Marina Alex was flying totally under the radar Sunday at the Palos Verdes Championship — most eyes were on world No. 1 Jin Young Ko and No. 3 Lydia Ko — the two big guns in the field.
But by day’s end, it was the 31-year-old Alex who hoisted the trophy after closing with a five-under par 66 that nipped Jin Young Ko by a shot. Alex’s 10-under par total gave her a second LPGA Tour win, her first since the 2018 Portland Classic.
She has battled her way back from a back injury that put her out of action for most of the year (seven months) in 2020.
“I’m kind of not really there with processing what went down today,” said Alex after her win. She posted her number early then had to nervously wait as the two contenders (Ko and Ko) tried to catch her.
“It’s been tough,” said Alex. “We’re all getting older. I’m getting older. There are so many amazing players out here. The competition is really, really difficult. So I just didn’t know if my mind and body were going to put me back in a position that I was going to be able to do it again.”
Alex, the first player from Vanderbilt to win on the LPGA, said she tried to stay away from leaderboards, noting that she doesn’t typically respond well when she goes “leaderboard crazy.”
“It can just create extra pressure that I don’t need,” said Alex, “whether it’s to make a birdie or to conserve a lead. It’s just – it doesn’t help my performance, so I kind of have to be really disciplined to just take a deep breath and do me.
“If it’s good enough to win, it’s good enough to win. If someone outplays me, that’s okay, but I don’t want to outplay myself. That’s the mistake I have made in the past.”
Lydia Ko’s back tightened up on her over the final nine. She finished with 70 and had the last shot at Alex. But she needed to hole her second into the par four 18th and didn’t. She finished at eight-under, tied for third with Megan Khang.
Sixteen-year-old amateur Anna Davis, played in her first LPGA Tour event and finished 70th. She made the 36-hole cut with rounds of 71-72, shot 72 on Saturday and closed with 76.
Alker Wins Insperity, Stricker Ties For Second:
Steve Stricker returned to the Champions Tour this past week after more than 200 days since his last competitive round but he was no match on Sunday for the hottest man on the senior circuit.
The least group got through 12 holes before a two-hour weather delay but when they came back, Aussie Steve Alker was six-under over those final six holes and ended up besting Stricker and Brandt Jobe by four shots at 18-under par.
Alker’s 66 gave him his second win of the season and moved him to the top of the points list for the Charlies Schwab Cup.
