Kupcho wins 1st LPGA Tour title at last Mission Hills event


J.J. Spaun, left, and his caddie, Mark Carens, discuss the 17th hole during the final round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament in San Antonio, Sunday, April 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)
J.J. Spaun, left, and his caddie, Mark Carens, explore the 17th gap during the closing spherical of the Valero Texas Open golf match in San Antonio, Sunday, April 3, 2022. (AP Picture/Michael Thomas)

AP

LPGA TOUR

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) — Jennifer Kupcho took the last victory leap into Poppie’s Pond late Sunday afternoon, ending a fifty percent-century operate of the tournament most effective identified as the Dinah Shore at Mission Hills.

6 strokes ahead coming into the round, Kupcho shot a 2-in excess of 74 for a two-stroke victory above Jessica Korda in The Chevron Championship. The 24-12 months-outdated from Colorado finished at 14-under 274 for her to start with LPGA Tour title.

The celebration that started out in 1972 as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle and became a major in 1983 is transferring to Houston next year soon after failing to catch the attention of a sponsor prepared to hold it in the California desert.

7 strokes forward of Korda and defending champion Patty Tavatanakit at 18 below soon after holing birdie putts above 30 toes on the par-4 fourth and par-3 fifth, Kupcho performed the closing 13 holes in 4 more than.

Pia Babnik of Slovenia closed with a 66 to end 3rd at 11 below.

TEXAS Open up

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — J.J. Spaun received his initially PGA Tour party — and his to start with journey to the Masters — by firing a final-spherical 69 at the Valero Texas Open up on Sunday.

In his 147th PGA Tour start off, Spaun survived a double-bogey start off to his round by recording 5 birdies with no bogeys to finish at 13-underneath at TPC San Antonio. It gave him a two-shot margin over Matt Kuchar (69) and Matt Jones (66).

Adam Hadwin (67), Beau Hossler (72), Charles Howell III (69) and Troy Merritt (69) tied for fourth at 10-underneath.

The 31-calendar year-aged Spaun shut with 4 straight pars, and no one particular could close in on him. His prior best end on tour was runner-up in 2018 at the RSM Common.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

BILOXI, Skip. (AP) — Steven Alker cruised to his 2nd victory on the PGA Tour Champions, taking pictures a last-round 7-under 65 to earn the Rapiscan Techniques Basic by six photographs.

Alker’s 18-beneath whole was a history at the party, which moved to Grand Bear Golfing Club this 12 months immediately after 10 editions at Fallen Oak.

Padraig Harrington shot 65 to surge into a tie for 2nd with Alex Cejka. Bob Estes, who started out the working day just one shot back again, slipped to 3rd right after shooting 71.

A day following Alker fired a program history 62 during the second spherical to acquire the guide, he followed it up by participating in around-flawless golfing to keep off an early cost from Estes.

Estes, still searching for his very first victory on the 50-and-more than tour at age 56, pulled even with Alker a few times on the entrance 9 but fell off the tempo with a bogey at the par-4 eighth hole and could not hold up when Alker ripped off 3 straight birdies to start the back again nine.

KORN FERRY TOUR

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — T.J. Vogel experienced a 5-underneath 67 in the remaining round to win the Club Automobile Championship at The Landings Club by a stroke.

Vogel beat 54-gap leader Mark Anderson and Ryan Blaum in successful his initial PGA Tour-sanctioned party. He birdied the very first hole and had an eagle at the par-5 3rd gap before trotting out three straight birdies on the fifth, sixth and seventh holes.

“I’ve worked so tricky for this, I have so quite a few men and women to thank, and I’m just happy,” reported Vogel, who completed with a 17-under 271. “I ultimately proved to myself I could do it. I was out here as a younger professional, but not fairly all set at that place. I moved back, labored my way back up and just progressed. I felt like my development was very slow, but I felt like I always kept transferring a very little bit up, a little little bit up, and this is a major action in this article.”

Blaum had a 2-below 70 on the remaining working day and Anderson was 1-beneath 71. Both equally completed at 16-under 272.

OTHER Tours

Andrea Lee won a three-gap playoff for the Epson Tour victory over Lucy Li in Tucson, Arizona. The two have been tied at 3-underneath 69 immediately after the final spherical, prompting a playoff. Daniela Darquea finished powering them. … Mateusz Gradecki rallied from 5 photographs powering with a 6-beneath 66 for a 3-shot victory in the Limpopo Championship in South Africa, starting to be only the second Polish player to get on the Challenge Tour. The tournament was co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour. Hennie Du Plessis experienced a 70 to end 2nd. … Lee Anne Tempo received the Investec South African Women’s Open for a record fifth time, beating Magdalena Simmermacher of Argentina in a six-gap playoff. Both closed with a 2-less than 70. … Alejandro Tosti of Argentina shut with a 2-underneath 69 and capped off an 8-shot victory above Clordomiro Carranza in the 90 Abierto del Centro on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica circuit. … Mao Saigo concluded bogey-double bogey for a 4-about 76 and held on for a one-shot victory in the Yamaha Females Open up on the Japan LPGA.