Park's playoff birdie enough to overcome Ryu, earn NW Arkansas Championship victory

ROGERS, Ark. — Inbee Park is making a habit of winning LPGA Tour playoffs.

The world No. 1 sank a 4-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole against So Yeon Ryu on Sunday, capping her final-round rally and winning the LPGA NW Arkansas Championship.

The victory was the second straight win in a playoff for Park, who won the LPGA Championship two weeks ago, and the fifth of the year for the South Korean star. She has seven wins in her last 23 starts.

Park began the day two shots back of a group of four leaders, but she vaulted to the top with three straight birdies on the front nine. She dropped a shot with a bogey on the par-3 11th before birdies on 14 and 18 sent her to the playoff.

Park and Ryu finished the tournament tied at 12 under, one shot ahead of Mika Miyazato. It's the second straight year Miyazato has finished as the runner-up.

Amateur Lydia Ko, I.K. Kim and local favorite and world No. 2 Stacy Lewis, who played at nearby University of Arkansas, each finished two shots back.

Ryu and Park were tied entering the final hole of regulation at 11 under, with Park playing one group ahead of her fellow South Korean.

Park found the fairway off the tee, and after her second shot came up just short of the green, she chipped within 4 feet.

That put pressure on Ryu to hole a chip for birdie from just off the back of the green — a chip she narrowly missed. Park then calmly sank her birdie putt to end the tournament and once again find herself a winner.

She'll head to next week's U.S. Open with five wins, including the first two majors of the year, on this season's resume.

Ryu, No. 5 in the world, led at 12 under midway through the round. However, she four-putted the par-4 13th for a double bogey.

She pulled back to 11 under with a birdie on the par-3 17th before answering Park's final-hole birdie on the 18th.

Lewis began the day as the co-leader and local favorite, with a gallery full of Arkansas fans following her every shot. But she stumbled with a double bogey on the par-5 seventh. After driving in the bunker, she took two shots out of the greenside bunker before missing a short bogey putt.