Norton, Massachusetts – Miranda Wang lost the lead to No. 1 player in women’s golf, delivering clutch shots on the final three holes of a 2-under 70, and one-shot victory over Gino Chitickle in her first LPGA title in the FM Championship.
Wang became the seventh LPGA rookie this year, expanding his surprising streak of multiple winners throughout the first 23 tournaments of the year in the tour’s first 23 tournaments.
“I hope this is the first of many people. I will continue to work hard,” said Wang, a Chinese player who scored victory points when Duke won the NCAA team title in 2019.
Chitickle, who took over the No. 1 ranking three weeks ago from Nelly Korda, was poised to end that streak and ruin the King’s hopes when the fifth birdie went to TPC Boston for 31 and hit 2 feet in 9th to get the lead.
The King showed some nerves when he jabed a 3-foot birdie putt that he missed on the par 5 12th. She then went a little shorter from the No. 15 fairway to the bunker, unable to reach the green, causing Bogie to fall out of the lead.
However, she showed lots of moxies in the way she was perfected, and Chitickle gave her lots of help.
After an offensive drive on the 17th, Thitikul was on the ball above her legs. She had to pull the shot to the left of the bunker, chipped through the green and knocked it up and down from the other side for a bogey.
“I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong. Techniques are just a mistake,” Thitikul said.
Wang missed a 7-foot birdie putt in 16th place on par 3, but hit her approach behind a 17-foot-6-foot hole to catch enough cups to make a birdie and get the lead back.
In the closed hole of the par 5, the titanium lay before the groove, her wedge, wearing five feet short of pins, rolling about 20 feet. She made a 67 par.
The king lay down and slammed the wedge into 25 feet, finishing 268 under 268 for a par. Rose Chan played in the final group with Wang, but was one of those who bubbly to celebrate becoming the 11th winner of this year’s LPGA.
The King set the tone for her first LPGA title on Thursday. That’s when she started No. 10, she made eight birdies on the front nine. Her confidence only grew in putters, leading with three shots entering the final round.
“In the back nine in the first round, I started to hit some really good shots,” Wang said. “I felt this could be my week. I worked really hard and didn’t give up.”
Chan didn’t fight a lot. He missed a good birdie chance after the turn and scored a double bogey on the 14th hole, dropping out of competition.
Sei Young Kim (70) finished third and finished three shots. Andrea Lee also shot a 70, finishing another shot. Zhang had to settle for 72 to tie him up fifth with Jin Hee Im, who had a bogeyless 62.
The LPGA has 24 winners in 23 tournaments. One of them was a team event, before heading to Cincinnati in two weeks at the Kroger Queen City Championship.
Last year’s seven-time winner, Korda, closed at 75 and tied with 35th place and 14 shots from Wang.
