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

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 The 24-12 months-outdated from Colorado finished at 14-under 274 for her to start with LPGA Tour title.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.