(Reuters) – American Lexi Thompson seized a one-stroke victory after Lee Jeong-eun hit the wall with the finish line in sight at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, New Jersey on Sunday.
A week after South Korea’s Lee won the biggest championship on the LPGA circuit, the U.S. Women’s Open, she appeared poised to make it two victories in two weeks.
But her run screeched to a halt with three straight bogeys from the 13th hole at the Seaview Bay Course.
Thompson, playing ahead, pounced, making the only eagle of the day at the par-five 18th, where she holed a 15-foot putt for a four-under-par 67.
That left Lee, who attaches a ‘6’ to her name to differentiate herself from five other Korean professionals with the same name, also needing to eagle the 18th to force a playoff.
Lee eagled the hole on Saturday but was unable to replicate the feat, after a mediocre second shot left her 40 feet from the cup, and had to settle for a two-putt birdie.
Thompson finished at 12-under 201 for her 11th LPGA victory.
Lee (70) was alone on 11-under, with American Ally McDonald another two shots back in third place.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris)
