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Washington Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Chisato Iwai wins Mexico Riviera Maya Open by 6 shots for first LPGA title
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — 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.
National Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Jenny Bae lets scoring chances slips away and settles for 1-shot lead in LPGA event in Mexico
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Jenny Bae started with three straight birdies and had a one-shot lead that could have been larger except for a soft finish Saturday in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open. Article content Article content Bae didn't make another birdies after the third hole. What held her back were having to settle for pars on easy scoring holes, and then closing with a bogey when it took her two shots to get out of the crushed coral left of the green on the par-5 18th. Article content Article content Bae was at 7-under 209, and the LPGA rookie faces a big test Sunday — along with just about everyone else chasing her — in a bid for her first LPGA victory. Article content 'I didn't finish as well as I wanted to, but that's OK,' Bae said. 'Just tells me that I need to fight more the last 18 holes.' Article content The El Camaleon course at Mayakoba was set up for scoring, with the tees moved up on the par-4 17th to make it reachable with a fairway metal, and the par-5 closing hole. Article content Yahui Zhang of China finished birdie-birdie for a 68 and was at 6-under 210, along with Chisato Iwai of Japan, who also birdied the last two holes. Article content Another shot back was Gabriela Ruffels of Australia, who had the strongest closing kick of all. Ruffels was 3 over for her round when she holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole. On the par-4 16th, the toughest on the back nine, she holed a birdie putt from 20 feet. Article content Ruffels left her tee shot just in front of the green on the 17th, pitched to a back pin some 4 feet away for birdie, and then made it three straight at the end with a birdie at the 18th. That allowed her to salvage a 71 and left her very much in the mix. Article content Article content 'I was just proud of the way I kind of stuck in there and felt like I gave myself the chance to kind of come back,' Ruffels said. 'To finish the way I did is really good and some momentum into tomorrow.' Article content Also finishing strong was Miranda Wang of China, even if it was to keep her head above water. She was five shots behind when Wang started missing to the left — a tee shot into the bushes on the 16th that led to a penalty shot, a tee shot on the 17th into the water left of the green. Article content Both times, Wang made 15-foot putts to save par, and then after pulling her approach left of the 18th green, she got that up-and-down for birdie for a 73. She was among seven players at 4-under 212, three shots out of the lead. Article content Bae was pleased to be in front, though she missed an opportunity to have a little more room for error. She missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 13th. She was in good position off the 17th, just short of the green, but her pitch was strong and too far right and rolled through to the collar. She had to settle for par.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jenny Bae lets scoring chances slips away and settles for 1-shot lead in LPGA event in Mexico
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Jenny Bae started with three straight birdies and had a one-shot lead that could have been larger except for a soft finish Saturday in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open. Bae didn't make another birdies after the third hole. What held her back were having to settle for pars on easy scoring holes, and then closing with a bogey when it took her two shots to get out of the crushed coral left of the green on the par-5 18th. Advertisement Bae was at 7-under 209, and the LPGA rookie faces a big test Sunday — along with just about everyone else chasing her — in a bid for her first LPGA victory. 'I didn't finish as well as I wanted to, but that's OK,' Bae said. 'Just tells me that I need to fight more the last 18 holes.' The El Camaleon course at Mayakoba was set up for scoring, with the tees moved up on the par-4 17th to make it reachable with a fairway metal, and the par-5 closing hole. Yahui Zhang of China finished birdie-birdie for a 68 and was at 6-under 210, along with Chisato Iwai of Japan, who also birdied the last two holes. Advertisement Another shot back was Gabriela Ruffels of Australia, who had the strongest closing kick of all. Ruffels was 3 over for her round when she holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole. On the par-4 16th, the toughest on the back nine, she holed a birdie putt from 20 feet. Ruffels left her tee shot just in front of the green on the 17th, pitched to a back pin some 4 feet away for birdie, and then made it three straight at the end with a birdie at the 18th. That allowed her to salvage a 71 and left her very much in the mix. 'I was just proud of the way I kind of stuck in there and felt like I gave myself the chance to kind of come back,' Ruffels said. 'To finish the way I did is really good and some momentum into tomorrow.' Also finishing strong was Miranda Wang of China, even if it was to keep her head above water. She was five shots behind when Wang started missing to the left — a tee shot into the bushes on the 16th that led to a penalty shot, a tee shot on the 17th into the water left of the green. Advertisement Both times, Wang made 15-foot putts to save par, and then after pulling her approach left of the 18th green, she got that up-and-down for birdie for a 73. She was among seven players at 4-under 212, three shots out of the lead. Bae was pleased to be in front, though she missed an opportunity to have a little more room for error. She missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 13th. She was in good position off the 17th, just short of the green, but her pitch was strong and too far right and rolled through to the collar. She had to settle for par. On the 18th, she pulled her approach into a patch of crushed coral to a short-sided pin. She didn't catch enough of the golf ball and left it in the sandy area, then caught all ball and sent it 25 feet past the pin on the collar. Two putts from there led to bogey. 'I feel like I definitely left a few birdies out there, but it's OK because I know those chances that I missed today could also be the birdies that I get tomorrow,' Bae said. Advertisement This is the final week before the U.S. Women's Open, and the LPGA's return to Mexico for the first time since 2017 did not attract a strong field with Charley Hull at No. 15 the highest-ranked player. But it's a great opportunity for everyone else. The top 11 players on the leaderboard — everyone at 4 under and better — are going for their first LPGA win. ___ AP golf:
Associated Press
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Jenny Bae lets scoring chances slips away and settles for 1-shot lead in LPGA event in Mexico
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Jenny Bae started with three straight birdies and had a one-shot lead that could have been larger except for a soft finish Saturday in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open. Bae didn't make another birdies after the third hole. What held her back were having to settle for pars on easy scoring holes, and then closing with a bogey when it took her two shots to get out of the crushed coral left of the green on the par-5 18th. Bae was at 7-under 209, and the LPGA rookie faces a big test Sunday — along with just about everyone else chasing her — in a bid for her first LPGA victory. 'I didn't finish as well as I wanted to, but that's OK,' Bae said. 'Just tells me that I need to fight more the last 18 holes.' The El Camaleon course at Mayakoba was set up for scoring, with the tees moved up on the par-4 17th to make it reachable with a fairway metal, and the par-5 closing hole. Yahui Zhang of China finished birdie-birdie for a 68 and was at 6-under 210, along with Chisato Iwai of Japan, who also birdied the last two holes. Another shot back was Gabriela Ruffels of Australia, who had the strongest closing kick of all. Ruffels was 3 over for her round when she holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole. On the par-4 16th, the toughest on the back nine, she holed a birdie putt from 20 feet. Ruffels left her tee shot just in front of the green on the 17th, pitched to a back pin some 4 feet away for birdie, and then made it three straight at the end with a birdie at the 18th. That allowed her to salvage a 71 and left her very much in the mix. 'I was just proud of the way I kind of stuck in there and felt like I gave myself the chance to kind of come back,' Ruffels said. 'To finish the way I did is really good and some momentum into tomorrow.' Also finishing strong was Miranda Wang of China, even if it was to keep her head above water. She was five shots behind when Wang started missing to the left — a tee shot into the bushes on the 16th that led to a penalty shot, a tee shot on the 17th into the water left of the green. Both times, Wang made 15-foot putts to save par, and then after pulling her approach left of the 18th green, she got that up-and-down for birdie for a 73. She was among seven players at 4-under 212, three shots out of the lead. Bae was pleased to be in front, though she missed an opportunity to have a little more room for error. She missed a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 13th. She was in good position off the 17th, just short of the green, but her pitch was strong and too far right and rolled through to the collar. She had to settle for par. On the 18th, she pulled her approach into a patch of crushed coral to a short-sided pin. She didn't catch enough of the golf ball and left it in the sandy area, then caught all ball and sent it 25 feet past the pin on the collar. Two putts from there led to bogey. 'I feel like I definitely left a few birdies out there, but it's OK because I know those chances that I missed today could also be the birdies that I get tomorrow,' Bae said. This is the final week before the U.S. Women's Open, and the LPGA's return to Mexico for the first time since 2017 did not attract a strong field with Charley Hull at No. 15 the highest-ranked player. But it's a great opportunity for everyone else. The top 11 players on the leaderboard — everyone at 4 under and better — are going for their first LPGA win. ___ AP golf:
Associated Press
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Jenny Bae birdies last hole for 36-hole lead in LPGA's Mexico tournament
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — LPGA rookie Jenny Bae made it through an up-and-down stretch around the turn with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole for another 3-under 69, giving her a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open. Miranda Wang of China had the best round of the week on the El Camaleon course at Mayakoba, running off seven birdies and keeping a clean card for a 65. That leaft Wang and Brianna Do (71) one shot behind. Bae is trying to soak up the scenery and keep the stress to a minimum. That's about to pick up on the weekend as she goes after her LPGA victory. 'There is going to be some stress and pressure added to it, but I think as long as I keep my momentum and just try to stay positive on every shot and every hoe, I think I'll be OK,' Bae said, She was at 6-under 138 on what has been a tough golf course with wind and heat. El Camaleon on Mayakoba is where the PGA Tour played from 2007 through 2024, and where the LIV Golf League played last year. Do, among four players tied for the 18-hole lead, was the only player to reach 8 under for the tournament until a bogey-double bogey finish on the front nine. She still was in position for her first win, one off the lead. 'I didn't have the best finish today, so it's a little sour in my mouth right now,' Do said. 'I played solid for most of the 36 holes, so feeling good.' Jenny Shin, another of the co-leaders after Thursday, shot 72 and was two behind. The other two who opened with 68, Chisato Iwai and Bianca Pagdanganan, each followed with a 74. Pagdanganan was slowed by a triple bogey on her 11th hole, the par-4 second. Wang, meanwhile, found the right recipe for Mayakoba. For the Duke alum, Wang figured it was best to take care of the par 5s and some of the short par 4s and keep mistakes to a minimum. She birdied three of the four par 5s and kept mistakes completely off her card. 'There are good opportunities out there, short par 4s and short par 5s. Today when I did well, I really took the chances,' Wang said. 'So I think for a player to have a good round here it's just like the short holes you have to get close and make birdies and the long hole, just make good swings and pars out there.' The tournament is the last one before the U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills, and the Mexico reflected that. Charley Hull is the highest-ranked player on the Yucatan Peninsula at No. 15 in the world. She shot 75 and was nine shots behind. Maria Fassi carried the flag for Mexico. The former NCAA champion at Arkansas had a 72 and was at 3-over 147, but at least will be around for the weekend. Gaby Lope managed only a 73 and missed the cut. ___ AP golf:
