CHONBURI, Thailand – South Korea’s Amy Yang won the Honda LPGA Thailand on Sunday for her second LPGA Tour title, finishing with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke victory over American Stacy Lewis and two others.

Yang broke a tie with Lewis with a three-stroke swing on the par-4 15th. Yang made a short birdie putt on the hole, and Lewis had a double bogey after blasting a 67-yard wedge shot over the green. Yang bogeyed No. 16 and closed with two pars to finish at 15-under 273 on Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course.

“I don’t know what just happened,” Yang said. “I still can’t believe I did it today.”

The 25-year-old Yang is projected to jump from 16th to 11th in the world ranking.

“I was a little bit nervous out there, but I tried to focus on how low I can go today, just focus on my game,” said Yang, also the 2013 LPGA KEB HanaBank Championship winner in South Korea.

She has finished in the top five in her last tour starts. She was second last week in the Women’s Australian Open, two strokes behind top-ranked Lydia Ko.

“I worked hard in this offseason and I really wanted to come back and play well,” Yang said. “It came earlier than I thought. I’m going to keep working hard.”

Lewis, the third-round leader, finished with a 72 to match Taiwan’s Yani Tseng and South Korea’s Mirim Lee at 13 under. Tseng, the 2011 and 2012 winner, had a 67, and Lee shot 69.

Tseng won the last of her 15 LPGA Tour titles in 2012.

“I played good, but I missed bunch of putts out there,” Tseng said. “I was just actually a little nervous out there when I was putting.”

Spain’s Beatriz Recari had a 63 to match the course record. She tied for fifth at 12 under with South Korea’s Sei Young Kim (65).

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Top-ranked Lydia Ko won the New Zealand Women’s Open on Sunday for her second straight victory.

The 17-year-old New Zealander, the Women’s Australian Open winner last week for her sixth LPGA Tour title, closed with a 1-under 70 at Clearwater for a four-stroke victory.

“I really wanted to win in front of such great crowds,” Ko said. “This is probably the biggest crowd I’ve seen. It’s always cool winning on home ground. We were walking up 16 and (playing partner Giulia Sergas) said `They like you.’ I said, `Well, it’s home.'”

She has 10 worldwide victories in professional events, also winning at Clearwater as an amateur in 2013.

“The more Ws the better,” Ko said. “I think I had a really good (offseason) break, which got me fresh going into this year.”

On Saturday, Ko broke the course record with a career-best 61 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round. She had five birdies, a double bogey and two bogeys Sunday to finish with a tournament-record 14-under 202 total.

“This is even better than I would ever have imagined,” Ko said. “It’s just great to have won the two Opens back to back.”

Australian amateur Hannah Green was second after a 68.

Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen was third at 9 under after a 71.

England’s Charley Hull had a 75 to tie for sixth at 7 under.

Hull pulled within two strokes of Ko with an eagle on the par-5 10th. She fell back with a double bogey after hitting into the water on No. 12 – Ko birdied the hole for a three-shot swing – and bogeys on Nos. 15, 17 and 18.

The tournament was sanctioned by the European and Australian tours.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Stacy Lewis held on to lead Amy Yang by one stroke at the LPGA Thailand despite a dismal third-round 73 on Saturday.

Leading overnight by three shots after a second-round 64, Lewis had three straight bogeys in the front nine before the American fired a five-foot eagle on the 15th hole to regain the lead from South Korea’s Yang.

Third-ranked Lewis had five bogeys – including at the 18th – and two birdies at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course for a three-day total of 13-under 203.

Sandra Gal of Germany shot 68 for third place, a further stroke behind Yang.

“It was a bit all over the place today,” Lewis said. “Hit some good shots, hit some shots too far.”

Yang bogeyed Nos. 12 and 14 before back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th holes saw her finish with a 71.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Stacy Lewis shot an unblemished round of 8-under-par 64 for a three-shot advantage over Amy Yang after the second round of the LPGA Thailand on Friday.

Lewis, the world No. 3, enjoyed four straight birdies from hole Nos. 4-7, plus four more on the back nine, to produce a two-day total of 14-under 130. She also led at Siam Country Club at the halfway stage in 2013, and finished third.

“It really was a pretty easy day,” Lewis said. “I didn’t cause myself too much stress.”

Yang shot five birdies and eagled the par-5 10th in a 66 to lie at 11 under overall. She has three top-five finishes in her last four tournaments.

Four players were another three shots back at 8 under: Germany’s Caroline Masson, South Koreans Jenny Shin and Mirim Lee, and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn.

Former world No. 1 and two-time champion Yani Tseng of Taiwan, an overnight leader with Lewis and Brittany Lang, carded 72 to drop to 6 under, while Lang shot a 73 to be at 5 under.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Yani Tseng shot an opening 6-under 66 Thursday to take a share of the lead with American rivals Stacy Lewis and Brittany Lang at the LPGA Thailand.

Tseng, a former No. 1 from Taiwan who won the title in Chonburi in 2011 and 2012, had seven birdies and a bogey at Siam Country Club.

“Could be better, could be worse,” said Tseng, a five-time major champion. “I miss(ed) couple short putts, but I just tell myself to smile and let it go.”

Lewis, who only got her clubs back on Wednesday after an airline had misplaced them, started with an eagle on the opening hole.

“No. 1 was just a bonus, holing out with a wedge shot there,” said Lewis, who also had six birdies. “I don’t know if I’ve ever shot 29 before, so it was cool.”

Lang had five of her eight birdies on the back nine.

“I got off to a good start with a birdie on 10 and 11,” Lang said. “I was just really seeing my shots and committing to them. Just felt effortless really.”

Six players have a share of fourth, a shot off the lead. They are Lizette Salas, Budsabakorn Sukapan, Any Yang, Ariya Jutanugarn, Mirim Lee and Suzann Petersen.

Defending champion Anna Nordqvist (72) had three birdies and three bogeys.

There are no Canadians in the field this week.

MELBOURNE, Australia – New Zealand’s Lydia Ko made her second start as world No. 1 a winning one, shooting a final-round 2-under 71 for a two-stroke victory over South Korea’s Amy Yang in the Women’s Australian Open.

The South Korean-born Ko finished with a 72-hole total of 9-under 283 on the composite course at Royal Melbourne. Yang shot a final-round 72.

Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who was tied with Ko after three rounds in the LPGA, European Tour and Australian Ladies event, shot a 76 to finish third, five strokes behind Ko.

Defending champion Karrie Webb, who won her fifth Australian Open last year at nearby Victoria Golf Club, shot 71 and finished 10 strokes behind.

As the leading groups were making the turn, play was suspended for about an hour due to nearby thunderstorms and the threat of lightning.

While Ko had just dropped a shot on the eighth, Yang had birdied the ninth hole and was ready to putt for an eagle on 10 when the siren to stop play sounded. Yang settled for a birdie after her ball circled the hole but failed to drop.

It gave Yang the lead but it didn’t last long with Ko adding two birdies on the back nine.

“I think that break was really good for me,” Ko said. “I had some lunch and got my stuff together there and I played much better after that.”

Ko’s accomplishments also include being the youngest golfer to win a professional event after capturing the New South Wales Open when she was 14.

“I’ve always played well in Australia, so it’s always cool coming back here,” she said. “It’s great. I played pretty solid. I think that’s a really important thing and to win on such an amazing golf course.”

South Korean-born American Jenny Shin birdied the last two holes for a four-under 69, the low round of the day, to move into a tie for fourth with first-round leader Ilhee Lee, seven behind Ko.

Lee closed with 71 but a second round of 82 all but ended her chance for victory.

Canada’s Lydia Ko finished 7-over 299 for a share of 37th place.

MELBOURNE, Australia – World No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn shot 1-under 72s on Saturday to share the lead after the third round of the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.

Ko and Jutanugarn had 54-holes totals of 7-under 212, one better than South Korea’s Amy Yang, who shot 70.

Julieta Granada of Paraguay and Australia’s Katherine Kirk, also with 70s, were tied for fourth, three behind the leaders. Kirk had four consecutive birdies from Nos. 13 to 16 to move her up the leaderboard.

England’s Charley Hull shot 76 and dropped back into a group tied for seventh with Jessica Korda (75), the 2012 champion at Royal Melbourne.

It was a tough, hot day at Royal Melbourne, particularly on the back nine. Only one player broke 70 – first-round leader Ilhee Lee with a 69. She’s tied for 13th and seven strokes behind.

Ko said conditions were so tough it was like playing in a major.

“You hit in on to the green and you have this humungous break,” Ko said. “It’s tough in every aspect … it does feel like a major.”

Kirk, who also had three bogeys and six birdies overall on Saturday, said Royal Melbourne had the firmest greens she expected to compete on all year.

“I’m very happy with it because it’s not easy to make birdies out there and I made six,” Kirk said. “I made two long putts and they’re just bonuses, but that’s probably as good as it gets today. You know this week that you’re going to make bogeys; it’s a tough golf course and they’re inevitable.”

Ko said she felt frustrated about not being able to make more birdies, but said she’d take a 2-under 71 before she began play on Sunday if offered.

“Yes, I would,” she laughed. “If I don’t have to play in that heat and get a 71 I’d take it.”

Canadian Alena Sharp shot a 2-over 75 and sits in a tie for 36th place.

MELBOURNE, Australia – No.1-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand, helped by a chip-in eagle, took a share of the second-round lead Friday with South Korea’s Jang Ha-na and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand at the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.

The 17-year-old South Korean-born Ko, playing her second tournament since becoming the youngest golfer, male or female, to earn the top ranking, shot a three-under 70 while Jang finished with a 69 and Jutanugarn had a 71, giving the leaders 36-hole totals of 6-under 140.

England’s Charley Hull, the Ladies European Tour’s top money winner last year, was in fourth place after a 71, two strokes behind.

American Jessica Korda, the 2012 champion at Royal Melbourne, shot 71 and was in fifth place, three strokes off the lead and tied with South Korean Amy Yang, who shot 70.

Ko began the day two strokes off the lead and pulled level when she holed out with a 9-iron from 125 meters on the par-4 15th hole.

She was upset with herself on the 15th tee after only taking par on the preceding par-5 hole, which she eagled in the first round.

“That anger led me to hit an aggressive drive on the 15th,” said Ko. “I was so upset from the hole before that I gambled. A little bit of anger is good because it lets the steam out, whereas sometimes I’ve had experiences where I’ve kept it in and it’s definitely not helped me.”

The 22-year-old Jang, in her rookie year on the LPGA tour, finished tied for second last month at the Coates Championship.

The 18-year-old Hull’s mostly good round was offset by problems on the sixth green, where she missed putts twice from less than three feet.

“I just four-putted that hole, it just didn’t go in,” Hull said. “I had a couple of three-putts as well. It’s just a learning experience for me. Sometimes I can get a bit ahead of myself and do silly stuff like that. But then I feel I concentrate well afterwards and try and get them back.”

Last week at the Australian Ladies Masters, Hull was in a shared tied for the lead going into the final round before triple bogeying the sixth hole, including an air swing and a penalty drop. She finished tied for second, three behind Australian winner Su Oh.

Oh opened with a 79 at Royal Melbourne and had a 78 Friday to miss the cut. Defending champion Karrie Webb also had a 78 but finished right on the cut line of 5-over 151, 11 strokes behind the leaders.

Canadian Alena Sharp is tied for 26th at 2-over 148.

MELBOURNE, Australia – South Korea’s Ilhee Lee took advantage of calm morning conditions at Royal Melbourne to shoot a 5-under 68 and take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Women’s Australian Open.

Lee had four back-nine birdies while Ariya Jutanugarn bogeyed her final hole to finish with a 69. The 19-year-old Thai earned a spot in an LPGA tournament in Thailand at the age of 11, making her the youngest player to qualify for an LPGA tournament.

New Zealander Lydia Ko, playing her second tournament as world No. 1, shot 70 and was tied for third with Canadian Alena Sharp and South Korea’s Kwak Min-seo. The 17-year old Ko’s round included an eagle on the par-5 14th where her 25-foot putt dropped for a three.

Charley Hull and Melissa Reid of England, American Brooke Pancake and Gwladys Nocera of France were among a group of six tied for sixth with 71s, three strokes behind Lee.

American Jessica Korda, who won the 2012 tournament at Royal Melbourne, shot 72.

Defending champion Karrie Webb, a five-time winner, had a 73 while South Korean-born Australian Su Oh, who won last week’s Australian Ladies Masters in only her second start as a professional, birdied her opening hole but then slumped to a 79. English veteran Laura Davies shot 81.

Lee said she only made a late decision to come to Melbourne after her coach, World Golf Hall of Fame member Sandra Haynie, convinced her she had the game to contend on a course where she missed the cut in her only previous sandbelt appearance in 2012.

“It’s good to see how improved my golf is this year . because I was here in 2012 (and) how I see the golf course at that time and now is totally different,” Lee said.

“I see the right thing first, I see how I manage the golf course better and then my drive’s better than then and swing’s got better, putting’s better, everything’s much better than that time.”

Jutanugarn, who had seven birdies and three bogeys Thursday, has had a hot start to the year, finishing tied for 11th in the opening LPGA event in Florida before a playoff loss in the Bahamas two weeks ago.

“I have to keep on that roll. I really want to keep it,” she said. “I have a lot more confidence now.”

Ko said it was important to get a good start on such a difficult course.

“I tried to stay patient,” Ko said. “I didn’t hole that many putts but I didn’t make that many mistakes either, so that’s important.”

The Women’s Australian Open is sanctioned by three tours: the LPGA, Ladies European and Australian Ladies tours.

At 3-under, Hamilton, Ont.’s Alena Sharp is part of a three-way tie for 3rd with world No. 1 Lydia Ko and Min Seo Kwak. Lorie Kane sits T33 at 1-over.

MELBOURNE, Australia – Only 17, top-ranked Lydia Ko says she’s already planning to retire from golf by the time she’s 30, and become a psychologist.

Ko makes her second start at No. 1 in Thursday’s first round of the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne along with Karrie Webb and Australia’s Su Oh, an 18-year-old who won the Australian Ladies Masters last week in her second start as a professional.

The South Korean-born Ko says she will soon start an on-line psychology degree to prepare for life after golf.

“I say my plan is to retire when I’m 30 so I’m not just going to go to the beach and hang out for the rest of my life,” Ko said Wednesday.

“There’s always a second career that comes along with it and I’m trying to build up towards it and, because I’m playing a sport, psychology links well with it.”

Ko finished second in the LPGA’s 2015 tour opener in Florida on Jan. 31 to become the youngest player of either gender to become world No. 1, breaking the record set by Tiger Woods by almost four years.

Ko, who moved to New Zealand from South Korea when she was six, travels from her Florida base with her mother, Tina. Her older sister, Sura, has an architecture degree.

“My mom will get me off my iPad and phone and tell me to work hard and look at the text books,” Ko said.

In her second year as a pro, Ko said she wasn’t putting too much pressure on herself to win a major this year.

“Last year I had two top-10 finishes (in majors) which was better than the year before when I had one,” Ko said. “I’m looking for more consistency in playing majors and then one day that will give me a chance to be around the lead.”

Webb won the Women’s Open at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne last year for her record fifth title. South Korea’s Chella Choi was second, a stroke back.

“It makes you feel old when your rookie year was before these players were born, but when we’re competing against each other I don’t see age as a difference,” Webb said. “We all have the same goal.”

Following her 40th birthday celebrations in December, Webb said she hit the gym hard in the off-season, and hopes to compete for Australia at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics next year.

“I could get away with it when I was younger,” Webb said. “I have to be a bit more diligent now and my body tells me that.”

Also playing on the Royal Melbourne composite course beginning Thursday are South Korean players Na Yeon Choi, who beat Ko in the season opener, and So Yeon Ryu and Kyu Jung Baek, and No. 4-ranked Shanshan Feng of China.