Hannah Green of Australia won the lone annual LPGA Tour event held in Korea on Sunday, fending off multiple contenders with a late birdie for her third victory of 2024.

Green shot a one-under 71 to finish at 19-under overall to capture the BMW Ladies Championship by one stroke over Celine Boutier of France at Seowon Hills at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, northwest of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province.

With Boutier in the clubhouse at 18-under after shooting a bogey-free 66, Green birdied the par-4 17th to grab the sole possession of the lead, and closed out her sixth win of her career with a two-putt par on the 18th. Green cashed in US$330,000 in the winner’s check.

Choi Hye-jin and Sung Yu-jin finished as the top Koreans, tying for fourth at 16-under. Choi shot a 67 while Sung carded an even 72.

Sung, an LPGA rookie, began the final round alone in second place at 16-under, two strokes back of Green, but had two birdies and two bogeys on Sunday to end up with the same score.

Two more Koreans finished inside the top 10, with Ryu Hae-ran tying for sixth at 15-under and Lim Jin-hee tying for eighth at 14-under.

The BMW Ladies Championship was first held in 2019, and this was the fifth edition, with the 2020 tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Koreans Jang Hana and Ko Jin-young won the 2019 and 2021 events, followed by two players of Korean descent, Lydia Ko of New Zealand in 2022 and Minjee Lee of Australia in 2023. (Yonhap)