By Canadian Press

Monday qualifier Wannasaen goes low to win Portland Classic

Sep 3, 2023 | 7:40 PM

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Teenager Chanettee Wannasaen played a five-hole stretch in 6 under early in the final round Sunday and closed with a near-flawless 9-under 63 for a four-stroke victory at the Portland Classic to become the first Monday qualifier to win on the LPGA Tour since 2015.

Wannasaen arrived at Portland ranked 367th and having missed nine straight cuts in her rookie season. The 19-year-old from Thailand put together four stellar rounds in the 60s at Columbia Edgewater and shattered the tournament scoring record by five strokes with a 26-under 262 total for her first LPGA Tour victory.

Wannasaen is just the third qualifier to win on tour. Canada’s Brooke Henderson was the last Monday qualifier to win, taking the same Portland event in 2015. The other qualifier to finish first was American Laurel Kean, who claimed the State Farm Classic in 2000.

Third-round leader Megan Khang failed in her bid to win consecutive events. The 25-year-old American, a winner a week ago at the CPKC Women’s Open at Shaughnessy in Vancouver, B.C. — her first on tour — closed with a 1-under 71 and finished alone in sixth place at 19 under.

Wannasaen, who had previously won on the Access Series of the Ladies European Tour and Thai LPGA, was never really threatened in the final round and comfortably beat Xiyu Lin of China, who closed with a 64 for a 22-under 266 total. China’s Ruoning Yin (64), American Gina Kim (66) and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (67) tied for third another stroke back.

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Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished tied for 34th at 11 under.

Tied for second place entering the round, Wannasaen charged into the lead with birdies at Nos. 3 and 5, an eagle at the par-5 fifth, and two more birdies at the sixth and seventh holes — a stretch of 6 under that catapulted her into the lead at 23 under. 

She carded a 30 on the front nine and was never really pressured on the inward nine, methodically playing the back and adding three more birdies to her total. She increased her advantage with consecutive birdies at Nos. 13 and 14, and added another at the 17th to increase her lead to five stokes with four to play. 

One of few hiccups in her final round came at the 72nd hole when Wannasaen, who hit 13 of 14 fairways, powered her approach long and over the green — one of three missed greens in regulation in the final round. She chipped short, but punctuated her bogey-free round and victory with a 10-foot par putt.

CHIP SHOTS: The tournament’s previous scoring record was 21 under, by Hannah Green in 2019 and Henderson in 2015. … Perrine Delacour, the leader after each of the first two rounds, had a final round 69 and tied for 18th. … Columbia Edgewater member Caroline Inglis tied for 49th after a closing 69. The former University of Oregon player lives across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Wash.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The Associated Press