Lee defeats Miyazato for match-play title

Seon Hwa Lee spoiled Ai Miyazato’s latest bid for her first LPGA Tour title, beating the Japanese star 2 and 1 on Sunday in the final of the HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship at New Rochelle, N.Y.

The 21-year-old Lee, the rookie of the year last year after lapping Miyazato to win the final ShopRite LPGA Classic, knocked off the 12th-seeded Miyazato after beating No. 10 Mi Hyun Kim 2-up in an all-South Korean semifinal.

“I feel really great. I love match play,” Lee said.

Miyazato won the par-4 14th with a conceded birdie to cut Lee’s lead to a hole, but Lee took the par-4 15th with a 6-foot birdie putt after Miyazato missed an 8-footer.

“That was a very important putt,” Miyazato said.

They halved the par-5 16th with birdies – Lee holed a 7-footer and Miyazato followed from 4 feet – and Lee ended the match with an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. Miyazato had about 5 feet left for birdie, but never got a chance to putt.

PGA

Joe Ogilvie eagled the par-4 16th hole to break a tie with Tim Clark and win his first PGA Tour event in 230 starts by shooting a 67 to finish 14-under 266 at the U.S. Bank Championship at Milwaukee.

Clark (71), along with third-round leader Tim Herron (72) and Charlie Wi (68) finished 10 under. Steve Flesch (68), Bob Heintz (68), Jeff Maggert (69) and Kenny Perry (71) were six strokes back.

The U.S. Bank Championship had typically been played the week after the British Open, but fell concurrently to the tournament this year and will again in 2008.