Katherine Kirk won the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic on Sunday, matching Ashleigh Buhai with a birdie on the final hole for a one-stroke victory.

Four strokes ahead of Buhai entering the round, Kirk made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th for a 2-under 70. She finished at 22-under 266 in the first year event at Thornberry Creek – the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay.

“Ashleigh played great all day,” Kirk said. “I put the pressure on her. Pretty fun finish there. I knew I had to make it. She played great, so all credit to her.”

The 35-year-old Australian won her third LPGA Tour title and first in 152 starts since the 2010 Navistar LPGA Classic. She also won the 2008 Canadian Women’s Open.

“So much hard work and patience,” Kirk said. “I had a rough couple years like 2015 and 2016, and just an amazing team behind me. My husband has been 100 per cent supportive the whole time. I can’t put it into words. It’s just a great feeling.”

Kirk earned $300,000 and secured a spot next week in the U.S. Women’s Open. She had six birdies and four bogeys Sunday after opening with rounds of 68, 63 and 65.

Buhai, from South Africa, shot a 67.

“We both played great this week,” Buhai said about Kirk. “Today, 5 under, no bogeys. I had three lip-outs on the back nine, but I hit the putts and the shots that I had to just keep hitting. Finally on 18, it was just a little close, and enough to think maybe I could hole the putt, but the two shots Katherine hit on 16 and 18 to work it around trees were fantastic, so all good to her.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (68) was the low Canadian at 13 under. Brooke Henderson (69) of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Augusta James (68) of Bath, Ont., were at 11 under while Samantha Richdale (78) of Kelowna, B.C., fell to an even par.

South Korea’s Sei Young Kim was third at 20 under after a 63.

“I have good momentum,” Kim said. “I’m very looking forward to next week, so exciting. I can’t wait for next week.”

Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum shot a career-best 62 – also the best round of the week – to finish fourth at 19 under.

“Tee shot pretty good and also putting very good,” Phatlum said. “Like no three-putt, and then can make eight birdies and one eagle. Really fantastic.”

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Katherine Kirk shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to open a four-stroke lead in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, and move into position to challenge the tour’s 72-hole record.

Coming off a career-best 63 on Friday, the 35-year-old Australian reached 20-under 196 in the first year event at Thornberry Creek _ the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay.

“I’ve been playing pretty well lately, trending at least in the right direction,” Kirk said. “I like this golf course. It suits my eye, and I think it’s going to take another low one tomorrow. You saw some really good scores out there today. It’s not over until it’s over, right?”

The LPGA Tour record for 72 holes is 27 under, set by Annika Sorenstam in the 2001 Standard Register Ping in Phoenix and matched by Sei Young Kim last year in the Founders Cup, also in Phoenix. Sorenstam shot a record 59 in the second round.

Kirk played the first five holes in 1 over with a birdie on No. 1 and bogeys on Nos. 3 and 5. She rebounded with a birdie on No. 6, ran off four straight on Nos. 8-11 and added birdies on 13, 15 and 17. On the par-4 18th, she saved par with a 15-footer after finding the right fairway bunker and hitting her approach well left.

“I know I can putt well, but I think I’m like pushing the limits right now,” Kirk said. “It’s fun…. It’s unexpected, but you certainly take them when you can.”

She won the last of her two tour titles in 2010.

South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai was second after a 65. She’s winless on the LPGA Tour.

“Obviously, Katherine is playing really well,” Buhai said. “I saw I got within one at one stage, and then I looked again, and she was back to three ahead. She obviously made a lot of birdies and I felt I made as many as I could. Tomorrow, will be fun between the two of us.”

Buhai had seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch in the middle of the round.

“I hit the ball really solid,” Buhai said. “I made a bogey on my first hole and after that I hit 17 greens in a row. I just kind of favoured to the side of the pin that you had to, and I rolled in a few 15-footers. I was cautious at some times, and then I knew when I could be aggressive. Overall, good ball-striking, and you have to roll in the putts.”

Japan’s Ayako Uehara (65) and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff (66) were tied for third at 13 under, and Suzann Pettersen (66) was another stroke back along with Tiffany Joh (66), Cristie Kerr (67), Angel Yin (67), Megan Khang (67), Jaye Marie Green (70) and Sandra Gal (72). Gal shot a 64 in the morning in the completion of the suspended second round on the rain-softened course.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (70) was the low Canadian at 9 under. Brooke Henderson (69) of Smiths Falls, Ont., is 8 under, Augusta James (69) of Bath, Ont., is 7 under and Samantha Richdale (71) of Kelowna, B.C., is 6 under.

“I’m obviously going to tee off a little bit earlier than the leaders, obviously try and post a number,” Pettersen said. “That’s all I can do at this point. … I love the way they set it up. They invite us to make eagles, go for greens. Hopefully, they’ll do that tomorrow, as well, and everyone will keep seeing low numbers.”

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Katherine Kirk shot a career-best 9-under 63 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead in the weather-delayed second round of the inaugural Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Kirk, a 35-year-old Australian who has two victories in 14 years on the LPGA Tour, played the back nine in 7-under 29 at Thornberry Creek, the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay. She eagled the par-5 13th and hit a hybrid to 4 feet on the 196-yard, par-3 17th for her final birdie of the day to finish at 13-under through two rounds.

“My husband was up here Monday and Tuesday with me, and he said to me last night, ‘Someone could easily shoot 8 under around here,”’ Kirk said. “I’m just happy it was me, or 9 (under), I guess.”

Kirk finished her round before a 3 1/2-hour delay for lightning in the area.

“Perfect conditions, really,” she said. “We only had a little bit of breeze, but the greens for us are softer than usual, so we’re able to basically throw darts at it, and I think that’s why you’re seeing so many low numbers out there.”

Jaye Marie Green birdied eight of her final 12 holes to shoot 66 and was three shots back. Sandra Gal of Germany was also 10 under through 13 holes when play was suspended because of darkness.

Green, 23, who played college golf at Florida and has never won on the LPGA Tour, had her brother, Matt, on the bag.

“Everything was clicking, and then my brother is cool to caddie for me,” Green said. “He helps keep me calm when I don’t want to kill him.”

Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand was four shots back after a second-round 68. Her younger sister, second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, withdrew with a shoulder injury on Friday, one day after struggling to a 78.

South African Ashleigh Buhai (66), South Korean Ilhee Lee (68) and Pavarisa Yoktuan of Thailand (68) were also four shots back. Christina Kim, Karine Icher, Amelia Lewis and Madeleine Sheils were another shot behind, along with Cristie Kerr, who had five holes left to play.

“I’m trying to tighten up my putting a little bit because this is a putting match out here,” Lewis said. “Whoever can make the putts is going to win this thing.”

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.

In Gee Chun, the highest-ranked player remaining in the field at No. 5, was 5 under through 12 holes. Eighth-ranked Brooke Henderson was also 5 under after a 68. Henderson finished runner-up to Danielle Kang in last week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

First-round co-leader Laura Gonzalez Escallon made a quadruple-bogey 8 on the par-4 18th and was in danger of missing the cut.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Belgian rookie Laura Gonzalez Escallon birdied three of the final four holes Thursday for a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with Sei Young Kim in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Gonzalez Escallon, the 26-year-old former Purdue player who won twice last season on the Symetra Tour, also started fast in the first-year event, making birdies on three of the first four holes.

“The greens are playing soft, so you can be very aggressive,” Gonzalez Escallon said. “I think that helps with low scoring. It’s a really good course. Every hole is different. … It’s new for everyone, so I think rookies can really take advantage of that.”

Kim had eight birdies and a bogey at Thornberry Creek, the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay. The South Korean player won the Lorena Ochoa Match Play in May in Mexico for her sixth LPGA Tour victory.

“My shot solid today, and greens were softer, so I was able to go after the pins and give myself a lot of birdie opportunities,” Kim said. “And then putting was good. … It’s been a long time since I played well in the first round, so I’m very blessed to have shot 7 under.”

Tour rookies Madeleine Sheils and Min-G Kim shot 66. Sheils birdied four of the last seven holes.

“Very steady,” the former Nebraska player said. “I hit just about every fairway and I think I might have hit every green for like the first time in my life, so that makes golf really easy, as it turns out.”

Fifth-ranked In Gee Chun and Moriya Jutanugarn topped the group at 67. Jutanugarn had seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch, then played the final eight in 2 over with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 17.

Suzann Pettersen had a 68.

“First time I saw it, I’m like, ‘Well, you’ve got to bring your diving gear because you’ve got to go deep around this place,”’ Pettersen said. “I mean, I just shot 4 under and feel like I shot 100. … The golf course is great. I think it’s great to see a golf course that kind of invites birdies and kind of low scores. I’m a little bit surprised nobody has torn it up more than 7 under because I felt like I played average and shot an easy 4 under.”

Jutangarn’s younger sister, second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, had a 78. The six-time LPGA Tour winner had a double bogey on the par-4 10th, five bogeys and one birdie.

Brooke Henderson, the 19-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., coming off a one-stroke loss to Danielle Kang on Sunday in the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields in Illinois, opened with a 71.

Kang, top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.

“Last week took a lot out of me being in contention, especially in that last round,” Henderson said. “It drained a lot of energy, and I’m just trying to rebuild that this week. Take a little bit more rest and maybe not practice quite as much and rebuild my energy so that next week at the U.S. Open I can go strong and hopefully make it count.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the low Canadian, tied for fifth at 5-under 67. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., was tied for 36th at 3-under 69. Augusta James of Bath, Ont., was tied with Henderson for 71st and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha was tied for 121st 2-over 74.

Danielle Kang birdied the final hole to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, edging defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada.

Kang bogeyed the tricky par-3 17th, and Henderson closed with two birdies to move into a tie for the lead, coming up just short on a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th. But Kang responded with two solid shots to get to the green in two, and then two-putted for the victory.

It was another great finish for the LPGA Tour’s second major of the season. The 19-year-old Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., beat Lydia Ko in a playoff last year at Sahalee in Washington.

.@BrookeHenderson goes bogey-free to finish 2nd at the @KPMGWomensPGA! Watch highlights from her amazing round: pic.twitter.com/GKBaBd1fbE

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 2, 2017

The 24-year-old Kang trailed Henderson and Chella Choi by one after she bogeyed the par-4 10th at Olympia Fields. But she moved in front with four straight birdies on Nos. 11-14, getting hot with her putter at the right time.

Kang also had a clutch 21-foot par putt at 16 on her way to a 4-under 68 and the winner’s check of $525,000. Henderson closed with a 66 to finish a stroke back, and Chella Choi, who was tied with Kang for the lead coming into the day, was third at 10 under after a 71.

“She won it-I was just trying to make it close. 2nd in a major championship isn’t bad. I’m very happy” Brooke Henderson @KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/Cfz2q4j5K8

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 2, 2017

Kang’s previous best finish in a major was a tie for 14th in the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open.

Henderson made a strong bid for a second straight title in the event, jumping up the leaderboard three birdies in her first seven holes. But the Canadian had nine straight pars in the middle of the round.

Mi Hyang Lee (67), Amy Yang (68) and Sei Young Kim (68) tied for third at 9 under, and Lexi Thompson (69) and Inbee Park (68) were another two strokes back. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (73) tied for 36th at even par.

Kang received some high-profile support as she tried for her first title since turning pro, hearing from Wayne Gretzky and Caitlyn Jenner _ friends from her days at Sherwood Country Club in California _ over the weekend. Four-time major winner Hollis Stacy also reached out, but it was some sage advice from brother Alex that set the tone for her breakout performance.

Feeling overwhelmed after her last practice round on the tree-lined course near Chicago, Kang called her brother to help formulate a game plan. Alex Kang, who plays on the Web.com Tour, told her to “just blast it down.”

Lights out. ?
Watch highlights from @daniellekang‘s incredible final round at the @KPMGWomensPGA! pic.twitter.com/WylvMVnTfi

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 2, 2017

Guided by that simple strategy, Kang posted four rounds in the 60s. The two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion had just five bogeys, with each of them coming in the final two rounds.

Thompson looked ready to make a charge, beginning with three birdies and no bogeys on her front nine. But she sputtered down the stretch.

Thompson contended for the first major title of the year, but was penalized for a controversial rules violation and lost to So Yeon Ryu in a playoff in the ANA Inspiration. The top-ranked Ryu shot a 72 in the final round at Olympia Fields and tied for 14th.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

When the wind picked up in the afternoon and the sun beat down on Olympia Fields, Chella Choi delivered a smart, steady performance.

The kind that wins major championships.

Choi shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday for a share of the lead with Danielle Kang heading into the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Kang birdied the par-5 18th to join Choi at 10 under, setting up a final pairing of two players looking for their first major title.

Kang had a 68, also birdieing the 18th.

Jiyai Shin rocketed up the leaderboard with a 64, the best round of the day and good enough for third all by herself at 8 under. Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was another stroke back after a 69.

Kang and Sei Young Kim were tied for the lead after the second round. While Kim stumbled to a 72, the 24-year-old Kang had five birdies and two bogeys.

She saved par with a perfect bunker shot on No. 12 and then birdied the par-4 14th to get to 10 under for the first time. She gave a shot back with just her second bogey of the tournament on 16, but recovered with another nice bunker shot to set up her closing birdie.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was eight strokes off the lead.

Kang on the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2010 in 2011, but she has never won an LPGA Tour tournament.

“I’ve been working on my game every day to get better,” Kang said. “Like I said previously, all I could do is work on my game and hope that every day, just chip away at your game and it gets better every day and that’s where it’s getting at. Every year, I’ve just been performing better. I have trust in my own game.”

The 26-year-old Choi had four birdies and no bogeys. She credited her solid play to her father, Ji Yeon Choi, who is caddying for her again after her play suffered when he retired following her only LPGA Tour victory in the 2015 Marathon Classic.

“I played bad, so my mom tell to my dad, go help Chella, why are you staying here?” Chella Choi said.

Shin, a former world No. 1 and two-time major champion, took off after a birdie on No. 9. She played the back nine in 5-under 30 to grab the clubhouse lead while Kang and the leaders were out on the course.

It’s a rare U.S. tournament for Shin, the straight-hitting South Korean player who left the LPGA Tour a couple years ago and moved to Japan to be closer to her family.

“I think I’m pretty lucky because I started a little bit early in the morning,” she said. “I started early in the morning. That’s why easy to make a few birdies.”

For the full leaderboard click here

Danielle Kang won back-to-back majors as an amateur yet she’s never cracked the winner’s circle in her half-dozen years as a pro.

The 24-year-old Californian took a big step in the right direction, grabbing a share of the second-round lead in the morning wave Thursday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Her biggest hurdle could well be co-leader Sei Young Kim, the LPGA Tour’s 2015 Rookie of the Year and already a six-time winner on tour.

Kang and Kim each shot 5-under 66 to reach 7-under 135.

First-round leader Amy Yang (71), Chella Choi (70), Brittany Lincicome (66), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (66) and Mi Hyang Lee (67) were another stroke back.

So Yeon Ryu (68), who climbed to No. 1 in the world ranking after a victory last week and won the LPGA Tour’s first major of the season, was at 5 under, along with defending champion Brooke Henderson (69) of Smiths Falls, Ont., Moriya Jutanugarn (68) and Sarah Jane Smith (67).

Lydia Ko shot 68 to put herself back in contention at 4 under. Michelle Wie also was 4 under, following her opening 68 with a 70.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (71) was tied for 41st at even par.

Kang, the U.S. Women’s Amateur champion in 2010-11, conceded she didn’t have a game plan after her last practice round at Olympia Fields Country Club, one of several venues that previously hosted men’s majors now being tested by the women.

“I kind of was super-overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do,” she said. “So I called my brother, Alex, of course.”

Alex Kang, who plies his trade on the Web .com Tour, was familiar with Olympia Fields and its bunkers, and he gave her some simple advice.

“He goes, ‘Just blast it down,”’ she recalled. The plan worked as Kang, relying on her driver, hit 11 of 14 fairways and hasn’t made a bogey through 36 holes.

Kim carved her path up the leaderboard with a closing flourish, making three birdies in her last five holes. They came on the tougher front-nine side, though players caught a break as the swirling wind that made club selection dicey Thursday subsided in round two.

“Fortunately, when I tee off a little less windy,” Kim said, “so I was able to attack the pin.”

The KPMG kicks off a stretch of three majors in six weeks and Ryu could cement her new No. 1 status by adding a second major to the one she claimed in May by beating Lexi Thompson in a playoff at the ANA Inspiration. The LPGA Tour staged a brief celebration as she teed off Thursday, draping her caddie, Tom Watson, in a special green bib.

“The ceremony made me more nervous,” Ryu said. “No. 1, I thought it’s a lot of responsibility and it just gave me a lot of pressure. I finally got relaxed a bit more and just played as normal.”

Yang was on the 18th fairway a day earlier when play was suspended because of lightning. She returned just before 8 a.m. to complete her first round and made a birdie for a 65. Although she got to 7 under, she couldn’t hold it.

Kelly Shon, who opened with a 77, notched the low round of the tournament and tied a competitive course record with a 63. The former Princeton player made six birdies and an eagle without a bogey, placing her name in the Olympia Fields record book alongside Patty Sheehan and Meg Mallon and Rickie Fowler and Vijay Singh (who played the course with a par of 70).

“I wish I’d known I could have beat them all by one shot,” she said, adding quickly, “I’m just kidding.”

Shon knew something special was happening when she rolled in a 90-foot putt for eagle at No. 2.

“My caddie said to me, ‘I had a feeling you were going to make it. And I had a feeling if you made it, you were going to make the cut,”’ she recalled. “I don’t know if I believe in superstitions and stuff, but he’s 1-for-1.”

Among those missing the cut at 3 over were major champions Ariya Jutanugarn, the No. 2 ranked player in the world, and Anna Nordqvist.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Michelle Wie launched a 3-wood into swirling gusts and toward the 18th green, wondering if the shot had enough steam to get there. A shift in the wind took the guesswork out of the equation.

“It died down and I got a little surprise,” Wie said. “I got all the way there.”

The 215-yard shot rolled within 30 feet of the flag to set up a two-putt birdie and a 3-under 68 that left Wie two shots off the lead during the opening round Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She wasn’t the only long-hitter to benefit from windy conditions and a tough front nine at Olympia Fields Country Club.

Defending champion Brooke Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., matched the 3-under start, which left her two back of Chella Choi and Amy Yang. Choi shot a 66 in the morning, and Yang was on the 18th hole at 5 under with a chance to grab the outright lead when play was suspended at 7:01 p.m. because of dangerous weather in the area.

Brittany Altomare shot a 67, and Joanna Klatten also was 4 under with two holes left.

Joining Henderson and Wie at 68 were Alison Lee and Su Oh. Kim Kaufman and Emily Pedersen also were 3 under late in their rounds.

“I was able to carry a couple of fairway bunkers, which is huge, because not a lot of players are able to do that,” Henderson said.

Cuteness from Canada! ???@BrookeHenderson #KPMGWomensPGA pic.twitter.com/Q3EJ6mm5xV

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 29, 2017

The second major on the women’s tour is again being played at the site of previous men’s majors, where big tee shots can pay big dividends. Henderson won her first major at Sahalee last year, and Wie claimed her only major – the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open – at Pinehurst.

Praise for Olympia Fields, a tree-lined classic layout just south of Chicago, is nearly unanimous. But it’s being tempered by players struggling to navigate the changing wind, with gusts up to 16 mph. Oh called that a “massive” factor in her decision-making.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was tied for 37th at even-par 71.

The second major on the women’s tour is again being played at the site of previous men’s majors, where big tee shots can pay big dividends. Henderson won her first major at Sahalee last year, and Wie claimed her only major _ the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open _ at Pinehurst.

Praise for Olympia Fields, a tree-lined classic layout just south of Chicago, is nearly unanimous. But it’s being tempered by players struggling to navigate the changing wind, with gusts up to 16 mph. Oh called that a “massive” factor in her decision-making.

“We kind of anticipated it,” she said. “It’s the ‘Windy City.’ But it was like this from the very beginning and I stayed patient out there.”

The Women’s PGA marks the start of a stretch of three majors in six weeks, which should provide some clarity at the top of the game.

So Yeon Ryu, who beat Lexi Thompson in a playoff at the ANA Inspiration to claim the season’s first major, also took over the No. 1 spot this week after becoming the only repeat winner through the first 16 tournaments on the LPGA Tour. Ryu finished at 69, and Thompson at 70. Two-time major winner Lydia Ko also shot 70.

Ariya Jutanugarn, who slipped to No. 2 in the rankings after Ryu’s win last week in Arkansas, struggled to a 77, and Cristie Kerr shot 78.

The forecast for Friday calls for rain and slightly increasing wind. That could make things tougher for both Choi and Henderson, whose caddies are, respectively, their father and older sister.

When Choi was asked whether she could blame any bad shots on her caddie’s calculations, she smiled and said, “Sometimes.”

She added: “My father missed a couple of shots today, but it happens because the wind is every time switching.”

Watch the top highlights from round 1 of the @KPMGWomensPGA right here:https://t.co/59PGuIUZ6c pic.twitter.com/IpT3cYCn1q

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 29, 2017

For the full leaderboard click here.

This time, So Yeon Ryu was able to celebrate – without any hint of drama or suspense.

And the third-ranked South Korean might just have used victory Sunday in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship as a springboard for a possible rise to No. 1 in the world.

Ryu became the LPGA Tour’s first two-time winner this season, finishing at a tournament-record 18-under 195. She won the ANA Inspiration two months ago in California for her second major title, a controversial playoff victory after Lexi Thompson was penalized four strokes for a third-round rules violation reported by a television viewer during the fourth round.

“To be honest, after I won the ANA Inspiration, a lot of people said I maybe I didn’t deserve to win the tournament,” Ryu said. “It was understandable if someone was a big fan of Lexi … (Sunday’s win) feels a bit more free than after the ANA.”

Five strokes ahead after a course-record 10-uner 61 on Saturday, Ryu closed with a 69 for a two-shot victory over fellow South Korean player Amy Yang and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn.

Yang finished with a 64, and Jutanugarn had a 66.

Local favourite Stacy Lewis (69) and Michelle Wie (64) tied for fourth at 13 under.

Ryu became the tour’s first repeat winner in the 16th event of the year, winning at Pinnacle Country Club four years after losing a playoff to Inbee Park in event.

“Hopefully, there are many more to come,” Ryu said before leaving for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Illinois.

Ryu’s lead was at four shots midway through the final round, but it closed to two for a brief stretch on the back nine. Moments after Ryu fell to 17 under after missing the green on the par-3 11th en route to her lone bogey of the week, Yang gave the final round its first taste of suspense with a birdie on the 12th.

The birdie pushed Yang to 15 under, but she followed with bogeys on 13 and 14 _ and Ryu quickly extended her lead back to five shots with a birdie of her own on the par-4 12th. She also had a long par-saving up-and-down out of the bunker on the par-4 13th.

Despite the big lead to open the round, Ryu continued to play aggressively. She went at a difficult pin location on the par-3 sixth and on her third shot into the par-5 14th _ with the pin perilously close the front of the green and a steep slope leading into the water.

“I just tried not to do something special,” Ryu said. “Just better to be like me and play to win the tournament.”

Defending champion Lydia Ko set the previous tournament best of 17 under last year. The second-ranked New Zealander shot a 68 on Sunday to tie for 25th at 8 under.

Lewis began the day five shots back and in the final pairing with Ryu, but struggled for much of the day before closing with an eagle on the par-5 18th.

“So Yeon’s played great for a year now, so I’m not surprised,” Lewis said. “She did exactly what she needed to do today; made some good key par putts, especially there on the back side.”

Click herefor the full leaderboard.

A few weeks off was all So Yeon Ryu needed to kick-start what is shaping up to be possibly the best year of her LPGA Tour career.

The third-ranked South Korean star shot a course-record 10-under 61 on Saturday in the NW Arkansas Championship to take a five-stroke lead into the final round, putting in in great position to become the first repeat winner this year.

The ANA Inspiration winner in April for her second major title, she reached 16 under to break the tournament 36-hole record by two strokes. She had her lowest score on the LPGA Tour and matched her professional best set in the 2012 Australian Ladies Masters.

Ryu opened the year with eight straight top-10 finishes, including the major victory. She struggled in her two events after that run, finishing 56th and then missing the cut at the ShopRite LPGA Classic this month in New Jersey. Coming off a two-week break, she has returned to her early season form _ and then some.

“I played really well the beginning of this year, then I didn’t really play well at the last championship, kind of lost confidence a little bit,” Ryu said. “But I think it was great to have two weeks off, because when you have two weeks off you totally forget about how you played the last few tournaments.”

Local favourite Stacy Lewis and Moriya Jutanugarn were tied for second. They each shot 65.

“I think I go try to play a round like I have the last couple of days, really,” Lewis said. “That’s all I can do, and then hope for some help.”

First-round leader Sung Hyun Park followed her opening 63 with a 73 to drop into a tie for 10th at 6 under. Defending champion Lydia Ko was 5 under after a 67.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the top Canadian. She shot a 75 and is 2 over.

A day after opening with a 65 in gusty afternoon conditions, Ryu preyed on the Pinnacle Country Club course on a calm Saturday morning.

She needed only 25 putts, posting a 30 on her opening nine holes before closing out the blistering round with three birdies on her final four holes. Ryu capped the round with an uphill 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 nine, much to the delight of the gallery.

She also earned the praise of Ai Miyazato, the retiring Japanese star who finished a group ahead of Ryu and was nearby at the scorer’s tent as the South Korean walked off the course.

“Way to go, So Yeon,” Miyazato said. “You were on fire out there.”

The previous course record was 62, set by Angela Park and Jane Park in 2008 and matched last year by Ko and Ayako Uehara. Ko went on to win the tournament with a record score of 17 under.

Ko and Morgan Pressel held the previous 36-hole best at 14 under, set last year.

Ryu nearly won the tournament in 2013, losing playoff to Inbee Park.

She’s trying to win her fourth LPGA Tour title.

“I have a few good memories out here,” Ryu said. “Maybe losing in a playoff is not a good memory, but you know, close to a win. I think a lot of positive out there, so hopefully I can catch my opportunity tomorrow.”

For the full leaderboard click here.