Lee-Anne Pace defeated rookie Yu Yang Zhang with a birdie on the first playoff hole on Sunday to win the Sanya Ladies Open for the second time in Hainan, China.
The 32-year-old South African came from one stroke behind overnight leader Ye Na Chung of South Korea to tie with China’s Zhang on 13-under-par 203 after 54 holes, then showed her experience by rolling in a 20-foot putt from the back of the 18th green to win the playoff.
“I love it here. It’s a really nice feeling to come back and win here again,” said Pace, who took out the inaugural Sanya Open at Yalong Bay Golf Club in 2010.
“I started to get really pumped up towards the end and all the feelings came back from 2010 when I won here and I made a birdie on 16 in 2010 so I was really pumped up to go.”
Playing in hot and breezy conditions, Pace made a shaky start and dropped a shot at the second hole but birdied the third.
She dropped a second shot on six but then made birdies on seven and eight to get one behind Chung, before the South Korean bogeyed the 12th hole.
In a three-way share of the lead with Chung and Zhang, Pace then holed a three-footer for birdie on the par-3 15th to go one stroke clear and extended her lead to two with a birdie on the 16th.
With Ladies European Tour rookie Zhang in the clubhouse on 13-under after a final-round 65, Pace needed an 18th-hole birdie to win in regulation but missed a 12-foot putt and both players returned to the tee.
Pace and Zhang hit impressive drives and approaches to the green, however the South African nailed the 20-footer, while Zhang missed her chance from 15 feet.
This was Pace’s third victory of the year after wins in Turkey and Spain and she moved to second on the LET Order of Merit.
For Zhang, the disappointment was clear to see but it was delight for the home fans with four Chinese players finishing in the top seven.
Of the Australians, first-round leader Nikki Campbell bounced back with a final-round 69 to finish ninth on 210 – seven shots off the lead.
Kristie Smith (211) was one stroke behind Smith, ahead of Alison Whitaker (212), Frances Bondad (213), Sarah Kemp and Stephanie Na (214), and Stacey Keating (215).
The Tour moves north for the China Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open, which Pace also won in a playoff in 2010.