Katherine Kirk birdied the final hole to edge Ashleigh Buhai by one stroke Sunday, claiming a third LPGA tour title at the Thornberry Creek Classic in Wisconsin.
Australia’s Kirk went into the final round with a four-shot lead over South Africa’s Buhai and had the LPGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record in her sights.
She nabbed six birdies in a final-round 70, and while it didn’t threaten the scoring record of 27-under, her 22-under total of 266 was enough to hold off Buhai.
Buhai rolled in the last of her five birdies in a bogey-free 67 at the 18th and finished alone in second on 267.
South Korea’s Kim Sei-Young fired a final-round 63 for third place on 268, one stroke in front of Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum, who burned up the Thornberry Creek course in Oneida, Wisconsin, with a 10-under 62 that included eight birdies and an eagle.
Kirk, 35, notched her first LPGA win since the 2010 Navistar LPGA Classic. She also won the 2008 Canadian Women’s Open.
She also secured a berth in the US Women’s Open that starts on Thursday at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
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