Wie drains monster putt to end title drought in style

MICHELLE Wie drained a monster birdie putt from off the green on the final hole to record a stunning one-shot victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship after a thrilling final round of low scoring and late drama in Singapore yesterday.

Wie’s seventh birdie of the day completed a bogey-free round of 65 as she finished on 17-under 271 for the tournament, a stroke ahead of American compatriots Danielle Kang and Nelly Korda, South Korea’s Jenny Shin and Canadian Brooke Henderson.

“It was crazy, I still don’t know what’s going on right now, my head’s running at a million miles an hour,” the 28-year-old, who led going into the final round a year ago but started five shots behind this time, said.

“I wanted to win really badly, especially after what happened last year, I had some unfinished business. I knew if I shot seven, eight under I’d have a chance and that was my one and only goal.”

The victory was Wie’s first since she claimed the 2014 US Open, the American pumping her fist as her 45-foot putt dropped into the heart of the cup before she had an anxious wait for the final group to finish.

Overnight leader Korda nailed her approach to within nine feet on the last but the teenager’s putt to get into a playoff drifted right as her hopes of following up sister Jessica’s win in Thailand last week evaporated on the 72nd green.

Shin, in the group ahead of Wie, had stormed into the lead with eight birdies in 11 holes and she reached the 18th with a one-shot cushion, but an errant approach and duffed chip led to her first bogey of the day and opened the door for her pursuers.