Lindy Duncan secured her first LPGA Tour victory at The Annika on Sunday, closing with a 67 to finish at 16 under par.
The 35-year-old triumphed at Pelican Golf Club, overcoming a two-shot deficit to win by two strokes, marking her maiden title after 222 career starts over a decade.
After never holding an LPGA lead until this past Friday, the veteran's performance has improved sharply. Duncan’s victory at 35 makes her the oldest first-time winner on the tour since Leta Lindley, who captured the Corning Classic in 2008 at age 36.
- Tournament Odds: Hye-Jin Choi’s third runner-up finish marks her as a high-value consistent performer for betting markets, despite remaining winless in 127 starts.
- Elite Tier Volatility: With Nelly Korda finishing seventh, the field remains wide open for the upcoming season finale in Naples, where Hall of Fame qualification stakes are at their peak.
After falling two shots behind following a birdie from Hye-Jin Choi on the 11th, Duncan capitalized on her opponent’s errors. Choi recorded a three-putt bogey on the 13th and was forced to scramble for another bogey two holes later.
Duncan’s decisive moments arrived on the 16th and 17th holes. Her approach to the 16th hit the back slope, narrowly missing a sprinkler head before rolling to six feet for a go-ahead birdie. On the 17th, she navigated a bunker drive to stick her approach within 20 feet, converting the birdie to extend her lead to two shots.
“To be here, I’m just completely shocked,” Duncan told Sky Sports after the round. “I just put so much pressure on myself because I really want to do well and the competition is so great out here. Sometimes you just over-try and I think I’ve done that a lot. This week I just finally let that go a little bit.”
While Duncan celebrated her first win, the tournament highlighted the continued proximity of the tour’s top talent. Haeran Ryu and Yuri Yoshida finished in a tie for third, while Julia Lopez Ramirez secured fifth place. Nelly Korda, returning from a two-month hiatus, finished six shots off the lead.
Korda’s seventh-place finish leaves her one victory shy of automatic qualification for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Her next opportunity to secure that milestone arrives at the season finale in Naples. Meanwhile, England’s Lottie Woad maintained a strong showing, finishing tied for ninth at eight under par.
Duncan’s reflection on her victory emphasizes the psychological hurdle of elite competition. This sentiment reflects the competitive nature of the LPGA Tour, where Lindy Duncan said that players often put pressure on themselves while facing great competition.
“Just keep going. You never know when it’s going to turn around for you. Momentum is such a strange thing,” Duncan said.
Choi, meanwhile, continues her search for a first victory, having now gone 127 starts without finding the winner’s circle. Her performance remains statistically impressive, as evidenced by her three runner-up finishes in her last three tournaments. The tour now looks toward the final event of the year, where Nelly Korda will look to finalize her Hall of Fame credentials.
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