Ai Miyazato steals the show at Walmart NW Arkansas Championship 2012
Japanese Ai Miyazato stunned the spectators in the final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship 2012, as she fired an explosive 65 to record a victory.
The tournament, held at Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, featured a formidable field that included LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) stars like defending champion Yani Tseng, the current world number
two Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen.
Despite the strong field, Miyazato displayed a stellar performance throughout the three days.
The Japanese star kicked off the concluding round with plenty of confidence, as she shot seven birdies and one bogey. She amazed the spectators when she drained a birdie-putt on the difficult par-3 3rd
hole.
Although the three days saw a fierce fight among big stars, Miyazato kept advancing on the back of consistency and sensible strokes. The rising star faced trouble on some holes, but most of the time, she judged
the ball well and posted an overall 201.
Spanish Azahara Munoz, who was regarded as the hot favourite for the coveted title, rose to the second spot after she fired a stunning 65 in the final round. Munoz registered an overall score of 202.
Analysts said that the Spanish prodigy looked confident, and she tried hard to push back Miyazato in the final moments. Posting a bogey-free final round helped Munoz improve her position on the leaderboard.
On the other hand, most of the top-ranked contenders were seen struggling to prove their worth. Tseng, who was defending her title and brimming with confidence before the start of the tournament, exhibited
a woeful performance as she missed the cut.
Speaking to the media about her near-flawless performance, Miyazato said that she is excited to record yet another in the current season. It was her second victory for the year, as she won the LPGA Lotte Championship
in April.
“I knew I needed to make lots of birdies today, but I didn't have any expectation and I didn't have any pressure in the front nine,” the LPGA titan said. "So that's why I think I could focus my game and have
four birdies on the front nine".
Miyazato went on to say that she played a good game in the last edition of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship as well, as she came close to grabbing the title, but made some mistakes in the final moments
of the match.
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