BAILEY TARDY SHOT a superb seven-under-par 65 to sweep to her maiden tour victory at the Blue Bay LPGA in China by four strokes on Sunday, as Stephanie Meadow achieved a top-10 finish.
Tardy was in a three-way tie for the lead after Saturday’s third round at 12-under par with Lydia Ko of New Zealand and fellow American Sarah Schmelzel.
An eagle-three at the eighth ignited her round and six further birdies against a lone bogey saw her stretch away from an elite field in the $2.2 million event.
Tardy was in tears after finishing at 19-under par for the week.
Meadow maintained her top-10 position through the tournament, finishing on 11-under after a final round of 69 to finish in eighth place. Her front nine was mixed, starting with a bogey on the first followed by two more on the sixth and ninth to leave her on seven-under at the turn. But she revived with four birdies between the 10th and 15th holes along with a bogey-birdie finish on the 17th and 18th holes.
Tardy, who was a rookie last year, became the third player to earn their first LPGA Tour victory at Blue Bay on Hainan Island, joining Lee-Anne Pace (2014) and Gaby Lopez (2018).
Ko had three bogeys on her front nine and finished with a 71 for a share of fourth place.
Tardy admitted she had been nervous playing with one of women’s golf’s most famous
Schmelzel finished second on 15-under after a final round of 69, one stroke ahead of Japan’s Ayaka Furue who had a bogey-free 65 to finish.
Top-ranked Lilia Vu of America withdrew injured before the second round at Blue Bay, opening the door for France’s Celine Boutier to become world number one.
Third-ranked Boutier needed to finish solo third or better on Sunday at the Jian Lake Blue Bay course on Hainan Island but a final round 68 gave her only a share of 12th on eight-under.
Boutier, 30, who won her first major last season at the Evian Championship in her native France, was second last week at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, a shot behind winner Hannah Green of Australia.
Meanwhile, Tom McKibbin has finished in a share of ninth place at the Jonsson Workwear Open in South Africa. The Belfast native carded a three-under 69 to finish on 19-under, four shots off the Italian winner Matteo Manassero.
McKibbin picked up eight birdies in his final round, including a three-in-a-row between the second and fourth holes. Those trio of birdies came after a double-bogey on the first hole. There was also back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes before closing out with another birdie on the 17th.
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