Brooke Henderson secures second successive Portland Classic title
Monday 4 July 2016 07:20, UK
Brooke Henderson secured her second consecutive LPGA Portland Classic title, firing a one-under par 71 to win by four strokes.
The 18-year-old world No 2, who claimed her first major title at last month's Women's PGA Championship, finished on 14-under 274 for 72 holes.
"I didn't putt very well. It was kind of a weird day of golf," the Canadian said. "But I made a couple putts down the stretch.
"To be repeat champion here is very cool."
American Stacy Lewis was second on 278 after a final-round 69 at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club.
Norway's Suzann Pettersen finished third on 279 and American Austin Ernst shared fourth with Colombia's Mariajo Uribe, who challenged Henderson much of the day before closing with back-to-back double bogeys.
Henderson, who began the final round with a two-stroke lead over Uribe, sandwiched birdies at the second and fourth holes arounds a bogey at the third.
But the South American birdied the par-5 fifth and seventh and pulled level for the lead with a birdie at 11.
Henderson birdied the par-5 12th while Uribe took a bogey there and even though the Canadian made bogey at the par-3 13th she was still ahead by one.
Uribe fell two back with a bogey at 15 before her collapse on the last two holes while Henderson closed with five pars, escaping 17 with a par after finding the rough by sinking a 15-foot putt from the fringe.
A group sharing sixth on 281 included South African Lee-Anne Pace and Americans Lee Lopez, Christina Kim and Cheyenne Woods, the 25-year-old niece of Tiger Woods who achieved a career-best LPGA finish.
