Kupcho wins 1st LPGA Tour title at last Mission Hills event

J.J. Spaun, left, and his caddie, Mark Carens, discuss the 17th hole during the final round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament in San Antonio, Sunday, April 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

J.J. Spaun, left, and his caddie, Mark Carens, explore the 17th gap all through the last spherical of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament in San Antonio, Sunday, April 3, 2022. (AP Picture/Michael Thomas)

AP

LPGA TOUR

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) — Jennifer Kupcho took the last victory leap into Poppie’s Pond late Sunday afternoon, ending a fifty percent-century operate of the tournament very best known as the Dinah Shore at Mission Hills.

6 strokes in advance moving into the round, Kupcho shot a 2-more than 74 for a two-stroke victory in excess of Jessica Korda in The Chevron Championship. The 24-year-outdated from Colorado concluded at 14-under 274 for her first LPGA Tour title.

The occasion that begun in 1972 as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle and became a key in 1983 is transferring to Houston up coming 12 months following failing to bring in a sponsor ready to preserve it in the California desert.

7 strokes in advance of Korda and defending champion Patty Tavatanakit at 18 below following holing birdie putts above 30 feet on the par-4 fourth and par-3 fifth, Kupcho played the closing 13 holes in 4 around.

Pia Babnik of Slovenia shut with a 66 to end third at 11 less than.

TEXAS Open

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — J.J. Spaun received his first PGA Tour occasion — and his 1st excursion to the Masters — by firing a remaining-round 69 at the Valero Texas Open on Sunday.

In his 147th PGA Tour start out, Spaun survived a double-bogey start off to his spherical by recording 5 birdies with no bogeys to finish at 13-below at TPC San Antonio. It gave him a two-shot margin around Matt Kuchar (69) and Matt Jones (66).

Adam Hadwin (67), Beau Hossler (72), Charles Howell III (69) and Troy Merritt (69) tied for fourth at 10-underneath.

The 31-yr-outdated Spaun shut with 4 straight pars, and no just one could near in on him. His preceding most effective finish on tour was runner-up in 2018 at the RSM Vintage.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

BILOXI, Miss out on. (AP) — Steven Alker cruised to his 2nd victory on the PGA Tour Champions, taking pictures a last-spherical 7-beneath 65 to win the Rapiscan Programs Common by six photographs.

Alker’s 18-underneath full was a report at the party, which moved to Grand Bear Golfing Club this year following 10 editions at Fallen Oak.

Padraig Harrington shot 65 to surge into a tie for next with Alex Cejka. Bob Estes, who began the working day just one shot back, slipped to third immediately after capturing 71.

A working day after Alker fired a course file 62 in the course of the second round to acquire the lead, he followed it up by playing near-flawless golf to maintain off an early demand from Estes.

Estes, nevertheless hunting for his first victory on the 50-and-above tour at age 56, pulled even with Alker a few instances on the front nine but fell off the speed with a bogey at the par-4 eighth hole and couldn’t preserve up when Alker ripped off a few straight birdies to start the back again 9.

KORN FERRY TOUR

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — T.J. Vogel experienced a 5-below 67 in the remaining spherical to acquire the Club Car Championship at The Landings Club by a stroke.

Vogel conquer 54-gap leader Mark Anderson and Ryan Blaum in winning his to start with PGA Tour-sanctioned event. He birdied the first gap and had an eagle at the par-5 3rd gap in advance of trotting out a few straight birdies on the fifth, sixth and seventh holes.

“I’ve labored so tricky for this, I have so quite a few individuals to thank, and I’m just content,” mentioned Vogel, who concluded with a 17-less than 271. “I finally proved to myself I could do it. I was out right here as a youthful professional, but not quite all set at that issue. I moved again, worked my way back up and just progressed. I felt like my progression was incredibly slow, but I felt like I often stored transferring a tiny little bit up, a little bit up, and this is a huge step here.”

Blaum had a 2-below 70 on the ultimate working day and Anderson was 1-less than 71. Each concluded at 16-underneath 272.

OTHER Excursions

Andrea Lee won a 3-gap playoff for the Epson Tour victory over Lucy Li in Tucson, Arizona. The two ended up tied at 3-beneath 69 just after the last spherical, prompting a playoff. Daniela Darquea completed behind them. … Mateusz Gradecki rallied from 5 pictures powering with a 6-underneath 66 for a a few-shot victory in the Limpopo Championship in South Africa, starting to be only the next Polish participant to earn on the Challenge Tour. The match was co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour. Hennie Du Plessis experienced a 70 to end 2nd. … Lee Anne Tempo received the Investec South African Women’s Open up for a report fifth time, beating Magdalena Simmermacher of Argentina in a six-hole playoff. Both of those shut with a 2-less than 70. … Alejandro Tosti of Argentina closed with a 2-beneath 69 and capped off an eight-shot victory above Clordomiro Carranza in the 90 Abierto del Centro on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica circuit. … Mao Saigo finished bogey-double bogey for a 4-more than 76 and held on for a a person-shot victory in the Yamaha Ladies Open on the Japan LPGA.