ShopRite LPGA Classic - Final Round

Ai Miyazato took the lead around the turn and never looked back while winning the ShopRite LPGA Classic.  It is her fourth win of 2010 and the fifth of her career, all coming in the last 12 months.  M.J. Hur finished in second place at -14, two shots behind while Inbee Park finished third at -12.

Starting the day down two shots to Hur, Miyazato got out of the gate running.  Birdies at 2, 3 and 5 moved her to -12 and into a tie for the lead.  A fourth birdie at 9 gave Ai her first lead of the week and another at 11 made her lead two.  Three other players got to -12 to stay in contention.  Hur bogeyed 2 but birdies at 5 and 6 put her at -12.  Hull got there when she birdied 10.  Creamer got to -12 with her own birdie at 10.

All of a sudden, everything went Ai's way.  Creamer bogeyed 13 to fall three back - she went on to finish in solo seventh place.  Hull missed for birdie from 10 feet at 14 while playing-partner Miyazato made from 15 to take a three-shot lead with only four to go.  Ai saved par at 15 after missing the green long - a great chip to four feet set that up.  When Hur lipped out her three-foot par putt at 15 and Hull couldn't get up-and-down from a bunker at 16, the margin was four with only two left to play.  M.J. chipped in for birdie at 16 and made an eight-footer at 17 to get within two and keep things interesting, but Miyazato dropped an eight-footer for birdie at 18 to lock things up.

I'll have much more to say in tomorrow's epilogue but for now - all hail the new Rolex Number One player, Ai Miyazato!