ROGERS — Munoz cheers 65, country
Azahara Munoz started the final round six shots back at the LPGA’s Northwest Arkansas Championship so she figured her chances of winning were pretty remote without a bunch of birdies.
Turns out, she did just that with two birdies and an eagle from the fairway on the par-4 fifth thrown in for good measure. Munoz was 4 under for her round after seven holes and was in second place just two shots off the lead.
“I made an eagle on No.
5, so that was really nice,” said Munoz, of Spain. “I gave myself a lot of chances. I knew I was really far from the lead, but, if you start making birdies pretty fast, things really change.”
Munoz added two more birdies before trying to reach the par-5 18th in two shots.
A birdie might have put her in playoff with winner Ai Miyazato, but she salvaged par.
Munoz, who has one victory this year, claimed her fifth top-5 finish. She might have been happier that her country won the European soccer Championship with a 4-0 victory against Italy.
Yes, she kept track of the soccer game during her golf round.
“I’m ashamed I missed it, but at least it’s for a good thing,” Munoz said. “If I don’t know what’s going on, then I’ll go crazy so I guess it does help me.” Close call for Park
Inbee Park hasn’t won an LPGA tournament since the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open but came awfully close for the second week in a row.
Park lost a four-man playoff last week and threatened for the title Sunday, at one point pulling into a tie for first at 11 under after three consecutive birdies on the front nine.
Consecutive bogeys early on the back nine knocked her out of contention and she finished tied for fourth at 10 under.
“I really like the way I played,” said Park, who has won more than $3 million in her five-year career. “The back nine really hurt me. The putts just didn’t fall, but I really liked my ball striking.”Not this year
Former Arkansas star Stacy Lewis couldn’t deliver a title for her rabid Razorbacks followers but no one seemed to mind except Lewis, of course.
Lewis finished tied for 19th at 4 under to earn $22,910. She had a large and loud gallery all three rounds, something Lewis believes puts more pressure on her.
“You try not to, but you kind of start forcing things a little bit and trying to make birdie and trying to hit the perfect golf shot instead of going out there and playing,” Lewis said. “But I love it, I love playing here. It doesn’t matter what I shoot and they’re cheering for me. I think I tapped in for a bogey and everybody thought I had made birdie.”
Lewis’ finish, while respectable, disappointed her after she entered the tournament with a string of five consecutive top-5 finishes. Lewis had finished in the top 10 in nine of 12 tournaments this year.
Lewis fell to third on the LPGA money list with$929,209, behind Ai Miyazato and Yani Tseng.
“I felt really good coming off last week the way I finished,” Lewis said. “I didn’t expect to struggle with my irons and my long game as much as I did. Top-20 finish, you kind of take that any week, but here I would like to finish a little better.”
By the numbers 4 Finish by LPGA rookie Veronica Felibert on Sunday 5 Number of LPGA tournaments played by Felibert $99,228 Amount in earnings Stacy Lewis trailed money leader Yani Tseng before the tournament $106,518 Amount Lewis trails Ai Miyazato, who took over the money lead after winning Sunday.
Overheard “She said, I’m very happy for you but then at the same time she was crying. I didn’t know what to say to her.” - Ai Miyazato, on beating good friend and fellow Okinawan Mika Miyazato by one stroke Sunday.
Sports, Pages 19 on 07/02/2012