Yet another young player got a win on the LPGA Tour. 21-year-old Jennifer Johnson collected her first win on tour at the LPGA Mobile Bay Classic.
Johnson joined the LPGA Tour in 2011 and has had mixed results thus far in her career. She earned $128,000 in her rookie season finishing No. 63 on the LPGA money list. She did not have a top-10 finish in 2012, but earned $245,000 and moved up to No. 50 on the money list.
The $180,000 first place check from the Mobile Bay Classic brings her earnings for the year to $252,000 and moves her up to No. 78 in the Rolex Rankings.
This was her ninth start in 2013. She missed the cut in her last start at Kingsmill and a T-13 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship was her best finish prior to the win this week.
She followed up her seven-under par 65 on Saturday with a second 65 on Sunday to win the tournament by one shot over Pornanong Phatlum, from Thailand, and 54-hole leader, Jessica Korda.
Phatlum fired the low round of the day with a nine-under par 63. After she bogeyed the first hole and made par at the second, she ran off 10 birdies in her last 16 holes.
Korda posted seven birdies in her final round on Sunday, but three bogeys left her one stroke short of the winner.
Five players finished two shots back including former world No. 1, Jiyai Shin, Karrie Webb, Anna Nordqvist, Chella Choi and Ariya Jutanugarn.
Jutanugarn, not yet an LPGA Tour member, posted another top-10 on the LPGA Tour in 2013. She is only 17-years-old and a member of the Ladies European Tour.
Stacy Lewis finished in ninth spot at 18-under par for another strong finish for the former world No. 1 and 2012 LPGA Player of the Year.
The ladies head to Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas for the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic next week. It is one of the new events on the LPGA and will offer a very strong field.