Ai Miyazato finishes inside the top-10 at Virginia
Japanese Ai Miyazato, who kicked off the 2012 season in grand style, shot an overall 272 to tie for the seventh position along with fellow Japanese Mika Miyazato.
Miyazato set foot on the course at Williamsburg, Virginia with an aim to add another victory to her already-stunning profile, but her efforts were thwarted when some of the stars in the roster exhibited an exceptionally good performance — despite bad light on the opening day.
The LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) tournament pit prominent stars at Williamsburg, which made it a little challenging for Miyazato to stay focused throughout the four days.
The Japanese golfer got off to an electrifying start, as she posted a 67 in the first round on Thursday. At first, the match seemed to go smoothly, but when the light started to fade later in the day, players found it hard to sink the ball.
With several players having failed to tee off on Thursday, the first round was suspended and had to be continued on Friday.
Miyazato, who was expected to steal the show on American soil, put her best foot forward right from the beginning of the match and held off her nearest rivals. The first three rounds proved lucky for Miyazato as her score remained solid.
However, she faltered a little on the final day because other contenders ramped up pressure.
Commentators said that the first three rounds went well as most of the players were able to card good scores. They pointed out that even rough conditions could not hamper players from performing well on the first three days.
Miyazato fired a 70 on Sunday, which included four bogeys and five birdies. She parred the first hole and bogeyed the second.
In an attempt to offset the impact of her early bogey, the LPGA titan made a perfect birdie-putt on the par-5 third hole.
Sending the fans and spectators clapping, Miyazato rattled off two back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth hole.
The Kingsmill Championship, which returned to its old course after two years, was expected to see an American contender steal the show this year.
However, Asian stars once again proved their worth as Jiyai Shin of South Korea walked away with the title after beating American Paula Creamer in playoff.
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