WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Ariya Jutanugarn shot a nearly mistake-free 4-under 67 Sunday and won the Kingsmill Championship by one for her second consecutive LPGA victory.
The 20-year-old, who became the first Thai winner in tour history two weeks ago in Alabama, gave up her lead briefly after an early bogey, but she played the final 16 holes in 5 under to keep at bay all the challengers needing her to falter. She finished with a 14-under 270 for four trips over Kingsmill’s 6,347-yard River Course.
So Oh finished second after a closing 65, with Gerina Piller and Sei Young Kim sharing third, two shots back.
Jutanugarn, the third-round leader, immediately rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 second hole with back-to-back birdies. She made three more the rest of the way, then got up-and-down from the right side of the green on the 18th hole, hitting her chip to within about 5 feet and rolling it in for the victory.
''It was a lot easier,’' she said of closing out her second victory. ''I didn’t get nervous. I didn’t get excited until the last putt.’'
She is the first player with back-to-back wins since top-ranked Lydia Ko did it in March.
Mi Jung Hur used the round of the day to gain a share of fifth. She had nine birdies and got to 11 under at No. 17, but she made bogey at the par-4 18th and finished tied with Lexi Thompson and Pornanong Phatlum at 274.
All three reached 11 under at one point but faltered in an intermittent light drizzle.
Defending champion Minjee Lee shot even Sunday and finished in a tie for 10th.
Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis closed with a 74 and remained winless in her last 49 starts. She tied for second two weeks ago in Alabama, her 10th runner-up finish during the drought and the 23rd of her career.
Thompson, ranked third in the world and trying to follow a victory two weeks ago in Japan, was six-under for the day and got to minus 11 through 11 holes but followed with consecutive bogeys.
Ko started the day tied for 24th. She shot 69 and finished tied for 18th.
