old Aussie is one of only three players to win three or more tournaments this year, joining Nelly Korda (6 wins) and Lydia Ko (3 wins), and she claimed her latest victory in impressive fashion, going wire-to-wire to claim the title by one shot over a charging Chanettee Wannasaen, who drew even with Green heading into the back nine after posting a front-nine 30 that included four birdies and an eagle; and Celine Boutier, who birdied five of her last seven holes en route to a final-round 66.
After firing back-to-back bogey-free rounds of eight-under 64 in the first two rounds, Green’s third and final rounds were a bit more up-and down. After a front-nine 38 in Round 3, Green bounced back with a 32 on the back nine that featured two birdies and an eagle for a round of 70.
On Sunday, Green birdied the par-4 3rd, then bogeyed the par-3 7th. A birdie on the par-4 9th brought her to 19 under par overall. On No. 11, Green dropped a shot with a bogey on the par 5, then birdied the 17th hole to take a one-shot lead with one hole remaining. After finding the green in regulation on 18, a clutch par putt sealed the deal for a final-round 71 — and a one-shot victory.
“It was a crazy finish, I guess,” Green said after her round on Sunday. “My caddie said to me at the start of the day, ‘Let’s try and get a lead and have a bit of a cushion coming in.’ I did not do that and made it very interesting. But the putt on 17, I was very nervous. I was just very happy to see that one go in and on the last hole I was hoping I would have more of a tap-in but I like to make things interesting. But yeah, just super proud of myself for hanging in there because today conditions were very tough. The wind was very swirly, and I think everyone was trying to battle the wind.”
With the victory, Green is projected to move into the top five in the Race to CME Globe, the LPGA’s season-ending event in November. The next stop on the LPGA’s Asian swing is the Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club’s West Course in Malaysia next week, followed by the TOTO Japan Classic.
