Mizuno Classic - Final Round

Jiyai Shin took the lead with a birdie at 13 and went on to win the Mizuno Classic for her second victory of the year and the eighth of her LPGA career.  Yani Tseng finished two strokes back in second place at -16 while Stacy Lewis finished third at -15.

Beginning the day two shots ahead at -13, Shin opened with a birdie to go up by three on her playing partners Lewis and Tseng (who also birdied the first to tie Stacy for second).  The margin remained as such through the next three holes, as all three went par-par-birdie.  At 5, Yani birdied again to move into solo second at -13 but Lewis responded with a birdie at 6.  Jiyai birdied 7 to go -16 but Tseng kept pace, birdying to reach -14 and leave Stacy in third.  Playing one group ahead, Miki Saiki had birdied three times in four holes to tie Lewis at -13 but Miki bogeyed 8 and 9 to fall out of contention.  For the second straight week, only the final group would be pertinent.

After each of the three closed out the front nine with pars, Tseng and Lewis birdied 10 to move within one and two shots respectively.  With Shin "mired" in a streak of five straight pars, Yani rang up her sixth birdie of the day at 11 to tie for the lead.  After all pars at 12, Jiyai birdied the par-5 13^th to retake the lead at -17.  Everybody parred 14.  Lewis drew within two when she birdied 15 but Shin virtually knocked her out with a birdie at 16.  Since her tying birdie at 11, Tseng's putter had gone cold.  With a two-shot lead over Yani and two holes to play, Shin parred out to win.

With this victory Jiyai Shin not only solidified the Rolex #1 ranking she regained last Monday and inserted herself into the thick of the Player of the Year race, she prevented Yani Tseng from taking total command of the POY race with only two events remaining.  I'll elaborate further in tomorrow's Epilogue.  Congratulations Final-Round Queen!