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GREENSBORO, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 25: Bianca Pagdanganan lands on the 16th hole during the 2020 Drive On LPGA Championship Final Round – Reynolds Lake Oconee on October 25, 2020 in Greensboro, Georgia. Mike Comer / Getty Images / AFP
WASHINGTON – Ally McDonald celebrated her 28th birthday on Sunday by winning her first LPGA title, winning the Drive On Championship for a hit on fellow American Danielle Kang.
The world number 62 shot a three-under par 69 in the final round to finish 72 holes at Reynolds Lake Oconee at 272 of 16 under par for a very special birthday treat.
Philippine Bianca Pagdanganan, 22, world number 233 and the LPGA leader in driving distance in just her sixth professional start, shot 70 to finish third with 274 with American Mina Harigae and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda sharing fourth with 275 .
GREENSBORO, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 25: Tournament runner-up Danielle Kang smiles and gives a thumbs up as she walks down the 18th green as Ally McDonald prepares to throw a putt during the final round of the 2020 LPGA Drive On Championship – Reynolds Lake Oconee on October 25, 2020 in Greensboro, Georgia. Mike Comer / Getty Images / AFP
“It’s definitely towards the top, that’s for sure,” McDonald said.
McDonald’s previous best result on the LPGA was third at last year’s Shoprite Classic.
“I have never doubted my ability, but it is very difficult to win here,” McDonald said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I held out and was very happy to get a win.”
Kang, ranked fifth, cut her lead from four shots to a single shot in the last nine, but settled for second after shooting 68 to finish with 273.
“It shook me up quite a bit,” McDonald said. “I had to recover and control my heart rate.
“I knew Danielle was going to put the pedal to the metal. I told myself that I should calm down and do what I have been doing, follow my game plan and control what I can.
“I was happy to hang on and get it out, just the stamina I have.”
Kang was originally supposed to have been seeking a third consecutive LPGA crown in Shanghai this week after Covid-19 wiped out the event, leading to the creation of this week’s tournament.
McDonald birdied the fourth par 3 and made the turn with a two-shot lead over Pagdanganan and Kang.
She then sank a 12-foot birdie putt in the 10th to launch a streak of three straight birdies that left her at 17-under with a four-shot lead.
Kang fired a 10-foot birdie at par 4 13 while McDonald missed a pair of five feet, his lead cut in half with five holes remaining.
Kang curled up on a tricky 12-foot downhill birdie putt at par 3 14, going 15 under to get close to one with his third birdie in four holes.
At 15, the most difficult hole on the course for the week, Kang went over the green, shot to five feet but missed his par putt and fell back two with three to play.
McDonald birdied at par 3 16 but missed a seven-foot putt for par at par 3 17 to keep the lead to two toward par 5 18.
McDonald approached the green at last and Kang raised his eagle attempt so that it just missed the rim of the cup. He birdied, but McDonald made two putts for par and won.
“I tried,” Kang said.
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