Nov. 15, 2009 (The Yomiuri Shimbun) -- Sakura Yokomine fired the day's best score of 3-under 69 Sunday for a 10-under 206 to score a four-shot, wire-to-wire victory at the Itoen Ladies, boosting hopes of taking the Japan LPGA money title with two tournaments to go.
The victory was her career-high fifth of the season and 14th overall for the 23-year-old Kagoshima native. Yokomine added 16.2 million yen to her season earnings for a 149.45 million yen total, closing the gap with money leader Shinobu Moromizato to only 3.97 million yen.
With the final-round settings very tough, swirling winds combined to limit the number of players under par to just eight. Yokomine, though, displayed great touch on the greens at the Great Island Club.
After playing four holes early in the morning to finish the rain-suspended second round at 7-under 137, Yokomine birdied the first two holes as she dropped a downhill 20-footer that broke wide left from the fringe on the opening hole, and a 15-footer on the following hole.
"That birdie-birdie start got me relaxed and allowed me to play my golf throughout the day," said Yokomine, who reeled in three birdies on the first four holes to best her playing partners in the front nine.
Yokomine's closest rival, Jeon Mi Jeong--who also hopes to become the first South Korean player to win the money title--was left five shots behind Yokomine after she suffered her second straight bogey on the eighth hole. Jeon faltered to a disastrous 78 that left her in 10th place with an even-par 216.
Ayako Uehara, also playing in the final group, settled for a 71 and was the runnerup at 210. Defending champion Miho Koga (70) was third at 211 followed by Yuki Ichinose (72) at 213.
Now the money title race won't be clinched until the final tournament with a 25 million yen winner's paycheck.
Said Yokomine: "I openly said early this season that I would try to win the money title. But around mid-September I thought I might be thinking too much about the money title, and that made it difficult for me to concentrate on playing my game."
Yokomine's deficit to money leader Moromizato had widened to 43.89 million yen after the Okinawa native won her sixth title at the JLPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup on Sept. 13.
"Therefore I've decided not to put any pressure on myself and I'll just play my best for the rest of the season," said Yokomine, who described herself as a mentally vulnerable person.
Yokomine also made the cut for the 81st straight tournament, moving up to second in the JLPGA record book behind six-time money title winner Yuri Fudo, whose record stands at 91 events.
Moromizato, who flopped with a 75 and finished in a tie for 17th at 219, said she's going to stay calm and focus on playing her game in the remaining two weeks.
"Since my ball striking has been not so bad and my putting stroke has felt good, the only thing left to do is to shoot a good score," she said. ===
Ishikawa retakes money lead
Teen sensation Ryo Ishikawa shot a 3-under 69 to finish in a tie for fourth at 10-under 278 at the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters, retaking the money lead on the Japan pro circuit.
Overnight leader Yasuharu Imano won the tournament for his first victory of the season, although the 36-year-old settled for a 73 at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The 18-year-old Ishikawa collected five birdies against two bogeys, while his arch-rival Yuta Ikeda flopped with a 74 and closed at an even-par 288.
Ishikawa upped his earnings to 159.63 million yen, taking a 5.47 million yen advantage over Ikeda with three tournaments remaining.
