Pano 'Rookie Victory'... "Youngest Champion on 19th Birthday"
ISPS Handa World Invitational Playoff Victory
Henzellight and Caulley Tied for 2nd, O'Toole 4th
Joo Subin, Hall, and Maguire Tied for 16th Finish
Rookie Alexa Pano (USA) won on her 19th birthday.
On the 20th (local time), she shot 6-under par in the 4th round of the ISPS Handa World Invitational (total prize money $1.5 million), co-hosted by the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour (LET), held at Galgorm Castle Golf Club (par 72, 6,527 yards) in Antrim, Northern Ireland. She tied with Esther Henseleit (Germany) and Gabriella Cowley (England) at 8-under par 281, then secured the victory with a winning birdie on the third hole of the playoff at the 18th hole (par 5). The winner's prize money was $225,000 (approximately 300 million KRW).
![Alexa Pano is holding the trophy and posing for a commemorative photo immediately after winning the ISPS Handa World Invitational. <br>[Photo by LPGA]](http://www.asiae.co.kr/news/img_view.htm?img=2023082105542145403_1692564861.jpg)
Alexa Pano is holding the trophy and posing for a commemorative photo immediately after winning the ISPS Handa World Invitational.
[Photo by LPGA]
Born in 2004, Pano added joy to her day by claiming her first career victory on her 19th birthday. As a rookie this year, she had never finished in the top 10 before this tournament, but through this event, she became the youngest champion of the 2023 LPGA Tour season. The previous youngest winner was Rose Zhang (USA), born in May 2003, who won the Mizuho Americas Open in June.
In the first playoff, Henseleit, the only player who failed to make a birdie, was eliminated first. In the second playoff, Cowley had a birdie putt of about 1 meter that could have secured her the win, but she missed it. In the third playoff, Pano made a birdie putt first, and Cowley, attempting a birdie putt from about 2 meters, missed to the right.
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Ryan O'Toole (USA) finished 4th at 7-under par 282, one stroke behind. Rookie Joo Su-bin, who aimed to enter the top 10, made 4 birdies but also 5 bogeys. She finished tied for 16th (even par 289) along with Georgia Hall (England) and Leona Maguire (Ireland). This was Joo Su-bin's second career top-20 finish after tying for 6th at the ShopRite Classic in June.
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