Rookie Ayaka Furue of Japan captured her first LPGA title on Sunday after carding a course-record 10-under-par 62 in the final round of the Women’s Scottish Open in Ayrshire, Scotland.
Furue, 22, recorded 10 birdies — including a string of six in a row starting on the sixth hole — to claim a three-stroke win at Dundonald Links. The reigning Japan LPGA player of the year finished at 21-under 267 for the tournament and pocketed $300,000.
“I had the right mindset: I thought I had to go low, and I played very well,” Furue said, per Golf Channel. “I hit good shots. All around my game was good, and the birdie putts I wanted to make and had to make, I was able to make.”
Furue sank a 40-foot putt for birdie at the par-3 15th hole to take her first lead. She added birdies on her final two holes to join Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul (JTBC Classic) as the second LPGA Tour rookie to win a tournament this year.
“I didn’t think I would win as a rookie,” Furue said. “I’m very grateful and very happy that I was able to win at a links course.”
Furue also joined Thitikil, Jennifer Kupcho (Chevron Championship), Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Honda LPGA Thailand) and Ireland’s Leona Maguire (LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony) as first-time winners.
France’s Celine Boutier (69) collected seven birdies against four bogeys on Sunday to finish in second place. She was bidding for her third LPGA victory and first since winning last year’s ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Boutier admitted she felt a bit of pressure upon hearing Furue was making a charge up the leaderboard.
“A little bit towards the beginning of the back,” Boutier said. “I started making some bogeys and I feel like it’s not easy, you know, playing in the final group. Then obviously when someone just has their day, you just can’t do anything about it really.”
South Korean Hyo Joo Kim (66) and Cheyenne Knight (67) finished in a tie for third place, while Alison Lee (66) and World No. 4 Lydia Ko (71) of New Zealand ended up tied for fifth, five shots back.
Defending champion Ryann O’Toole (65) finished in a tie for 15th place with China’s Xiyu Lin (70).
“I’ve been waiting for a round like this. Nine birdies, two bogeys. Can’t complain much about the round at all,” O’Toole said. “You have to stay patient. I look at a round like Evian my second round, 5-over. I didn’t even play 5-over. It was one of those. Didn’t make any birdies.
“I knew that the game is there. So see where it takes me into next week.”
–Field Level Media
