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LPGA Tour rookie Knight sank a tricky 12-foot
birdie at the penultimate hole to preserve her lead and she
subsequently beat out compatriots Brittany Altomare and Jaye
Marie Green at the Old American Golf Club at The Colony.
In the process Knight became only the third United States player
to win an individual event on the circuit this year.
It was an unlikely victory by the local resident, who had
support from a large gallery of supporting fans for a closing
five-under-par 66.
Without a top-25 finish all year, and no recent form to speak
of, Knight started the final full-field event of the year
knowing a strong result was needed to keep her card for next
year.
With perfect timing, everything clicked in the same week as she
responded to the pressure in style, posting an 18-under 266
total to secure her medium-term future.
Knight dedicated the win to her brother Brandon, who was killed
in a car crash in 2008.
"I know he's watching down from heaven," a teary-eyed Knight
said in a greenside interview.
"This just means everything, knowing I can persevere and I'm
strong enough."
Knight joins Nelly Korda (Australian Women's Open) and Lexi
Thompson (ShopRite LPGA Classic) as American winners this year,
while Cydney Clanton partnered Thailand's Jasmine Suwannapura to
triumph at the Great Lakes Bay Invitational.
South Korean players have captured 13 of 27 individual
tournaments, headed by Jin Ko-young's four victories.
After an off week, the LPGA begins a four-event Asian swing,
during which it will play in China, South Korea, Taiwan and
Japan, before returning to the U.S. for the season-ending CME
Group Tour Championship in Florida.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina)
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