Korean Ji fires 65 to win Taiwan Championship

Imaginechina

Ji Eun-hee fired a 7-under-par 65 to win the Taiwan Championship on Sunday for her first LPGA title since the 2009 US Women's Open.

Ji, who had a six-stroke lead heading into the final round, carded seven birdies to finish at 17-under 271, six strokes ahead of Lydia Ko, who also closed with a 65.

"I'm so happy and excited because I haven't won for the past eight years," said Ji. "So I was waiting for this moment for so long, so I'm super happy right now."

Ji's six-stroke margin of victory ties the largest of the 2017 season, joining the previous mark set by fellow South Korean Lee Mi-rim at the Kia Classic.

New Zealand's Ko birdied her last two holes.

"I'll still take a birdie on the finishing hole," said Ko. "When I was on the 17th tee I said I want to finish with two birdies, and I was able to do that. I played really solid today."

Top-ranked Ryu So-yeon also shot a bogey-free 65 to move into a tie for third place with American Lizette Salas and Carlota Ciganda of Spain.

Park Sung-hyun, the US LPGA Tour rookie of the year, shot a 71 to finish well back at 5 over while her Korean compatriot and defending champion Jang Ha-na was a further stroke behind after closing with a 68.

LPGA Tour veteran Jenny Shin of the US, who started the final round tied for second, struggled with the conditions and fell into a tie for 14th after a 73.

Ji became the 11th different South Korean to lift an LPGA title this season, joining Jang, Amy Yang, Park In-bee, Lee Mi-rim, Ryu, Kim Sei-young, Kim In-kyung, Park Sung-hyun, Lee Mi-hyang and Ko Jin-young.