Lee rallies for three-shot win

Seon Hwa Lee shot a near-perfect round to take advantage of overnight leader Ai Miyazato’s slip up and win the Shoprite Classic in Galloway, New Jersey.

A native of Japan, Miyazato was looking for her first career LPGA tournament title and admitted after Saturday’s second round, which earned her a one-shot lead, that she would be playing with her idol – Annika Sorenstam – on Sunday and would be nervous.

Miyazato definitely let nerves get the best of her, carding a three-over-par 74 to slip to a tie for 13th at seven-under.

While Miyazato struggled to four bogeys and a birdie, Lee had little trouble with the Seaview Resort and Spa Bay Course, firing an eight-under 63 to finish at 16-under 197 and win her first LPGA title.

A rookie from Korea, Lee had three birdies and a bogey on the front nine and really got things going coming in. She started the back nine with four consecutive birdies and closed her round with back-to-back birdies at numbers 17 and 18.

Sorenstam started slowly with bogeys at numbers two and three but bounced back with birdies on her next two holes. She birdied the ninth and 10th to pull within a shot of the lead but a bogey at number 11 killed her momentum.

Looking to defend her title and win the event for the fourth time, Sorenstam birdied 14 and closed her round with an eagle but it was only good enough to get to 13-under 200 and tie for second with Jeong Jang (64) and Sherri Steinhauer (67).

Sophie Gustafson (64) and Morgan Pressel (66) tied for fifth at 12-under 201.