Top-30 for Leona as Hall claims Cambia Portland Classic; Higgo wins in Portugal
Leona Maguire closed with a one-under 71 to finish tied 28th as England’s Georgia Hall claimed the Cambia Portland Classic at the second extra hole.
Maguire finished seven shots outside a playoff that saw England’s Georgia Hall beat South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai with a par at the second extra hole to clinch her second win and her first since the 2018 AIG Women’s Open.
As overnight leader Mel Reid shot 74 to finish tied fifth on 10-under, Buhai made eight birdies in a seven-under 65, finishing with a birdie at the 18th to set the target at 12-under.
After an early bogey at the third, Hall made six birdies in eight holes in the middle of her round to get to 13-under with six holes to play but bogeyed the last to shoot 68 and tie with Buhai, one clear of Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn and American Yealimi Noh.
The first playoff hole, the 18th, was shared in par before Bubai shoved a five-foot par putt right of the hole at the par-four first.
“I am just so happy,” said an emotional Hal, who moves into the top 10 in the Race to the CME Globe. “I was just so nervous the last nine holes. I never looked at the leaderboard once and I didn’t even know I was leading. I must have been leading for four or five holes so I am pretty glad I did look. To bogey the last I was pretty upset about that but I gathered myself to get back and try and win this playoff.”
Buhai had the consolation of a place in December’s US Women’s Open.
On the European Tour, South Africa’s Garrick Higgo birdied the 18th to close with a bogey-free, seven-under 65 and win the weather-affected Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos Spa & Golf Resort.
The left-hander (21) carded a six-under 66 in the morning to go into the final round just one behind Portugal’s Vitor Lopes, who would fade to tied seventh after a closing 72.
Five front-nine birdies, including a chip-in on the sixth hole, saw Higgo make the turn in 31 before further gains on the 11th and the 18th left him one stroke clear of Spain’s Pep Angles, who shot 66, on 19-under-par.
“It feels awesome,” said Higgo, who is scheduled to tee it up at Galgorm Castle. “I thought it was going to be a little bit easier over the last three holes but he [Angles] made it a bit tough. That birdie on the last was really, really nice.”
