GALLOWAY, N.J. — Lexi Thompson made a 20-foot putt for an eagle on the 18th hole Sunday to complete a late comeback and win the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Trailing Jeongeun Lee6 by two strokes after the 15th, Thompson finished birdie-par-eagle to finish up a round of 4-under-par 67 and a 54-hole score of 12-under 201. She posted her 11th career LPGA Tour victory, extended his streak to seven straight years with at least one win on the tour.
Lee6, the champion of last week’s U.S. Women’s Open who was playing two groups behind Thompson, lost her lead with three consecutive bogeys from holes 13 through 15 over the Bay Course at Seaview before bouncing back with a birdie at No. 16 to tie Thompson.
However, needing an eagle to force a playoff after reaching the green in two, she just missed a 45-foot putt to tie and had to settle for a birdie, giving her a 70 and second place at 202.
Ally McDonald, seeking her first career LPGA Tour victory, challenged on the back nine and took third place at 204 following a 70. Two-time ShopRite LPGA champion Anna Nordqvist had a 69 for fourth place at 206.
Mariah Stackhouse, who began the day one stroke off the lead, fell back with a double bogey at the fifth hole and couldn’t come back. Her round of 74 left her in a three-way tie for fifth at 207 with Ariya Jutanugarn (68) and Yu Liu (72).
Thompson’s win came nine years after she made her debut at age 15 as a professional in the 2010 ShopRite LPGA Classic, where she missed the cut. It is her 11th LPGA Tour victory, and first since last year’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.