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Hara Nomura wins LPGA's Texas Shootout in playoff

 
Published May 1, 2017

IRVING, Texas — Hara Nomura two-putted for birdie on the sixth playoff hole Sunday for her third LPGA Tour victory after Cristie Kerr briefly took the lead on the 72nd hole in the windy Texas Shootout.

Nomura also birdied the par-5 18th hole at the end of regulation to force the playoff after giving up the lead for the first time with double bogey at No. 17.

Kerr and Nomura finished regulation at 3-under 281 then played the 518-yard 18th hole six more times. There were five matching pars before Nomura won nearly 71/2 hours after starting her round, almost making eagle before her tap-in then waiting while Kerr's 12-foot birdie chance slid left of the cup.

Kerr was trying to win consecutive tournaments. She won in Hawaii two weeks ago, her 19th career victory coming nearly five months after knee surgery.

Nomura shot 5-over 76 in the final round. Kerr made the only birdie all day at the par-3 17th and was leading by a stroke when she tapped in a par putt on 18 for 74.

Nomura made the turn with a five-stroke lead before consecutive bogeys to start her back nine.

After Kerr birdied No. 17 with a 10-foot putt and was still playing the 18th, Nomura made double bogey at 17 for the second day in a row. That knocked Nomura out of the lead for the first time after also leading at the end of the second and third rounds.

It was the third consecutive day with challenging wind, but the most brutal with temperatures in the 60s and winds steady over 20 mph with gusts of 40 to 45 mph. The scoring average for the 53 players left in the field was nearly 51/2 strokes over par.

PGA: Kevin Kisner chipped in for eagle on the 18th hole as darkness fell, lifting himself and teammate Scott Brown into a playoff today at the Zurich Classic with Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith in Avondale, La. Kisner's chip-in — which skipped on a wet green, hit the pin and dropped in from nearly 95 feet — forced Smith to make a 11/2-foot birdie putt to remain in contention for his first tour victory. Both teams were 27 under through four rounds at the TPC Louisiana, which was hosting the tour's first team event in 36 years. The fourth round finished in barely playable darkness because of a more than six-hour delay caused by thunderstorms.