Sarah Kemp came up clutch late as she and teammate Alena Sharp shot 10-under 60 in the final round to finish eighth at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Michigan.
The two-person teams event closed with a bestball format on Saturday, Kemp contributing five birdies and two crucial pars as she and Sharp rocketed into the top 10.
Americans Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol shot 5-under 65 on the final day to win by one from Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan, Kemp and Sharp matching Chinese pair Yan Liu and Muni He for low round of the day.
Kemp was strong early in the final round, making par to Sharp’s bogey at the first and then picking up consecutive birdies at two and three.
The Canadian added birdies of her own at five and seven before Kemp closed out the front nine with a par and birdie to make the turn in 5-under.
Sharp made pars at 10 and 11 and then vaulted her team up the leaderboard with an eagle at the par-4 12th.
She added a further birdie at the par-4 15th before Kemp brought the team home with back-to-back birdies, the pair joined by their caddies in an exuberant celebratory hug on the 18th green.
In what will hopefully provide a confidence-booster for the remainder of the season, Queenslander Karis Davidson had seven birdies in the final round as she and Daniela Darquea moved up 11 spots to a tie for 13th with a final round of 8-under 62.
Good friends Hannah Green and Su Oh combined superbly in their final round of 8-under 62 that saw them finish in a tie for 26th, Sarah Jane Smith and her partner Louise Ridderstrom failing to advance past the 36-hole cut.
At the LET Access Series event in England, Victorian Stephanie Bunque produced her best international result to date, finishing tied for third at the Trust Golf Links Series at Ramside Hall Golf Club.
On a day in which only eight players broke the par of 73, Bunque’s even-par round saw her finish two shots back of England’s Liann Bailey (75). Fellow Australian Kelsey Bennett and New Zealand’s Hanee Song both shot even-par rounds of 73 to finish tied for sixth, Kiwi Wenyung Keh (73) tied for 11th in a superb week for WPGA Tour members.
With one round left to play at the Twin Bridges Championship on the Epson Tour, Race to the Card leader Gabriela Ruffels is outright third and four strokes back of 36-hole leader Jenny Bae (69).
West Australian Hira Naveed (70) is one shot back of Ruffels in a tie for fourth and Cassie Porter (74) is tied for seventh despite a difficult back-nine of 4-over.
At the Ladies European Tour’s La Sella Open, New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori is the best-placed of the Australian contingent.
The Women’s NSW Open champion is tied for 11th after a 1-under par round of 71 on Saturday, West Australian Kirsten Rudgeley making the cut on the number with rounds of 71-75.
Results
LPGA Tour
1 Cheyenne Knight/Elizabeth Szokol 69-61-62-65—257
8 Sarah Kemp/Alena Sharp 69-64-71-60—264
T13 Karis Davidson/Daniela Darquea 71-66-68-62—267
T26 Hannah Green/Su Oh 71-66-72-62—271
MC Sarah Jane Smith/Louise Ridderstrom 69-69—138
LET Access Series
Trust Golf Links Series Ramside Hall
Ramside Hall GC, England
1 Lianna Bailey 71-67-75—213 €6,400
T3 Stephanie Bunque 70-72-73—215 €2,270
T6 Kelsey Bennett 70-74-73—217 €1,240
T6 Hanee Song (NZ) 72-72-73—217 €1,240
T11 Wenyung Keh (NZ) 70-76-73—219 €766.67
T25 Kristalle Blum 73-75-76—224 €505.33
MC Amy Walsh 76-77—153
MC Stefanie Hall 79-74—153
MC Munchin Keh (NZ) 75-78—153