Prima Thammaraks topped the leaderboard in Xiamen.
Xiamen, China:
Prima Thammaraks defied strong winds to sweep to a four-shot victory at the Xiamen Orient Masters.
The second-year pro from Bangkok closed with a 74 at the windswept Orient (Xiamen) Golf Country Club in Fujian Province.
With a three-day total of seven-under 209, she secured her second victory as a professional and her first China LPGA Tour title. The victory was worth RMB75,000.
South Korean
Jang So-young posted a bogey-free 68 to finish equal second with compatriot
Chung Ye-na (71), while first round leader
Supamas Sangchan (71) of Thailand was fourth, five shots behind Prima’s winning mark.
Saranporn Langkulgasettrin, the China LPGA Tour Order of Merit leader, was fifth after the Thai closed with an even-par 72.
Luo Ying (74) was the top Chinese player in equal eighth on 219.
Starting the day with a five-shot lead, Prima played par golf through the first five holes before stumbling with a double-bogey six at the 405-yard sixth hole to drop to seven-under. She rebounded with a birdie at the ninth to make the turn at one-over 37. After further bogeys at 10 and 13, she made a birdie at the 397-yard 14th before playing par golf back to the clubhouse.
“I’m very excited. Yesterday and today were played in very tough conditions,” said the 25-year-old Iowa State graduate who won the Gold Coast Challenge in Australia in February. She called the win special as it came a day after the first anniversary of the death of the beloved Thai king.
