Lindy Duncan clinched her first LPGA Tour victory after 222 starts by winning The Annika at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. The 35-year-old American secured the title with a three-under-par 67 in the final round, finishing on 16 under par, two shots ahead of South Korea’s Choi Hye-jin.
Duncan began Sunday’s round with a slender one-shot lead. She held off a late challenge from Choi, who was tied with her with two holes remaining. Birdies on the 17th and 18th holes sealed Duncan’s breakthrough win, a moment she described as “completely shocked.”
The player who joined the LPGA Tour in 2014 had only managed one top-10 finish this season before the event. She said she felt pressure during the year but had learned to let go of it this week. “I just put so much pressure on myself because I really want to do well. Sometimes you just over try, and I think I’ve done that a lot. This week I finally let that go a little bit,” Duncan said after her victory.
Her win at the Pelican Golf Club lifted her from 74th to 34th in the season-long points race, securing her spot among the 60 players qualifying for the CME Group Tour Championship, the LPGA’s season-ending event.
Korda, the world number one, finished in seventh place with a score of 10 under par. She will be aiming to claim her second season title at the CME Group Tour Championship next week. England’s Lottie Woad, also qualified for the finale, finished two shots behind Korda at eight under, securing a top-10 position.
The final leaderboard at The Annika saw Duncan at the top with 16 under par, followed by Choi on 14 under. Japan’s Yuka Yoshida and South Korea’s Hae-Ran Ryu tied for third on 13 under. Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez finished at 12 under, with Gabriela Lopez of Mexico on 11 under.
Duncan expressed gratitude towards those who supported her during challenging moments in her career. “I got so many people to thank that believed in me when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep playing or if I was good enough to keep playing,” she said.
Her breakthrough victory adds a new dimension to the LPGA Tour leaderboard this season and qualifies her for the high-stakes finale, setting up a competitive showdown among the tour’s top performers.
According to Yahoo Sports.
