Bailey Tardy won her first LPGA title by beating fellow American Sarah Schmelzel by four strokes at Blue Bay in China.
Tardy, 27, made five birdies in the final eight holes to close with a seven-under-par 65 at Hainan Bay.
The 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Year blew a lead at last year’s US Women’s Open.
“I had a lot of doubts about my ability to reach this level and win. It’s special,” she said.
Schmelzel led Tardy by three shots after making birdies on the first three holes, but three bogeys before the turn saw her fall back and she was unable to match her playing partner’s score over the final nine holes.
An eagle on the par-five eighth started Tardy’s final round. A birdie followed at the ninth and she recovered from a fumble on the 10th with birdies at the 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th and 17th holes to pull away from the field.
Japan’s Ayaka Furue finished with a 65 to finish third at 14 under, while Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow was eighth, finishing at 11 under after a score of 69.
