DUBLIN, Ohio -- Lorena Ochoa won a head-to-head duel with Jee Young Lee, pulling away with two consecutive birdies to shoot a 7-under 65 and win the Wendy’s Championship for Children by three shots Sunday.
Ochoa and Lee, playing in the same group, were tied at 22 under through 12 holes. But Ochoa birdied the next two holes for a two-stroke lead and was never threatened again as she parred out to finish at 24-under 264.
Lorena Ochoa now has three wins on the season and leads the race for the money title.
The victory was the 24-year-old’s third of the season on the LPGA Tour. She also has five seconds, a third, two fourths and a fifth-place finish in 18 starts.
The $165,000 first-place check raised Ochoa’s earnings this year to $1,840,774, moving her past Karrie Webb and into first place on the money list.
Ochoa, who leads the tour in scoring average, has shot 66 or better 12 times this season.
With earlier rounds of 67, 68 and 64, Ochoa had the lowest 72-hole total on a par-72 course this year by five strokes. Ochoa didn’t have a bogey in the final two rounds while going 15 under.
Lee, a rookie who began the day two shots back of Ochoa in second place, had five birdies, an eagle and no bogeys in her first 13 holes -- and still trailed. After Ochoa’s two big birdies, Lee bogeyed the 16th hole.
She closed with a 6-under 66 and shared second place at 267 with Stacy Prammanasudh, who shot a 64.
After rolling in an uphill 5-footer for par on the final hole, Ochoa pumped her fist and then acknowledged the gallery surrounding the green at Tartan Fields Golf Club.
Ai Miyazato shot a 68 and was alone in fourth at 271, with Diana D’Alessio (67) next at 273. Tied for sixth at 13-under 275 were Jeong Jang (67), Webb (69) and Michele Redman (70).
Defending champion Christie Kerr closed with a 70 and was at 276 along with Tina Barrett (68) and Morgan Pressel (69).
Paula Creamer was on the leaderboard all day until she sliced her approach at the final hole underneath the grandstand. After a lengthy delay during which she looked over her options and discussed the situation with her caddie and a rules official, she chipped short of the green and ended up with a double bogey that gave her a 72 and left her at 11-under 277.
Sophie Gustafson tied the competitive course record with a 9-under 63 and finished at 278.
Ochoa’s earlier victories this season came at the Takefuji and Sybase tournaments.
Her 72-hole total easily eclipsed the tournament scoring mark. The record was set a year ago by Kerr at 18-under 270. New Albany Country Club hosted the 7-year-old tournament its first three years, with Annika Sorenstam winning at 19-under 269 in 1999.
The victory was Ochoa’s sixth of her career.
The final round was moved up in order to avoid a predicted afternoon thunderstorm. A light rain fell for about an hour but play was never suspended.
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