Ryu Strolls to Canadian Women's Open Title


Thanks to a four-stroke lead entering the final round, So Yeon Ryu had plenty of leeway Sunday at the Canadian Women's Open. But the 24-year-old made sure she closed out the tournament, finishing with a 3-under 69 win the 72-hole, $2.25 million event at London Hunt and Country Club in Ontario by two shots.

Ryu, a two-time LPGA winner - including the 2011 U.S. Women's Open, carded four birdies on the front nine to build a comfortable edge over the field.

Though she carded only her second and third bogeys of the tournament on the back nine, she birdied the par-5 16th to finish with a tournament-record total of 23-under 265, two strokes ahead of Na Yeon Choi (67) and five over Inbee Park (68), making the South Koreans the top-three finishers.

Coming off a victory in the LPGA Championship, Park posted six birdies and two bogeys Sunday.

With her first title since the 2012 Toledo Classic, Ryu said her mindset was good all week. "I did trust myself," said Ryu, who will move from ninth to fifth in the new Rolex Rankings. "I didn't care about anybody else. I focused on my game. I wasn't playing my best game on the back nine but I just kept through it.

"Hole 16 was a really big hole. I was sure if I made (the birdie putt) I was going to win it. I was really happy I made it."

Spain's Azahara Munoz closed with a 71 to take fourth at 17-under 271, while two strokes further down the leaderboard were Americans Kim Kaufman (66) and Danielle Kang (69).

Norway's Suzann Pettersen (68), Sweden's Anna Nordqvist (72), and Americans Cristie Kerr (70) and Brittany Lincicome (71) tied for seventh at 275.

No. 1-ranked Stacy Lewis shot her second 71 over the weekend to end up at 281 and in a tie for 23rd. New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko, who entered the tournament seeking a three-peat, endured a tough final round.

The 17-year-old, who won the in the Canadian Women's Open in 2012 and '13 as an amateur, posted a triple-bogey on the par-4 first hole followed by bogeys on Nos. 2-6. A birdie at the ninth gave her a 6-over 42 at the turn. She tacked on two birdies on the home half for a 34 and a 4-over 76. Ko ended up T-55 at 1-under 287.

Canadian amateur Brooke Henderson closed with a 74 to tie for 46th at 286.

For all the scores, visit www.lpga.com.