Hannah Green – image Harry How Getty / LPGA
A two putt par on the second hole of a playoff at the JM Eagle LA Championship in Los Angeles has earned Perth’s Hannah Green a third LPGA Tour victory, the 26-year-old holing a 22 foot putt at the 72nd hole in regulation play to force her way into the playoff against India’s Aditi Ashok and China’s Xiyu Lin.
Both Green and Lin then birdied the first extra hole, the par 3 18th, before Lin found the bunker at the second and then failed to get up and down. Green’s tee shot finished 25 feet from the hole and when she two putted for par the title was hers.
Green was emotional after the win suggesting the struggle she had had in winning over the almost four years since her breakthrough wins at the KPMG PGA Championship and the Cambia Portland Classic in 2019.
Green graduated to the 2018 LPGA Tour following three victories on the then Epson Tour and although winning only twice since, she has on two occasions won more then US$1 million in a season and has career earnings close to US$4 million. The victory today was worth US$450,000.
“It’s been a long few years, I know I played well last year but getting across the line has been really difficult,” said and emotional Green immediately after her win. “I am really proud of myself for hanging in there because I really didn’t think I would be in it. I am seriously happy but other emotions are also coming out right now.”
“I knew you didn’t need a low score today to win as this weekend played a lot different to the first two days so my caddie said to just stay patient but that is always a lot easier said than done.”
When asked if she would respond to the fans calling for an increasingly popular shoey (player drinking out of a shoe) Green responded. “I guess I have to given the fans what they want eh but I just wish I had new shoes (laughing)”
Lin and Ashok tied for the runner-up position.
Sarah Kemp was the next best of the Australians when she finished 13th, her best LPGA Tour Championship since the Kroger event in September of last year.
Minjee Lee was 44th and Stephanie Kyriacou 53rd.
