Amy Yang beats Stacy Lewis to win LPGA Thailand

Amy Yang of South Korea won her second career women’s tour title at the Honda LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi on Sunday.

Yang, who won her maiden title on home soil in Incheon in 2013, finished two shots ahead of overnight leader American Stacy Lewis, two-time champion Tseng Yani of Taiwan and South Korean Mirim Lee.

Yang’s final round included five birdies with two bogeys for a 69 and an aggregate 15-under 273.

Lewis, who started the day with a one-shot lead, battled Yang throughout the round but fell away on the 15th where she carded a double bogey as her opponent picked up a birdie.

“I was a little bit nervous out there, but I tried to focus on how low I can go today, just focus on my game,” said Yang.

Former top ranked player Yani fired a bogey-free 67 to settle for a share of second place.

“I played good, but I missed bunch of putts out there. I was just actually a little nervous out there when I was putting,” Yani said.

Lewis signed off with an even-par 72, with three birdies against a bogey and a double bogey.

Spaniard Beatriz Recari had 11 birdies and two bogeys for the year’s lowest round at 63, which equaled the course record achieved by five other players, including Lewis and Yani in 2013. Recari finished joint fifth along with South Korean Sei Young Kim on 276. Inbee Park, the 2013 champion and former world No. 1, fired a bogey free 65 for a total 277 to share seventh place with 2007 winner Suzann Pettersen of Norway and German Sandra Gal.

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Top-ranked Lydia Ko won the New Zealand Women’s Open for her second straight victory.

The 17-year-old New Zealander, the Women’s Australian Open winner last week for her sixth LPGA Tour title, closed with a 1-under 70 at Clearwater for a four-stroke victory.

“I really wanted to win in front of such great crowds,” Ko said. “This is probably the biggest crowd I’ve seen. It’s always cool winning on home ground. We were walking up 16 and (playing partner Giulia Sergas) said `They like you.’ I said, `Well, it’s home.“’

She has 10 worldwide victories in professional events, also winning at Clearwater as an amateur in 2013.

“The more Ws the better,” Ko said. “I think I had a really good (offseason) break, which got me fresh going into this year.”

On Saturday, Ko broke the course record with a career-best 61 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round. She had five birdies, a double bogey and two bogeys Sunday to finish with a tournament-record 14-under 202 total.

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Andy Sullivan won his second European Tour title in South Africa in just over a month after closing with a 6-under 66 for a 17-under total and a two-shot victory at the Joburg Open in Johannesburg.

Sullivan’s second European win came in the same city as his first after he won the South African Open in Johannesburg in January.

The Englishman began Sunday three shots behind leader Wallie Coetsee at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, but went top after five birdies in his front nine on the East Course. He only made two birdies on the second nine but that was enough to hold off a big group of chasers down the home stretch.

Sullivan finished two clear of a five-way tie for second made up of Kevin Phelan, Jaco van Zyl, Anthony Wall, David Howell and Coetsee.

Sullivan and fellow Englishmen Wall and Howell also claimed the three places at the British Open at St. Andrews that were on offer.

The 28-year-old Sullivan is making a habit of big final-day moves after charging up the leaderboard to beat Charl Schwartzel in a playoff at the South African Open for his first career title six weeks ago.