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Nasa Hataoka’s parents named her after the U.S. space agency so she would “reach for the stars.”
Given her meteoric rise in golf, it’s fitting.
Hataoka was 17 years old when she earned her first Japan Women’s Open title. During her LPGA Tour debut season in 2017, though, Hataoka made the cut just nine times in 17 events. The rocky takeoff didn’t last long. She had five top-10 finishes in 2019 and has represented Japan in the Olympics.
She added another win to her resume after a dazzling final round Sunday at Wilshire Country Club.
The No. 12 golfer in the Rolex women’s world rankings rocketed up the leaderboard on the third day of the LA Open before cruising during Sunday’s final round to earn her sixth LPGA Tour victory. She finished at 15-under-par 269 for the tournament after a four-under 67 in the final round to win by five strokes.
It was the 23-year-old Hataoka’s first victory since the 2021 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
She earned the kind of win that makes a statement to the rest of the tour, finishing one stroke off the tournament record score that Brooke Henderson set last year.
Hataoka entered Sunday at 11 under with a four-stroke lead following a late third-round collapse from top-ranked Jin Young Ko. Ko and Hataoka were tied for the lead on the 15th hole Saturday, then Ko bogeyed No. 16 and quadruple-bogeyed the 17th. Hataoka took the lead and didn’t look back.
“I really focused on my game, and I play good,” Hataoka said following her victory. “… My putting [was] good all week.”
The win had an extra element for Hataoka: defeating a friend.
Australian Hannah Green, who entered Sunday in second place, shot a 68 in the final round but never put enough pressure on Hataoka to make it competitive. She bogeyed the 18th hole and…
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Source : yahoo
