ZHUHAI, China, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Renuka Suksukont captured the first tournament of the CLPGA Tour season on Saturday as the Thai survived a wild finish at the Hengqin Phoenix Tree Building Orient Golf Challenge in Guangdong province.
With five birdies, four bogeys and a triple on her scorecard heading into the final hole with a one stroke lead, Renuka ensured her victory in the wet conditions by making a birdie three on Zhuhai Orient's final hole to close with a 73. She finished on five-under 211 to earn RMB75,000.
Beijinger Shi Yuting was runner-up after posting a 68, one stroke ahead of compatriots Zhang Weiwei (73) and Du Mohan (68). Liu Yiyi (68) added to the late charge by mainland Chinese players as the Shanxi teenager shot 68 to finish equal fifth with Chinese Taipei's Peng Chieh (71) at four strokes back.
With a rainstorm delaying the start of play by 30 minutes this morning, Renuka quickly got to seven-under when she made a birdie at the 385-yard second hole. After consecutive bogeys on holes four and five, she rebounded for a birdie two at the 157-yard eighth hole.
The back nine proved a rollercoaster for the Pathum Thani native as her home stretch included four birdies, two bogeys and a triple bogey seven at the 14th hole where she sliced her second shot into the water.
"My feeling today is okay, good. Before hole 14, not so good. After that I feel like everything is so hard, but I try to just like make par," said the 23-year-old Renuka who won her second career China LPGA Tour title.
"I want one more or two more wins this season. I feel like finally I made it. Before this I didn't play so good. It was like going to be good but dropped. Last year, also, many times I was leading the first day but I couldn't build on that."
Zhuhai Orient Golf Club is a 6,237-yard, par-72 layout designed by TK Pen.
