Sarah Kemp in action this week – photo Getty Images
Australia’s Sarah Kemp has finished 4th at the Pure Silk Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia recording her second-best LPGA Tour career finish in the process.
Kemp began her final round two behind the lead of eventual winner Wei Ling Hsu of Taiwan and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn.
The 35 year old was still very much in the hunt through 11 holes of her round but Lu and Jutanugarn finished strongly, Lu in particular with an eagle at the 15th and a birdie at the 16th sweeping her into the lead.
Jutanugran had her chances also when she hit the lead through 14 holes before a double bogey at the 15th cost her the chance of a second LPGA Tour victory.
For Kemp, the US$66,000 and moves her to 29th in the Race to the Globe points race. She is now the second highest ranked Australian on the LPGA Tour this season.
“I thought about it (winning), said Kemp. “Not going to lie. I thought about winning, which I’m okay with. Like I want to get comfortable with that. Sure, I got a little ahead of myself thinking that, but the more I put myself in the situation the better I’m going to be at it.
“I’m playing great, so this is fun. This is so much fun. I loved being nervous. I loved being in contention. I want to do it more often. So I take heaps of confidence from a this week.”
Katherine Kirk finished 25th and Sarah Jane Smith 53rd.
The LPGA Tour’s next event is a match-play tournament in Las Vegas followed by the US Women’s Open at Olympic Club near San Francisco.