Cutout → 33rd place Yoon Na-na and Rookie's first championship Takedario have a bigger competition gap for the Rookie of the Year
Mar 09, 2025
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Takeda won the final round of the LPGA Tour Blue Bay LPGA (total prize money of $2.5 million) at Jen Lake Blue Bay Golf Course (par 72) in Hainan Province on the 9th with 8-under 64 and a 17-under 271 overall.
He cut five shots and beat Lee Min-ji (Australia), who finished the tournament at 11-under by a whopping six shots. After winning the Toto Japan Classic in November last year, she won the LPGA Tour for the first time in four months. Takeda became the first rookie to win the championship this season, beating his rivals far away in the rookie race.
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Takeda, who already had seven wins in the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour before winning the Toto Japan Classic last year, is a complete player with power, long-distance hitting and putting. She was mentioned as a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year even before her debut in the LPGA.
Yoon In-na, who expected to compete with Takeda for the Rookie of the Year award, tied for 33rd (290 strokes over par) in this tournament after failing to make the cut at the Founders Cup, her debut. The gap between Takeda and the Rookie of the Year race widened even more.
Yoon Na-na's ranking was further pushed back as she lost her shots to 6-over 78 due to the difficulty of shots and poor putting on the final day. There were only two double bogeys and four bogeys and two birdies.
Not a single Korean player made it to the top 10. Kim A-rim, who slowed down in the second round, fell to 17th place with a 3-under 285 in the final, breaking the top 10 streak that had been going on for three tournaments this season.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
