Australia’s Hannah Green stormed back from a six-shot deficit on the back nine and won a three-way playoff with a birdie putt to capture her third title in four years at the JM Eagle LA Championship on Sunday in Tarzana, Calif.
Green defeated South Koreans Jin Hee Im and Sei Young Kim when the trio replayed the par-4 18th hole at El Caballero Country Club.
Before that, Green made a late charge with four straight birdies and five in a six-hole span, and she needed help in the form of a bogey by then-leader Kim at the par-3 17th hole to create a tie at 17 under par. Green signed for 68, Kim settled for a 70 and Im had a 67 in the fourth round before they returned to the tee box for the playoff.
While Im missed the fairway and the green, Green and Kim were in the fairway and Green stuck her approach reasonably closer than Kim. After Kim missed a long birdie try and cleaned up for par, Green’s putt in the 12-foot range curled right to left and dropped.
Green, 29, has won three of the four editions of the LA Championship and three of her eight LPGA victories have come at the event. She claimed the 2023 and 2024 editions that were played at Wilshire Country Club, the former coming in a three-way playoff as well.
“I’m definitely nervous,” Green said about experiencing nerves in a playoff. “I felt like that wedge (second shot) probably flew a little bit further because of the nerves from within. No, I don’t think I would be doing this or be in contention if I wasn’t nervous. Those are the feelings that you want when you’re out here. That’s what makes you want to just do it over and over again.”
Green was 12 under for the tournament while starting the 11th hole. Kim eagled that hole to push the lead to 18 under, but Green made birdie before getting on a white-hot run with birdies at Nos. 13-16.
“Felt like I was doing what I kind of said I wanted to do yesterday: Hit more greens,” Green said. “Felt like it was quite difficult to get it close to the green. I felt like I was giving myself good opportunities but I had so many downhill putts and you just can’t really be aggressive with them.
“I honestly didn’t think I was in the tournament still. I was just like, ‘Oh well, just go for as many pins as possible,’ and got on a nice stretch there. … I’m just fortunate enough that I at least got into the playoff.”
Green, Im and Kim all will benefit from Saturday’s surprise announcement that the CEO of JM Eagle, Walter Wang, was raising the purse by $1 million to a total of $4.75 million. Across women’s golf, only the major championships and the CME Group Tour Championship are more lucrative.
South Korea’s Ina Yoon (69) finished one shot out of the playoff at 16 under. Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit (70) tied for fifth at 14 under with Haeran Ryu of South Korea (66).
With her second win of the season, Green rose into third in the season-long Race to CME Globe points standings, behind only Nelly Korda and South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim.
–Field Level Media
