Staring at a $2 million payday, Amy Yang rose to the occasion, shooting a final round 6-under 66 to claim victory at the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
Entering Sunday’s finale with a share of the lead, alongside Nasa Hataoka, the 34-year-old Yang got off to a slow start, going par-par-bogey on her first three holes. The Korean would go on to post a string of pars before making birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 to turn on 1 under and -22 par for the tournament.
Yang would light it up on her homeward nine, though, scoring an eagle and three birdies, highlighted by back-to-back gains on Nos. 17 and 18, to finish on 27 under, three clear of Hataoka (69) and Alison Lee (66), who tied for second on 24 under.
For Yang it was her fifth LPGA title, but first in four years.
“Not until I made the birdie putt on the 17th. You know, she (Nasa Hataoka) is such a great player and showed a lot of like good performance out there and I was feeling really nervous. You know, really like I had no idea where this was going. All I could do was just stick to my game and trust it,” said Yang, who was joined by several fellow LPGA Tour players on the green as she sunk her final birdie putt on 18.
“I’m just so grateful. You know, they mean a lot to me. They’re like family out on tour and, you know, I do my best. They’re just all sweet friends. I’m so grateful to see them on the 18th, and I’m sure down the road I’ll do the same for them, too.”
2023 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award winner Lilia Vu finished in solo fourth after a final-round score of 65. With her finish at the CME Group Tour Championship, Vu outlasted Celine Boutier for the 2023 Rolex Player of the Year title after winning four times this season, including two major championship titles at The Chevron Championship and the AIG Women’s Open.
Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul landed in fifth with a 66 on Sunday to earn her 13th top-10 finish of the year.
LPGA Communication’s press release used to compile recap.
