Lottie Woad wins Kroger Queen City Championship for 2nd LPGA Tour title

CINCINNATI (AP) — Lottie Woad held off Haeran Ryu on a gusty Sunday afternoon at Maketewah Country Club in the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Three strokes ahead of playing partner Amanda Doherty and four ahead of Ryu entering the round, Woad closed with a 1-under 69 for a two-stroke victory. The 22-year-old English player finished at 12-under 268.

“I just played pretty good tee-to-green,” Woad said. “I hit a lot greens, hit a lot of fairways. And it’s pretty windy out there, so I think that was the key, obviously, to having the lead.”

The wind was a big challenge on the first-year venue that features par-3 closing holes on each nine.

“It was definitely up there with the strongest of the days and was kind of flickering around a bit,” Woad said. “It was a cross-wind most holes, but kind of flipped between into and down. So, trying to judge the yardages into some smaller greens was definitely tricky.”

Ryu had a double bogey on the par-4 13th in a 67. She played the front nine in 5-under 30.

“Amazing front nine. I’m so happy,” Ryu said. “But I have a little mistake on the back nine.”

Nelly Korda shot a 67 to tie for eighth at 5 under after winning in her previous two starts. She began the day nine strokes back after a third-round 72.

Woad won for the second time on the LPGA Tour, following a victory last year in the Women’s Scottish Open in her professional debut. She also won the European tour’s Irish Open last summer as an amateur.

“This one is definitely, I think, is a little sweeter than the first one because I wasn’t really expecting that,” Woad said. “This one, I’ve seen how good everyone is out there, so it’s good to win again.”

Woad made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th to open a two-stroke lead, with Ryu parring the par-3 18th soon after in the group ahead to post at 10 under.

“Not an easy putt from where I was above the hole with a lot of break, and had a little pace going in, so pretty glad I hit the hole,” Woad said. “Gave me a two-shot cushion on a par 3, so pretty happy with that.”

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Woad overcame a double bogey on the par-4 sixth. The former Florida State star birdied the seventh, parred the next five and dropped a stroke on the par-4 13th. After three more pars, she got the long birdie try to fall on 17.

“I generally played pretty well,” Woad said. “Obviously, double, not really sure what happened there. Just kind of happened pretty quickly there. The rest I hit a lot of fairways, greens pretty stress-free.”

Miyu Yamashita has third at 9 under after a 64. Ruoning Yin (66) was 8 under, and Doherty (71) and Jin Young Ko (65) were 7 under. Jeeno Thitikul, the winner last week in New Jersey, was another shot back after a 69.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf