Miami (AFP) – Brittany Lincicome birdied the first playoff hole Sunday to defeat fellow American Lexi Thompson and win the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Pure Silk Bahamas Classic.
Lincicome birdied the par-5 18th and Thompson missed left on a long effort to match her, giving Lincicome the victory, her second in extra holes after losing her first four LPGA playoffs.
It was Lincicome’s seventh career LPGA triumph and the first since she captured her first major title at the 2015 ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage, California, by beating Stacy Lewis in a playoff.
Thompson and Lincicome finished 72 holes over the Ocean Course at Paradise Island on 26-under 266, one off the all-time 72-hole LPGA record of 27-under par set by Swedish star Annika Sorenstam at the 2001 Standard Register Ping event.
The final round became a title shootout between four Americans — Lincicome, Thompson, Lewis and Gerina Piller.
Deadlocked for the lead with Thompson at 26-under, Lincicome made bogey at the par-3 17th, falling level with Piller a shot back.
Lincicome answered with a birdie at the par-5 18th to finish on 68 and reach the clubhouse level with Thompson as rain struck.
Thompson’s approach on 18 landed in a greenside bunker but she recovered for a closing par to shoot 70 and force the playoff.
Lewis was third on 267, one stroke ahead of Piller, after both closed with 71.
US teen Nelly Korda shared fifth with Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum on 271, making this the first LPGA event with five US players in the top five since the 2011 Canadian Women’s Open won by Lincicome.
Only two Americans won LPGA events last year, Thompson and Brittany Lang.
Lincicome birdied five of the first seven holes to reach 26-under, opening with a birdie, running off three in a row starting at the par-3 third and closing with a birdie at the par-5 seventh.
She began the back nine with a birdie to reach 27-under, the all-time LPGA record low total, but stumbled with a bogey at 14 to stand on 26-under.
Thompson, who shared the lead with Lewis at 23-under when the day began, birdied the first and par-4 fifth but went birdie-bogey to close the front nine and again at 11 and 12 before a birdie at the par-5 15th lifted her to 26-under.
Piller, seeking her first pro title, birdied four of the last six holes on the front nine and the par-5 11th to reach 26-under but fell back with a bogey at 14.
Lewis, seeking her first win since 2014, birdied four of the first seven holes to reach 26-under but took a triple-bogey 7 at the 14th to slide out of the hunt.
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