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Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Chisato Iwai wins Mexico Riviera Maya Open by 6 shots for first LPGA title
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Chisato Iwai took a tournament up for grabs and turned it into her own highlight show Sunday, making five birdies in her opening six holes for a 6-under 66 and a six-shot victory in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open for her first LPGA title. Iwai led from the opening hole at El Camaleon when she made birdie and Jenny Bae made bogey, and the 22-year-old from Japan was on her way. 'My mental is so calm — calm every day, every time,' Iwai said. She ran off four straight birdies, poured in every putt that mattered and then cruised home to become the third LPGA rookie to win this season. Iwai, whose twin sister Akie Iwai has been runner-up twice this year, finished at 12-under 276. Bae had a one-shot lead going into the final round at Mayakoba, and the 10 players behind her also had never experienced winning on the LPGA Tour. It didn't take long for Iwai, who had eight wins on the Japan LPGA before getting her LPGA card, to turn this into a rout. She hit wedge to 4 feet on the third hole for birdie. She rolled in a 7-foot birdie putt on the fourth. Her approach to the par-5 fifth was right of the green, close to the water, and she calmly chipped that to 2 feet for a third straight birdie. Iwai finished the big birdie run with a 15-foot putt on No. 6. Bae bogeyed the opening two holes and never caught up. She steadied herself on the back nine to salvage a 73 and a runner-up finish. 'It just tells me that I have a long ways to go but also I'm also getting there, too,' Bae said. 'So I'm happy. I definitely know what I need to work on for the week off for me. Hopefully I'll be able to score better at the next tournament.' The six-shot victory for Iwai matched the largest margin this year. Rio Takeda of Japan also won by six at the Blue Bay LPGA in China. Iwai took off early and it seemed as though everyone simply cleared out of her way. Gabriela Ruffels, who birdied five of her last six holes on Saturday to get within two shots of the lead, made only one birdie in her round of 76. Miranda Wang, who stayed in the game with clutch par putts down the stretch in the third round, closed with a 76 without making a birdie. Yahui Zhang made bogey on six of her last seven holes for a 78. Iwai won $375,000 for her first title. It's the first time in 10 years the LPGA has had three rookies win before the end of May. The LPGA returned to Mexico for the first time since 2017 and didn't attract a strong field with the U.S. Women's Open next week at Erin Hills is Wisconsin. Charley Hull at No. 15 was the highest-ranked player in the field. She didn't break 70 all week and tied for 32nd. ___ AP golf:
Japan Forward
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Akie Iwai Finishes 2nd at the LA Championship
For the second time in the 2025 LPGA Tour season, Akie Iwai earned a runner-up finish on Sunday, April 20. After shooting an 8-under 64 on Saturday, Iwai was tied for the JM Eagle LA Championship lead heading into the final round at El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles. A day later, the 22-year-old tour rookie carded a 3-under 69. In the fourth round, the Saitama Prefecture native had five birdies and two bogeys to finish at 20-under 268. Sweden's Ingrid Lindblad beat Iwai by one stroke, completing the tourney at 21-under 267 for her first LPGA Tour victory in her third start. Iwai had a chance to force a sudden-death playoff with Lindblad, but she bogeyed the par-4 18th hole. "I'm very frustrated," Iwai said, according to Kyodo News. "I was so nervous on the last putt on the 18th and couldn't make it. It was a waste. I have a chance to bounce back next week, so I'll try to channel my frustration then." Japan's Miyuu Yamashita finished in a three-way tie for third at 19-under 269 along with Germany's Esther Henseleit and Lauren Coughlin of the United States. Also for Japan, Nasa Hataoka, who had the best performance of the final round Sunday (9-under 63), earned a top-10 finish, placing sixth overall at 18-under 270. Akie Iwai has a pair of runner-up finishes in four LPGA Tour events in 2025. (KYODO) Akie Iwai Demonstrates Talent on the LPGA Tour In four starts on the LPGA Tour in 2025, Iwai has made the cut three times. She placed second at the Honda LPGA Thailand on February 23, carding a 27-under 261. Iwai finished one stroke behind winner Angel Yin. In between her strong performance in Thailand and the LA Championship, Iwai tied for 44th at the Ford Championship in Chandler, Arizona, on March 30. Up next: the Chevron Championship (April 24-27) in The Woodlands, Texas. Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani leads off from first base during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers on April 20 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. (Jerome Miron/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS) Baseball New Father Ohtani Returns to the Dodgers Lineup Playing in his first game after the birth of his daughter, Shohei Ohtani was hitless in three at-bats and walked once on Sunday, April 20 in Arlington, Texas. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Texas Rangers 1-0. Ohtani missed the first two games of the three-game series while remaining in California to be with his wife Mamiko for the birth of their first child. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts correctly stated the length of time players are permitted to spend on the paternity list in his remarks about Ohtani on Sunday. "I think in paternity, you get three days," Roberts said, according to "But for him to just make sure the baby was healthy and to get back here, and to be a part of this, certainly shows his ability to balance life and work. Good to have him back, and most importantly, I'm happy [he] and Mamiko have a healthy baby girl." The United States figure skating squad poses for photos after winning the 2025 ISU World Team Trophy on April 19 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. (KYODO) Figure Skating US Wins World Team Trophy, Japan Finishes 2nd First-place finishes in the free skate by world champions Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu in the men's and women's singles events helped the United States clinch the overall title in the World Team Trophy on Saturday, April 19. Team USA finished with 126 points, followed by Japan (110 and Italy (86) in the six-nation biennial event at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. France, Canada and Georgia placed fourth, fifth and sixth. Malinin and American teammate Jason Brown were 1-2 in the men's free skate with 183.88 and 179.33 points, respectively. Italy's Daniel Grassl took third (172.45), followed by Shun Sato (169.62) and Yuma Kagiyama (168.93) in fourth and fifth. In the women's free skate, Liu topped the scoring chart with 150.97 points, followed by fellow American Amber Glenn (148.93). Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto was third (145.00). The World Team Trophy awards points to teams based on skaters' results after both the short program and free skate. Riku Miura (left) and Ryuichi Kihara compete in the pairs free skate on April 19 in Tokyo. (KYODO) In the pairs competition, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who claimed their second world title in Boston on March 27, won the short program and the free skate. Advertisement Did You Know? New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga leads the National League in ERA (0.79) heading into the week of April 21-27. In his third MLB season, Senga is 3-1. He's allowed zero runs in each of his last three starts. RELATED: Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
Kyodo News
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Golf: Japan's Iwai runner-up to Sweden's Lindblad at LPGA event in LA
KYODO NEWS - 18 hours ago - 13:24 | Sports, All Japanese golfer Akie Iwai shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday to finish runner-by one stroke to fellow overnight leader Ingrid Lindblad at the U.S. LPGA Tour's JM Eagle LA Championship. The 22-year-old LPGA rookie from Japan missed the opportunity to force a playoff for her first tour title when she bogeyed the final hole and finished 20-under for the tournament at El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles. Lindblad, a 25-year-old rookie from Sweden, carded a 68 to clinch her first LPGA win. Japan's Miyu Yamashita (66) moved up five spots to tie for third at 19-under, with compatriot Nasa Hataoka (63) a further stroke back in sixth after surging 23 places on the last day. Iwai jumped 11 spots Saturday to start the final round tied with Lindblad and American Lauren Coughlin. She shot five birdies against two bogeys in Sunday's round. "I'm very frustrated. I was so nervous on the last putt on the 18th and couldn't make it. It was a waste," Iwai said. "I have a chance to bounce back next week, so I'll try to channel my frustration then." Iwai's twin sister, Chisato, shot 68 to tie for 11th at 15-under with Japan's Rio Takeda (71) and three other players. Related coverage: Golf: Akie Iwai surges into tie for lead at LPGA event in LA Golf: U.S. LPGA rookie Rio Takeda rolls to 6-shot win in China Golf: 2 women to play inaugural men's tournament in Japan
Los Angeles Times
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Rookie Ingrid Lindblad holds off the field to win the LPGA's JM Eagle LA Championship
Ingrid Lindblad grew up figure skating. The dynamic sport of balance and precision tested her limits before she ultimately surrendered the ice for the green full-time. The individuality, besting yourself rather than an opponent to achieve your goals, drove the Swedish golfer as a young athlete — and to top amateur status at Louisiana State. As one of two LPGA rookies atop the JM Eagle LA Championship leaderboard Sunday afternoon, Lindblad needed to channel her success, which propelled her to becoming the 2024 Honda Award winner for golf, the same under-pressure skillset that helped her qualify for the LPGA tour in the first place. Lindblad, 25, converted six birdies Sunday, enough to weather the field and win the LA Championship at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana — her first LPGA victory in her third career tour start. Lindblad, who missed out on the top 10 in her first two starts, charged into the conversation Friday with a career-low nine-under 63 to tie the tournament scoring record. She bookended the second round with four-under performances in the first and third rounds. Lindblad was unaware of her first victory until cameras swarmed her as she nervously snacked in front of the clubhouse. Her shocked expression turned to glee as her mother, Cecilia, and peers celebrated her milestone moment. Sunday's finale wasn't in her hands. Fellow rookie Akie Iwai missed a 13-foot putt on the 18th hole that would have forced a playoff after tying the score at 21-under with a 16th-hole birdie. 'You expect your opponent to make, make the chip, make the putt,' Lindblad said. 'She played really well this week too. I was expecting her to make it.' Iwai, who played alongside her identical twin sister, Chisato, on Saturday, curved a last-chance shot from behind a tree to try and cut into the lead to set up her birdie putt. 'I saw Ingrid [was ahead],' said Akie Iwai, who finished 20-under as the runner-up. 'I must catch up… so I will give it a try. It was a really good shot.' Earlier in the round, Iwai, who entered Sunday tied with Lindblad and tour veteran Lauren Coughlin at 17-under, stalled after her sixth-hole bogey. Lindblad also lost steam, settling for par on every hole after the 11th. But she found a lucky touch to maintain her lead. On the eighth hole, after driving the ball into the rough — a sand patch near a fan viewing zone — Lindblad skipped a ball about 50 yards onto the green to create a short putt opportunity. She sank the birdie, her fifth of the day, to place her at 20 under and a two-stroke lead with 10 holes remaining. Even when her drives left plenty to be desired, struggling to find the fairway on multiple holes, Lindblad would save par to keep distance between second place. Lindblad sliced a ball on the 13th hole that sailed far wide and off a tree. 'I was not always friends with my driver,' Lindblad said. The ball, however, ricocheted off the tree and toward the fairway rather than out of bounds. Lindblad eventually made par. The 10th hole — a par four — appeared to be a potential bogey after Lindblad left the ball short of the putting green and into a bunker on her second shot. But after a nifty chip, she was able to keep par with a 15-foot putt. It was shots such as her 10th-hole sand save that was proof that it may be Lindblad's day in Tarzana. 'I know my sand saves aren't the greatest percentage this year so far,' Lindblad said. 'Making that up and down on both [the second hole] from the bunker and on 10 from the bunker, I was just happy to make par.' Lindblad outpaced attempts to cut into her lead from the top-two ranked women's golfers. Nelly Korda, No. 1 in the world, began the day tied for third and finished at 14 under. Just below Korda in the rankings, Jeeno Thitikul made a run toward the top of the standings by birdieing her first four holes, but ultimately settled in a tie for ninth place going 16 under. Australian Hannah Green, who won the last two LA Championships, finished ninth as well. She donated $1,000 per eagle and $500 per birdie for Los Angeles fire relief efforts. Green will donate $10,500 after she added six birdies to her tally Sunday. 'I did a little bit of a tally last night,' Green said of her donations. 'I was hoping that it was going to be a course where we make a ton [of eagles and birdies], and obviously it has been. … I'm grateful that I did make the amount that I did.' Coughlin, who was part of the first-place tie to start Sunday, ended the LA Championship tied for third at 19 under with Esther Henseleit and Miyu Yamashita. The LA Championship, which is usually held at Wilshire Country Club, moved to El Caballero in 2025 because of course renovations at Wilshire. The LPGA tour plans to return to Wilshire next season. With the the Chevron Championship — the first LPGA major of the year — coming next week, Lindblad said it may be time to reassess her rookie-season goals after her first tour win. And with the $562,500 in prize money now to her name, she quipped only one thing was on her mind. 'I said, if I win, I'm gonna bump myself up to first class tomorrow,' Lindblad said she joked Saturday. 'But there are no seats in first class tomorrow.' Lindblad may still be thinking about first class, but after Sunday she'll need to check an extra bag for her LA Championship silver trophy.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trio share lead at tight LA Championship
Akie Iwai of Japan has a share of the lead at the LGA Tour's LA Championship heading into the final round (Katelyn Mulcahy) Japan's Akie Iwai and American Lauren Coughlin share the lead with Sweden's Ingrid Lindblad at the LPGA Tour's LA Championship going into Sunday's final round at El Caballero Country Club. Advertisement Iwai revealed she had been in a rush to make her tee-time after her alarm clock failed to go off, but there was no sign of any fluster on the course. She shot a bogey-free, eight-under round of 64, starting off her round with an eagle on the par-five first hole as the 22-year-old, who has six wins on the Japan Tour, put herself in contention for her first victory on the LPGA Tour. Iwai was paired with her twin sister Chisato for the third round but said that hadn't influenced her approach to the day. "There was no change of mind(set) because (she was) just another player, an opponent. But it was really fun. Really, really fun. A good experience," she said. Advertisement Coughlin, who claimed her first two wins on the LPGA Tour last year, was also bogey free as she shot a six-under 66, beginning her round with three birdies in a row. "Only one bogey for the first three days, so that's always really good," said the American, after taking advantage of good conditions for low scoring. "Made some really good par saves out there today and kind of in the middle of the round, when I kind of lost it there for a little while, was able to steady it and keep it going there at the end," she added. Lingblad, who held a share of the lead heading into Saturday's action, was solid again with a four-under 68 as the tour rookie gave herself a chance of her maiden win on the LPGA circuit. Advertisement "I think (I) just need to stay in my own bubble a little bit, don't get too far ahead of myself," she said. "Obviously the goal is to win, but we can't win to tonight or on the first tee box tomorrow. "So kind of just stay in the present and try to keep playing well," she added. The leading trio are on 17-under for the tournament but there are plenty of players in contention for the title on Sunday with South Korea's Yoon I-na just two shots back after her eight-under round of 64. American Nelly Korda, last year's Player of the Year with seven tournament wins, is a further shot back alongside Japan's Rio Takeda and Australia's Minjee Lee. Advertisement Korda, who defends her Chevron Championship title in the season's first major at Houston next week, made four bogeys on her round but also made eagle on the par-five 16th. She was annoyed though to finish with her fourth bogey on the last hole to end with a five-under 67. "Obviously a little upset with my last putt on the last hole. That's just really unfortunate. Other than that, I hit some really solid shots. Made some good putts too, but unfortunately did not make the last one. That stinks," she said. sev/bb
