Ingrid Lindblad wins JM Eagle LA
Championship in 3rd start as LPGA Tour member
[April 21, 2025]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ingrid Lindblad won the JM Eagle LA
Championship on Sunday in her third start as an LPGA Tour member,
avoiding a playoff when fellow rookie Akie Iwai bogeyed the final
hole at El Caballero Country Club.
“You should never not expect it, right?” Lindblad said. “But
obviously got it done in a couple starts. Just kind of crazy.”
Playing a group ahead of Iwai, Lindblad shot a 4-under 68 to finish
at 21-under 277. The 25-year-old former LSU star from Sweden made
the last of her six birdies on the par-5 11th and parred the final
seven holes. She had two front-nine bogeys.
“Felt like I could have made a couple more birdies on the back nine
but nothing really wanted to drop. I feel like I was just trying to
like be where you can’t see if you’re 5-under par or 5-over par.
Just staying in the moment and show no emotion. But sometimes it’s
hard to show no emotion.”
Iwai followed a third-round 64 with a 69 to fall a stroke short.
“I got confidence, yeah, but I lose this week,” Iwai said. “But I
got confidence, a lot. Little by little, this week, next week, the
next week, just keep going”
The 22-year-old Japanese player's twin sister, Chisato, tied for
11th at 15 under after a 68. The sisters played alongside each other
Saturday.
Iwai pulled even with Lindblad at 21 under with a birdie on the
par-5 16th. After her drive went left and bounced twice on the cart
path, Iwai hit a low cut around a tree to the front edge of the
green and rolled a 75-foot eagle putt to inches.
On the par-4 18th, Iwai drove to the right over a bunker into rough,
then hit a 9-iron from 150 that bounced near the flag and went off
the back edge.
“Maybe I have adrenaline,” Iwai said. “But I don’t like short.”
From a good lie in choppy rough, she ran the downhill chip past the
hole and missed the comebacker.
“That was a tough putt,” she said.
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Ingrid Lindblad poses with the trophy after winning the LPGA JM
Eagle LA Championship golf tournament at El Caballero Country Club,
Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Lindblad got a break on the par-4 13th when her
drive struck a tree on the left side and bounced into the fairway.
She parred the hole to maintain a two-stroke lead.
“I don’t know the camera guy up there, but he was like, `There was a
little squirrel up there who was nice to you and bumped it out on
the fairway,'” Lindblad said.
Lauren Coughlin (70), Esther Henseleit (64), Miyu Yamashita (66)
tied for third at 19 under. Nasa Hataoka had a 63 to get to 18
under.
Hannah Green, the winner each of the last two seasons at Wilshire
Country Club, closed with a 67 to tie for ninth at 16 under.
Second-ranked Jeeno Thitikul also was 16 under after a 69.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda had a 72 to tie for 16th at 14 under in her
final start before her title defense in the Chevron Championship.
The major event starts Thursday outside Houston at The Woodlands.
The tournament — the final event of the tour’s West Coast swing —
was played at El Caballero because of renovations at Wilshire. It
will return to Wilshire next season.
Lindblad also shot 68 in the first and second rounds and had a 63 on
Friday.
“I feel like I played pretty aggressive all week,” Lindblad said. “I
think it would just hurt me if we were trying to get too defensive.
Felt like we stuck to the same game plan as we had the first three
days, and turns out it worked out really well.”
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