A top-10 drought on the LPGA Tour stretching out to almost 10 months has ended after Stephanie Kyriacou finished tied for 10th at the Mizuo Americas Open in New Jersey.

After fellow Aussie Minjee Lee loomed as the player to beat after earning a share of the 36-hole lead at Liberty National Golf Club, Kyriacou shot 7-under 65 in Round 3 to soar up the leaderboard.

As Rose Zhang created history with an LPGA Tour win in her first start as a professional, Kyriacou closed with an even-par round of 72 and a first top-10 finish since the AIG Women’s Open last August.

Uncustomary bogeys at three of Liberty National’s four par 5s prevented Lee from making more an impression in her final round.

A 3-over 75 saw Lee finish one shot back of Kyriacou in a tie for 13th after posting a tournament-low 8-under 64 in Round 2.

Three Australians were inside the top 10 at the completion of the Champions Fore Change Invitational on the Epson Tour.

After narrowly missing out on an LPGA Tour card in 2022 Robyn Choi went sub-70 in all three rounds to finish in a tie for fourth with fellow Queenslander Cassie Porter, who produced the best result of her rookie season to date.

“I think I have been playing really good. It is a good confidence builder finishing in the top five,” Porter admitted, pictured below.

“I have had a pretty rough season and this is my first decent result. Hopefully it leads to some good momentum that I can capitalise on.”

The pair finished six strokes back of Canadian Alena Sharp with West Australian Hira Naveed in a share of ninth a further three strokes back.

Vying for a third win of the season at the start of Round 3, Gabriela Ruffels closed with a round of 2-over 74 to be one of eight players tied for 14th at 7-under par.

Ruffels continues to lead the money list comfortably, consolidating a position that will see her graduate to the LPGA Tour in 2024.

In Sweden at the Helsingborg Open on the Ladies European Tour, West Australian Whitney Hillier was the best of the Australasian contingent, finishing tied for 31st as Lisa Pettersson won on home soil.

Results

LPGA Tour
Mizuho Americas Open
Liberty National GC, New Jersey
1             Rose Zhang         70-69-66-74–279              $US412,500
Won at second hole of sudden death playoff
T10        Stephanie Kyriacou          72-74-65-72–283              $53,492
T13        Minjee Lee          73-64-72-75–284              $42,604
T33        Lydia Ko (NZ)      69-69-77-73–288              $17,846
T43        Grace Kim            69-73-72-77–291              $11,795
MC         Karis Davidson 77-70–147
MC         Sarah Kemp 80-71–151
MC         Sarah Jane Smith              73-78–151

Epson Tour
Champions Fore Change Invitational
North Carolina
1             Alena Sharp        67-64-68–199     $US30,000
T4           Robyn Choi         68-69 68–205     $9,942
T4           Cassie Porter      66-70-69–205     $9,942
T9           Hira Naveed        72-67-69–208     $4,213
T14        Amelia Garvey (NZ)          68-71-70–209     $2,930
T14        Gabriela Ruffels 69-66-74–209     $2,930
T40        Su Oh    71-70-72–213     $1,238
MC         Emily Mahar 73-80–153

Ladies European Tour
Helsingborg Open
Helsingborg, Sweden
1             Lisa Pettersson   70-68-67–205     €45,000
T31        Whitney Hillier   72-75-70– 217   €3,112
T46        Hanee Song (NZ)              76-72-72–220     €1,490
T56        Momoka Kobori (NZ)       70-78-73–221     €1,146
MC         Wenyung Keh (NZ)           77-72–149