ESTATES OF PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA — Marina Alex won the Palos Verdes Championship for the second time on Sunday, breaking a tie with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 16th and parring the next two holes to beat Jin Young Ko by one stroke.
Alex ended with a 5-under 66 to finish at 10-under 274 at the rough and windy Palos Verdes Golf Club, three shots behind Hannah Green.
Alex, a 31-year-old from New Jersey who recently battled a herniated disk in her lower back, stated, “The hard work has paid off.” “If I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t sure if this would ever happen again.” It’s been difficult. Everyone is getting older. I’m getting on in years. There are a lot of talented players out there. The competition is really challenging.
“I just didn’t know if my mind and body would be able to put me back in a situation where I could do it again.” The day has finally arrived.”
Ko, the world number one, shot a 66 as well. She finished roughly an hour ahead of Alex in the first-year event, which marked the end of the LPGA Tour’s two-week, five-tournament West Coast swing.
“It was a huge improvement over the first three days,” Ko added. “I hit pretty well today because I got something – I discovered something.”
Alex made a bogey on the par-4 third, then birdied the par-4 fifth, par-5 seventh, and par-4 eighth holes. She added birdies on the par-3 11th and par-4 12th holes, as well as a two-putt from 40 feet on the 16th, to grab the lead for the first time.
“Today was incredible,” Alex remarked. “I’m still processing what happened today, but it’s been a particularly trying couple of years.” I mean, since the COVID, we’ve all slowed down.
“And then I got hurt quite quickly after that.” I had a seven-month break, and it’s been quite difficult to get back into shape. I really felt good physically coming into this year, like really good.”
Alex also took first place in the 2018 Portland Classic. She tied for tenth place in the LA Open last week at Wilshire Country Club.
“As stupid as it sounds, my aims for the year were just to get through the year,” Alex explained. “No, I truly believed that this year would be different from previous years. Last year, I struggled to get back into things competitively and physically.”
Lydia Ko (70) and Megan Khang (68) tied for third place at 8 under par. Green carded her second consecutive 72, tying for fifth place at 7 under with Ryann O’Toole (68), Andrea Lee (69), and Annie Park (69).
Anna Davis, the champion of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, finished 70th in her debut LPGA Tour outing with a 76. Spring Valley, east of San Diego, is where the 16-year-old is from. A sponsor exemption was granted to her.
“It’s been a really enjoyable experience,” Davis added. “It’s been a lot of fun overall.” It was a fantastic experience, and I hope to repeat it in the future. I’m delighted I got to see a short preview this week.”
