Higo cruises to win Yukijirushi Ladies
Posted: Sunday September 20, 1998 06:09 PM
INABE, Japan (AP) -- Kaori Higo shot the lowest final round of 5-under-par 67 Sunday to win her sixth career title by four strokes in the Yukijirushi Ladies Tokai Classic.
Higo, who last won in the Toyo Suisan Ladies in July 1997, gave up her one-stroke overnight lead with a bogey on the par-4 fifth hole. But she quickly regained her swing with a birdie on the
eighth.
The 29-year-old Higo built on that momentum on the back nine, scoring five birdies, including three straight from No. 11, and on the par-5 final hole.
At a 9-under 207 total, Higo finished four strokes ahead of the current money earning leader Hattori Michiko, winner of last week's Japan LPGA Championship, and Yuri Kawanami.
Hattori turned in a 70 and Kawanami, in contention for her first career win, fired a 68 for their 5-under scores of 211.
Higo collected $80,500 for winning the $448,000 tourney.
"I thought I would lose when Kawanami took the lead from me midway through the front nine," Higo recalled. Kawanami briefly led by one stroke after her birdie on the par-4 sixth hole.
"But my birdies early on the back nine turned the tide," she said. "I want to win two or three more tournaments this season to go higher than my career best of 5th place on the money list."
South Korean veteran Ku Ok-hee, Fuki Kido, Kaori Harada and Akane Oshiro shared fourth at 4-under 213.
Han Hee-won, a 20-year-old former amateur star from South Korea, shot a 72 for a share of sixth at 214 with Akiko Fukushima, the earnings leader in the last two seasons, and four others.
For Han, it was her first tournament after qualifying for the Japan tour. Before coming to Japan several years ago, Han shared a number of amateur titles in Seoul with Pak Se-ri, the South Korean rookie sensation on the U.S. LPGA Tour.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
