Bo Bae Song wins Mizuno Classic

Sun Nov 8, 8:02 PM EST
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Korea's Bo Bae Song walks off the 18th green during her second round at the ...

SHIMA, Japan (AP) — South Korea's Bo Bae Song won the Mizuno Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 for a three-stroke victory over top-ranked Lorena Ochoa, Brittany Lang and Hee Young Park.

``Honestly I couldn't sleep last night because I was so nervous,'' said Song, the Japan Women's Open winner last month at Abiko. ``I went to bed at 11 last night, but woke up around 3. Usually that doesn't happen.''

The 23-year-old Song finished at 15-under 201 at Kintetsu Kashikojima and earned $210,000 in the event co-sanctioned by the Japan LPGA.

She's comfortable on the Japanese tour, making it difficult to decide if she'll accept an LPGA Tour exemption.

``I don't know yet,'' said Song, also the 2008 Daikin Orchid winner in Japan. ``I've played in several big tournaments when I lived in Korea, but I felt that Japan suits me more. So I still don't know yet. I've been playing in Japan for three years, and if I were to go to the U.S. tour, it's all a new start for me, so ...''

Ochoa shot a bogey-free 64, and Lang and Park had 68s.

``Now, I can go home happily,'' said Ochoa, set to begin play Thursday in her own Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara.

``I just thought about doing my best today. I played aggressively.''

Jiyai Shin, the 2008 tournament winner clinging to a four-point lead over Ochoa with two events left in the player of the year race, closed with a 69 to tie for fifth with Yani Tseng (67), Mi-Jeong Jeon (69) and Inbee Park (69) at 11 under.

After opening with rounds of 68 and 65 to take a one-stroke lead, Song had six birdies and a bogey - on the par-4 14th - to hold off Ochoa and the other challengers.

``It wasn't only her,'' Song said. ``A lot of the other players were chasing up, and I felt nervous. Mistakes are inevitable in golf, so I tried to play my golf to have little mistakes as possible.''

The Associated Press

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