Ryu cruises to 7-shot win in Ohio
Sylvania, OH (Sports Network) - So Yeon Ryu fired a 9-under 62 on Sunday to
win the Jamie Farr Owens Toledo Classic by seven shots.
Ryu, the 2011 U.S. Women's Open champion, finished her second LPGA Tour
victory at 20-under-par 264.
The final round was close until Ryu poured in six straight birdies from the
ninth to run away from the field.
"It feels surreal. I can't believe it," Ryu admitted. "Actually, after the
U.S. Open, I don't have any wins, so that's why I really wanted this win."
Angela Stanford closed with a 66 to take second place at minus-13 at Highland
Meadows Golf Club.
Inbee Park and Chella Choi both shot 2-under 69s on Sunday and shared third
place at 12-under-par 272.
I.K. Kim, who shared the third-round lead with Ryu, Jiyai Shin and Hee Kyung
Seo, managed an even-par 71 to tie Jennie Lee (67) in fifth at minus-11.
Shin shot 72 to share seventh, while Seo posted a 73 to end alongside Beatriz
Recari in ninth at 9-under-par 275.
Ryu took the early lead with a birdie on the third. Two holes later, she
pushed her lead to two as she birdied No. 5.
Kim birdied the sixth to get within one, but Ryu caught fire after three
straight pars. Ryu birdied the ninth from long range to extend her lead back
to two.
Around the turn, Ryu kept rolling with birdies at 10 and 11, both from inside
10 feet. She was four ahead at that point, and wasn't finished. Ryu poured in
birdie tries at 12, 13 and 14 to jump to 19-under par.
That run moved Ryu was seven shots ahead of the field. She settled in with
three pars in the next three holes. Stanford birdied the last to end at 13-
under, but Ryu matched that to finish seven clear.
"I think today my ball striking was pretty great. I made a lot of birdie
chances, but I missed a lot on the front nine," Ryu said. "But on No. 9, I
made a really long putt, and then my confidence level was going up, so that's
why I made six birdies in a row. I'm just really, really happy, and I'm so
glad to win this tournament."
Stanford birdied the second to get her round going. She traded a bogey for a
birdie from the fourth. A birdie on No. 8 got her to minus-10.
Around the turn, she collected three more birdies to grab second place.
"I felt really good starting the day. Really calm, and you kind of get the
feeling on this course that you're going to have to go low, and I was
obviously not low enough today," Stanford said. "But I just stayed really
patient."
NOTES: Ryu earned $195,000 for the win...This was her seventh top-5 finish of
the year...Na Yeon Choi, the 2010 champion, closed with a 68 to end at 5-under
279...The tour heads to Oregon next week for the Safeway Classic, where Suzann
Pettersen will defend her title.
08/12 19:33:24 ET
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