HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup - Final Round

Catriona Matthew cruised to a five-shot victory in the inaugural HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup, her first LPGA win of any kind since 2004.  Kristy McPherson finished second while Angela Park came in third, nine shots behind the winner.

Matthew posted 69 in each of the two rounds to win this unofficial event convincingly.  She began the final round two shots in front.  McPherson climbed to within one after the first two holes but a two-shot swing at 5 gave Catriona a three-shot lead which she extended to five after hole 7.  Kristy birdied 10 to draw within three but a bogey at 11 pretty much sealed the deal.

Of the thirty rounds completed this weekend only four rounds total were recorded under par - McPherson's Saturday 71 and Leta Lindley's Sunday 71 - and Matthew had half of them.  Not bad for being five months pregnant with her second child!  With only four holes to play, Park was tied for second but she dropped four shots the rest of the way to post 75.  Despite not matching par in either round, Laura Diaz finished fourth at +4 (75-73).  I chose Park and Diaz as my CYAs so third and fourth from them is respectable on my part.  Unfortunately my pick to win, Eun-Hee Ji, finished at +9 tied for twelfth.

The average round at Itanhanga was 74.87.  Considering the amount of rain the course took on before the event and at the start of Round One plus the general quality of the field, one could expect the scoring to have been about two shots lower.  None of the post-round comments suggest any windy or difficult conditions so I'll have to chalk up the scores to rusty games.