Ryu rises to the challenge, edges Ko in playoff

MANILA, Philippines – Haeran Ryu turned her third-round meltdown into a powerful motivator, rebounding with a 64 then edging out former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko with a par in sudden death to claim the FM Championship crown on Sunday at the TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts (Monday Manila time).

Ryu, who had struggled with putting woes on Saturday that saw her squander a six-stroke lead, faced similar challenges late in the final round. She missed a makeable birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole, but her closing par, which followed a bogey on the 16th — and a 64 — proved enough to give her the clubhouse lead at 15-under-par 273.

Ko, playing in the final group, needed a birdie on the last hole to avoid a playoff but settled for a 68 after muffing her putt from 8 feet, tying Ryu and paving the way for sudden death in the inaugural $3.8-million championship.

Returning to the 18th, both players opted to lay up on the par-5 hole. Ryu executed a solid approach shot from 120 yards, leaving herself a 12-foot putt below the hole.

Ko, however, misjudged her wedge from 111 yards, sending the ball over the green into a tough lie. She hit her chip shot just before the green, but the ball rolled way past the target on a downhill slope, leaving her a long putt for par. She missed.

Ryu, needing two putts to secure the win, calmly tapped in for par, raising both arms in triumph to celebrate her second LPGA Tour victory, which also washed away the disappointment of her third-round collapse, which had included a three-putt blunder from three feet on the par-5 12th hole.

Ryu had dazzled earlier in the tournament, firing a career-best 62 on Friday to take a six-shot lead into the weekend. However, she stumbled with a 78 on Saturday, dropping out of the top spots on the leaderboard.

Undeterred, the 23-year-old came out on fire Sunday, birdieing the first four holes and six of the first eight. She added birdies on the 10th, 12th, and 15th before finally giving up a stroke on the par-3 16th. After a two-hour rain delay, she parred the final two holes, leading to the playoff.

Meanwhile, Dottie Ardina struggled with a 73 following back-to-back 72s, finishing tied for 67th at 290 while ICTSI teammate Bianca Pagdanganan, who had been in contention after a strong start, tumbled to joint 73rd with a disappointing 78, finishing at 292.

Pagdanganan, who was tied for second at the halfway mark with rounds of 71 and 66, faltered with a 77 on Saturday and was unable to recover, bogeying three of her first four holes in the final round and suffering two double bogeys against a lone birdie on the back nine.

In the Epson Tour, Clariss Guce also faced difficulties in the final round of the Four Winds Invitational, closing with a birdie-less 77 to finish tied for 11th in the 54-hole championship Saturday.

The tournament, held in South Bend, Indiana, was won by Yahui Zhang, who captured her first Tour title despite a final-round 75. Zhang edged out Fatima Cano by one stroke, finishing at 210 to Cano's 211 after a 72.

Tomi Arejola also stumbled with a 76, ending the event tied for 40th at 222.