So Yeon Ryu, whose first LPGA win was the 2011 U. S. Women’s Open, picked up victory No. 6 on Sunday with a closing 67 at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give for a two-stroke triumph over Caroline Masson. Ryu, who started the final round two strokes behind Anna Nordqvist and Lee-Anne Pace, took control with a bogey-free closing stretch in which she played the last seven holes two under par, holding off a determined challenge by Lydia Ko.
Ryu, a Korean who turns 28 on June 29, also won a major at the 2017 ANA Inspiration in a playoff over Lexi Thompson and is the defending champion at this week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. She held strong on Sunday even as Ko, Thompson and, early in the day with a course-record 62, Ariya Jutanugarn made runs at her while Masson, Nordqvist, Pace and Stanford hung in until late bogeys.
Ryu ended 72 holes at 21-under-par 267 with Masson at 269 and Ko at 270. Jacqui Concolino, Azahara Munoz, Angela Stanford, Nordqvist and Pace were at 271 with Nelly Korda, Thompson and Moriya Jutanugarn at 272.
“I was incredibly calm when I started the day,” Ryu said. “I thought this might be my day. My putting turned out to be really great.”