Late miscue proves costly as Yang Hee-young misses out on fifth LPGA title

Done in by a late double bogey, South Korean Yang Hee-young has missed out on a chance to end her four-year LPGA title drought.

Yang finished tied for third at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan, on Sunday. After shooting a three-under 69, which included a double bogey on the 16th, Yang ended at 18-under, three behind the champion, Leona Maguire of Ireland.

Yang was looking for fifth career LPGA title and her first win since February 2019. The 33-year-old has yet to notch a victory on American soil, having previously won once in South Korea and three times in Thailand.

Yang started the final round with a one-stroke lead over three players at 15-under. She played in the final group with Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa and Lin Xiyu of China.

Buhai, who earned her first career title a week ago, took herself out of contention early with bogeys on the first two holes. Yang held steady and made the turn at 16-under thanks to a birdie on the sixth and eight pars.

Yang birdied the 10th and then eagled the 14th to reach 19-under, tied atop the crowded leaderboard with Lin. Maguire and Ariya Jutanugarn, playing one group ahead of Yang and Lin, were both lurking one stroke behind the co-leaders.

Disaster struck Yang on the 16th hole. She found the rough off the tee, and her approach shot struck a tree and only advanced a few yards. With the ball still in the deep rough, Yang's third shot landed well short of the green.

She chipped on to the putting surface with her fourth shot but two-putted from about 10 feet for a double bogey that dropped her to 17-under, two off the lead with two holes to play.

Maguire mounted a strong charge down the stretch for the come-from-behind victory, recording four birdies and an eagle over her last six holes.

Yang birdied the 18th hole but settled for her second top-10 finish in nine starts in 2023.

Two other South Koreans ranked inside the top 10, with Kim Hyo-joo alone in fifth at 16-under and Choi Hye-jin tying four others in eighth at 14-under.

World No. 1 Ko Jin-young remains the only South Korean player with a win this season.

The LPGA Tour moves to New Jersey this week for the second major of the season, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. (Yonhap)