SAN DIEGO – Na Yeon Choi lost her seven-stroke lead, then rallied to shoot 1-under 71 to win the Samsung World Championship on the last hole.
“I can’t believe that I won,” Choi said. “Throughout the second half I thought I was going to lose it again.”
Choi finished at 16-under 272 Sunday and held off runner-up Ai Miyazato of Japan, who shot a 69, the low round of the day at Torrey Pines.
Choi began the final round with a two-stroke lead, got birdies on two of her first four holes and made a 10-foot eagle putt on the sixth hole to extend her lead to seven strokes.
It appeared then as if Choi, who has won four times on the Korean LPGA Tour, would cruise to her first LPGA Tour victory.
But Miyazato, playing in the group in front of Choi and Jiyai Shin of South Korea, made two quick birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 to cut Choi’s lead to five. (AP)