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LPGA: Brittany Lincicome beats Lexi Thompson in a playoff after Stacy Lewis' late stumble
Maddie Meyer
In four of the past five years, Britanny Lincicome hasn't won an LPGA event. But the talented 31-year-old made sure early on that she won't suffer the same fate in 2017.
With a birdie on the first playoff hole, Lincicome beat Lexi Thompson to win the LPGA's season opener at the Pure Silk-Bahamas Classic.
“I worked hard this off-season," Lincicome told reporters in the Bahamas after picking up her seventh career LPGA title. My putting hasn't been as well as it has this week, but hopefully that continues and it's awesome.”
Both Lincicome and Thompson finished at 26 under par in regulation, one shot shy of tying the LPGA record for a 72-hole score in relation to par. Thompson failed to birdie the par-5 18th hole both times she played it on Sunday.
One shot behind them was Stacy Lewis, who continued her trend of close calls. Lewis now has 28 top 10s since her last victory in 2014. She had a share of the lead in the final round until making triple bogey on the 14th hole.
Gerina Piller finished fourth and Nelly Korda, the younger sister of LPGA winner Jessica Korda, finished T-5 in her first LPGA event as a pro. It also marked the first time that Americans finished one through five at an LPGA tournament since the 2011 Canadian Women's Open.
The final leader board capped off a week in which Thompson made some history of her own on Friday. With a 61 on the par-73 Ocean Club Golf Course at Paradise Island, Thompson's 12 under round was the LPGA's second-best round ever in terms of score in relation to par -- only bested by Annika Sorenstam's 59 (13 under) at the 2001 Standard Register Ping.