Rockland’s Megan Khang earns 1st LPGA win at CPKC Ladies’s Open

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The 25-year-old Massachusetts native hit her second shot to the perimeter left of the pin on 18 and two-putted for her first win in eight years on the LPGA Tour.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Massachusetts native Megan Khang wanted an additional gap to win her first LPGA match in 191 profession begins.

Andrea Lee agonizingly watched the leaderboard for almost an hour to see if she would play on the Solheim Cup workforce for the primary time.

It was definitely worth the watch for each.

Khang, who was born in Brockton and resides in Rockland, beat Jin Younger Ko with a par in a playoff for her first LPGA win, and Lee rallied to clinch a spot on the U.S. Solheim Cup workforce on the CPKC Ladies’s Open on Sunday.

“My recreation has been trending in the fitting route recently and I feel this simply provides the self-confidence that, hey, I can win out right here,” Khang stated. “I’ve received out right here now.”

After struggling a lot of the afternoon, Khang made a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th gap at Shaughnessy Golf and Nation Membership to pressure the playoff. Ko hit her tee shot on the primary playoff gap into the hazard left of the green and took a double bogey after a penalty shot.

The 25-year-old Khang hit her second shot to the perimeter left of the pin on 18 and two-putted for her first win in eight years on the LPGA Tour, giving her caddie an enormous hug after it dropped. She shot 2-over 74 within the last spherical to complete at 9-under 279 and claimed her long-awaited victory.

“There have been positively nerves,” Khang stated. “I used to be shaking signing my scorecard. I triple-checked that scorecard to ensure every little thing was appropriate and we did signal.”

Lee wanted to complete thirteenth to earn one of many seven automated qualifying spots for the U.S. workforce. She simply missed a birdie on 18 to shoot 70 within the last spherical, leaving her eleventh at 2 below with a number of gamers nonetheless on the course.

After a virtually hourlong wait, Lee tied for thirteenth, incomes a spot within the Sept. 22-24 matches in Spain.

“I’ve been enjoying actually strong golf, and this course requires hitting fairways and hitting greens, attempting to make as many birdies as doable,” Lee stated. “I simply tried to remain actually affected person on the market and put a strong spherical collectively as we speak.”

Lexi Thompson earned the eighth U.S. Solheim Cup spot primarily based on world rankings regardless of lacking the lower by eight pictures.

The ultimate spot will come right down to former Stanford star Rose Zhang, Angel Yin and Ally Ewing. Zhang and Yin had been forward of Ewing on the planet rankings heading into the match, however Ewing completed tied for twenty second, whereas they tied for forty first.

Lilia Vu, winner of the Chevron Championship and AIG Ladies’s Open, and U.S. Open champion Allisen Corpuz had Solheim Cup spots locked up earlier than the CPKG Ladies’s Open. So did Khang and Nelly Korda.

Jennifer Kupcho completed tied for thirty sixth and Danielle Kang tied for 59th to spherical out the top-seven qualifiers. U.S. captain Stacy Lewis will make the ultimate three picks on Monday.

Lee’s end created a ripple impact on the Solheim Cup standings.

Thompson dropped to eighth on the U.S. Solheim Cup factors checklist, however nonetheless made the workforce because the third-highest ranked American at No. 21 on the planet.

Thompson certified totally on factors earned throughout a 2022 season that included 4 runner-up finishes — one on the KMPG Ladies’s PGA Championship. She’s made the lower twice in 9 tournaments this yr and, at No. 157 on the LPGA factors checklist, will probably lose her full-time LPGA card for subsequent season.

“Golf is such a person sport it helps to have somebody with expertise to assist out and work together with the opposite gamers,” Thompson advised Golf Digest earlier within the week. “I hope to convey power and willpower, too, and being there for the opposite ladies.”

Ko began the day 5 pictures again and rallied to tie Khang with a birdie on No. 16.

Main by one after Khang’s bogey at 17, Ko hit her tee shot on No. 18 alongside the tree line to the fitting, however obtained up and down from the tough for par to complete at 9 below. Khang then hit her method shot on the par-4 18th to 4 toes, giving a brief fist pump after sinking the putt to pressure the playoff.

“I didn’t count on I’d play within the playoff, as a result of (I used to be) 5 pictures behind Megan, however I do know if I obtained plenty of birdies it will be probability to win,” Ko stated.

Ruoning Yin shot 66 to complete third at 7 below.