LPGA Tour: Lilia Vu beats Lexi Thompson, Grace Kim to win Meijer LPGA Classic ahead of KPMG Women’s PGA Championship | Golf News


Lilia Vu claimed her first LPGA Excursion victory of the season then defeating Lexi Thompson and Grace Kim in a play-off on the Meijer LPGA Vintage.

Vu overturned an eight-shot lack right through an exciting last time at Blythefield Nation Membership, carding a bogey-free 65 to complete on 16 beneath along Kim – who squandered a five-shot in a single day manage – and Thompson.

The trio all birdied the par-five 18th in each the primary two remaining play-off holes, earlier than Vu carded a profitable birdie on the 3rd remaining play-off hollow – as Thompson and Kim may just best construct par – to assert her 5th LPGA Excursion name and primary of the yr.

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Lexi Thompson congratulated Lilia Vu then her play-off victory

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Vu mentioned. “I couldn’t believe I won this week. I think I was setting my bar really low so that I could meet it. I think because I tend to get in my own way when I’m trying to win, that’s when I don’t win most of the time, so just trying to stay in my lane, take advantage of all the good shots, and make all the birdie putts that I get.”

Vu’s comeback was once one shot better than terminating day’s seven-shot lack overturned by means of Linnea Strom of Sweden on the ShopRite LPGA Vintage, with 4 birdies over the overall six holes serving to her submit the low around of the time.

Thompson birdied the 18th to card a four-under 68 and tied Vu, presen Kim made one birdie and 8 pars right through the again 9 of her final-round 73 and did not secure directly to her sizeable in a single day benefit.

Vu gained 4 occasions in 2023 and can be some of the favourites for the KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship, continue to exist Sky Sports activities, having neglected terminating age’s US Girls’s Perceptible presen combating a again trauma.

Highlights from the overall around of the 2023 AIG Girls’s Perceptible at Walton Heath, the place Lilia Vu claimed her 2nd primary name of the season.

“It’s hard to feel 100 per cent, but I think I’ve been 95 per cent and I think, obviously, I played more than 18 holes today, so kind of feeling a little tight,” Vu mentioned. “It’s all good. It’s not the same as before.”

Thompson, the 11-time LPGA Excursion winner who introduced terminating age that she is going to renounce from full-time pageant on the finish of the season, got here up simply scale down of finishing her five-year name drought.


Are living Girls's PGA Championship


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“Knowing I was five shots behind starting the day, I knew I had to have the pedal down and make a lot of birdies from the jump,” Thompson mentioned. “I can only control what I can control, so I just tried to focus one shot at a time and play within myself and my emotions. That’s all I could do. Whatever happens with the result happened, so happy with the result.”

Best friend Ewing had a fable of 4 instantly birdies on her entrance 9 and in short touched 17 beneath for the match, however a bogey-bogey-birdie end left her in fourth spot. Allisen Corpuz and South Korea’s Narin An each carded final-round 70s to percentage 5th.

What’s upcoming?

The ladies’s primary season continues on the KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship, held at Sahalee Nation Membership in Washington and all 4 rounds continue to exist Sky Sports activities. Are living protection starts on Thursday from 9pm by way of the crimson button and 11pm on Sky Sports activities Golfing. Tide the LPGA, majors and extra with NOW.

Chris Billam-Smith beats Richard Riakporhe to retain WBO cruiserweight world title at Selhurst Park | Boxing News


Chris Billam-Smith denied Richard Riakporhe a dream homecoming as he beat his British rival via unanimous determination to enact revenge and effectively shield his WBO cruiserweight international identify at Selhurst Ground. 

The reigning champion delivered a calculated, managed efficiency to nullify the facility of his opponent and destroy the Riakporhe celebration on the house of Crystal Palace.

It used to be no longer just a identify defence however candy payback for ‘The Gentleman’, who 5 years previous had suffered the one defeat of his profession to Riakporhe in a decent fracture determination. This pace, he left incorrect indecision, taking it 116-111, 115-112, 115-112 at the playing cards.

A eminent speaking level right through the build-up to the battle were which of the 2 had progressed extra since their first day trip, Billam-Smith adamant he had grown into an absolutely other competitor since 2019. Riakporhe realized how accurate he used to be.

“Very satisfying,” he mentioned. “I’m truly happy with the efficiency.

“Experience, speed and the gameplan” made the extra, he defined.

“Forget all the build-up,” he persevered. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Richard he’s a great fighter, he just needed a little bit more experience and he’ll learn from that.”

Billam-Smith heaped celebrate on his ‘grasp’ coach Shane McGuigan nearest they caught to the sport plan to overcome Riakporhe

Riakporhe scale down a composed determine amid the chaos as he labored at the back of his jab right through the early exchanges week discovering his dimension with two unhealthy having a look accurate fingers, the noise of which might recommended gasps from the anticipant society.

Billam-Smith settled into his personal rhythm in the second one spherical with a primary actual flurry to pressure Riakporhe into tying him up on the ropes, which quickly become an early theme because the pair persevered to search out themselves tangled at the inside of.

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Billam-Smith celebrates nearest conserving his identify

A mis-timed accurate hand from Riakporhe served as a ultimatum because it threatened a gap for Billam-Smith, whose right-hand answer used to be kept away from.

Riakporhe underlined his energy with a company left hook as the 2 sponsored onto the ropes, the battle falling right into a quite unsightly stagnant section with neither guy ready to free up a significant mixture.

The warfare of attrition moved into the fourth when the 2 traded brutal frame photographs, prior to Billam-Smith reminded of his toughness week brushing via a accurate hook.

Billam-Smith started to land the blank photographs at the back of a sharper jab week Riakporhe gave the impression the extra uncertain of the 2, reputedly in wait of 1 decisive shot to breach his opponent’s championed grit.

Via spherical seven it used to be Billam-Smith firmly in regulate because the busier, extra correct fighter with Riakporhe starting to glance annoyed with how the competition were panning out for him as any other meant attack within the nook got here up shy.

Billam-Smith reinforced his hold at the battle within the 8th when he unleashed a hook to rock Riakporhe, who used to be left striking over the nook of the hoop. ‘The Middle of the night Educate’ sought to reply with a profusion accurate hand, best to once more be reminded of Billam-Smith’s granite chin.

Realizing he used to be at the back of, Riakporhe started to let his fingers progress within the terminating rounds and hooked up with a crushing accurate best to peer his momentum stalled via an unintentional low deplete from the challenger.

Andy Scott and John Dennen ship their verdict on Billam-Smith’s win over Riakporhe and marvel how some distance he can progress within the recreation

Champion’s revel in quickly advised as Billam-Smith closed out what may well be deemed a career-best efficiency with two scientific ultimate rounds, as a lot being sealed for excellent when Riakporhe used to be deducted some degree for the significance of his head in a clench.