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Winning streak for S. Korean-born golfers snapped on LPGA Tour

March 30, 2015

Mirim Lee, of South Korea, watches her tee shot off the 13th hole during the final round of the LPGA Kia Classic golf tournament Sunday, March 29, 2015 in Carlsbad, Calif. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) — The winning streak by South Korean-born golfers on the 2015 LPGA Tour was snapped at six in California on Sunday, as American veteran Cristie Kerr captured the Kia Classic.

The red-hot Kerr fired a seven-under 65 Sunday at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California, to finish the four-round event at 20-under 268, holding off South Korea’s Lee Mi-rim by two strokes. Lee was the overnight leader but had an up-and-down round of two-under 70. Her day featured five birdies, one eagle, one bogey and two double bogeys.

Lydia Ko, a South Korean-born Kiwi, finished third at 17-under, after shooting a 67 in the final round.

Five different South Korean nationals, plus Ko, had won the first six LPGA events of 2015. Dating back to last year, the streak for South Korean-born players was at 10.

Through three rounds, Lee looked poised to extend the streak. Yet she began her day with a bogey on the first and a double bogey on the second. Kerr poured in four birdies on the front nine and added five more on the back nine, including four in a row starting on the 13th.

Lee made things more interesting in the final stretch. On the par-4 16th, she put her tee shot to about four feet and made the eagle putt to get to within one of Kerr. On the very next hole, however, Lee found trouble off the tee and wound up with a costly double bogey.

Kerr three-putted for bogey on the final hole but still had enough breathing room to enjoy her 17th LPGA victory.

Lee was among six South Koreans in the top 10. Park In-bee, the world No. 2, finished alone in fifth at 15-under, and Kim Hyo-joo, who won last week’s LPGA event in Phoenix, and Jang Ha-na, a fellow LPGA rookie, tied for sixth at 14-under. Pak Se-ri and Lee Il-hee ended in a five-way tie for 10th at 12-under.