Hataoka "5-Stroke Victory"... Park In-bi and Lee Min-ji Tied for 3rd Place

by Roh Woolae

Published 25 Apr.2022 10:39(KST)

Dio Implant Cheers 6th Career Win at LA Open, Green 2nd, Choi Hye-jin and Kim Se-young Tied 6th, Ko Jin-young Tied 21st

Nasa Hataoka is smiling after making a birdie on the 1st hole of the final day at the DIO Implant LA Open. Los Angeles, USA ? Getty Images / MultiBits Photo by MultiBits

[Asia Economy Reporter Noo Rae] It was a decisive victory for Nasa Hataoka (Japan), ranked 12th in the world.

On the 25th (Korean time), at the Wilshire Golf Course in Los Angeles, California, USA (par 71, 6,447 yards), the final day of the LPGA Tour DIO Implant LA Open (total prize money $1.5 million) saw her shoot 4 under par to complete a 5-stroke victory (15 under par 269). This marked her 6th career win, seven months after winning the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship last September. The winner's prize was $225,000 (28 million KRW).

Hataoka started with a 4-stroke lead and collected one eagle and four birdies (with two bogeys). After birdies on the 1st hole (par 4) and consecutive birdies on the 4th and 5th holes, she distanced herself from her competitors. A bogey on the 6th hole (par 4) was immediately recovered with a birdie on the 7th hole (par 3). She parred the next seven holes before sealing the victory with an eagle on the 15th hole (par 3). Hataoka is known as Japan’s ‘golf prodigy.’ She won the Japan Women’s Open as an amateur in 2016.

Her name, Nasa, is remarkable in itself. Her parents named her after NASA, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, meaning ‘toward the unknown world.’ She achieved back-to-back wins at the World Junior Championship in 2015 and 2016, and set a rare record by winning the Japan Women’s Open consecutively for the first time in 40 years in 2017. She moved to the U.S. in 2017 and claimed her first victory at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in June the following year. This year, before this tournament, she had not entered the top 10 in eight events but finally secured her first win.

Park In-bee is teeing off on the 2nd hole on the final day of the DIO Implant LA Open. Los Angeles, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images

Hannah Green (Australia) performed well, finishing 2nd (10 under par 274). Among Koreans, Inbee Park (34, KB Financial Group) posted the best result, tied for 3rd place (7 under par 277). Hyejin Choi (23, Lotte) made a significant leap by shooting 5 under par to tie for 6th place (6 under par 278). Se-young Kim (29, Mediheal), Woon-jung Choi (32, Volvik), and Hyeji Kang (32) were also in this group. World No. 1 Jin-young Ko (27) lost 2 strokes and dropped to a tie for 21st place (2 under par 282).