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NW Arkansas Championship: Na Yeon Choi takes two-shot victory

Na Yeon Choi: her ninth LPGA Tour title
Image: Na Yeon Choi: Her ninth LPGA Tour title

Na Yeon Choi carded a final round 69 to claim a two-stroke victory at the NW Arkansas Championship.

The overnight leader got off to a slow start to her round as she failed to pick up a shot on the front nine, but saw her fortunes improve after reaching the turn to see off nearest challenger Mika Miyazato.

The South Korean squandered several birdie chances to pull clear on the back nine, seeing putts at the 11th and 12th both lip out before picking up three shots in the space of two holes.

After sinking her 140-yard second shot on the par-four 16th for eagle to reclaim the lead, Choi almost aced the next when her tee shot rolled to within a foot of the pin and left a tap-in birdie.

Final Leaderboard

-15 Na Yeon Choi (Kor)
-13 Mika Miyazato (Jpn)
-12 Azahara Munoz (Esp)
-12 Stacy Lewis (USA)
-12 Anna Nordqvist (Swe)
-11 Lydia Ko (Nzl)
-11 Paula Creamer (USA)

Despite a wayward tee shot at the 18th, Choi was able to save par from 12 feet to complete her victory and take the $300,000 prize.

Defending champion Stacy Lewis had held a share of the lead for large parts of the final round, but bogeyed the last to end tied-third with Azahara Munoz and Anna Nordqvist, who birdied her final three holes. 

More from Lpga Tour

World No 2 Lydia Ko finished the week strongly, firing eight birdies in a blemish-free 63 to join the group tied-sixth. 

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