Three Irish players secured top-25 finishes, two in the top 10, as Celine Boutier took the ShopRite LPGA Classic by a single stroke in New Jersey.<\/p>\n
The world no. 29 shot a 66 to finish on nine-under par, one stroke ahead of Thailand’s Arpichaya with Lauren Walsh a shot further back as she recorded her best result by some distance on the stateside tour.<\/p>\n
Although the joint-second smallest tournament purse of the season, Walsh will take home a six-figure prize in dollars along with the confidence that she can mix it in America.<\/p>\n
The Kildare golfer, who signed for 67 on Sunday, positioned herself well early on with two birdies in her opening three holes before suffering her sole bogey at the par-three seventh in one of two 54-hole tournaments on the LPGA calendar.<\/p>\n
She got that back with a brilliant approach at eight, leaving a tap-in birdie, with another at the 12th. Her round nearly took off when she came close to holing out on 14, but she had to settle for par.<\/p>\n
Walsh signed off with a closing birdie, moving her to seven-under par and leaving her second in the clubhouse lead for a stage, one shot behind Yubol, with half a dozen golfers still on the course.<\/p>\n
Leona Maguire finished on four-under par and in a tie for ninth after an impressive closing 68.<\/p>\n