Lewis Birdies Final Hole to Claim NW Arkansas Championship


Local favorite Stacy Lewis fired a 6-under 65 to win the NW Arkansas Championship. The $2 million, 54-hole LPGA Tour event took place at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark.

Lewis, who won the tournament as an amateur and University of Arkansas student in 2007 (that event was shortened to 18 holes because of rainstorms and Lewis was declared the unofficial winner), finished at 12-under 201, a stroke ahead of New Zealand's Lydia Ko, who also shot 65, Cristie Kerr (67) and Angela Stanford (67).

The No. 1-ranked Lewis carded seven birdies - with three coming on the last four holes - and a bogey Sunday. Her final birdie came on the par-5 18th hole to give the 29-year-old her third title this year and the 11th of her career.

Lewis admitted later that the pressure to win the tournament in her adopted state was taxing. "It's so hard to play here," she told reporters. "I was more nervous than I was at the U.S. Open last week. It's just really special to win here."

The next event for Lewis is the Women's British Open at Royal Birkdale in two weeks. Lewis will be the defending champion; she won last year - one of her two career majors - on the Old Course at St. Andrews by two strokes.

South Korea's So Yeon Ryu (69) ended up in fifth at 10-under 203, while another stroke back were Korean Chella Choi and Norway's Suzann Pettersen, who each shot 69s.

Newly crowned U.S. Women's Open champion Michelle Wie began the final round with a two-shot lead over Ryu after opening with two straight 66s.

But the 24-year-old Wie struggled Sunday, likely due to fatigue, en route to a 2-over 73, dropping her into a tie for eighth at 205 with Paraguay's Julieta Granada (65), Koreans Meena Lee (65) and Mi Hyang Lee (69), Jennifer Rosales of the Philippines (67), Frenchwoman Karine Icher (68) and American Mina Harigae (69).

Defending NW Arkansas champion Inbee Park closed with a 68 to share 15th with fellow South Koreans Hee Young Park (67) and Na Yeon Choi (69) and Mexico's Alejandra Llaneza (70) at 7-under 206.

For complete scoring, visit www.lpga.com.