Hull wins in Texas to end six years without LPGA title

THE COLONY, Texas (AP) — Charley Hull put a little extra time into putting practice and it paid off for her in a big way Sunday when she ran off four birdies on the back nine for a 7-under 64 to win The Ascendant LPGA.

Hull won for the first time on the LPGA Tour in nearly six years, and the 26-year-old from England crossed the $1 million mark in season earnings.

She loved the theater of the final hour at Old American Golf Club as much as soaking herself with champagne when she held one for a one-shot victory.

“I found it exciting,” Hull said. “When Janet made eagle on 17, I enjoyed that. It made me want to birdie the last. It was great fun.”

Janet is the nickname for Xiyu Lin of China, and she roared into the mix with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th and then a 35-foot eagle putt at the par-5 17th. That gave Lin a share of the lead, but only momentarily.

Hull hit a lob wedge from 78 yards to 4 feet on the 17th and made that for her final birdie, taking a one-shot lead to the final hole.

The pin on the 18th was all the way back, with a huge slope just left of the green. Hull went at the flag, tugged it a little and watched it stay on the collar left of the flag. Lin, who closed with a 65, put her approach on the green, just inside Hull's.

Lin's birdie putt to force a playoff lost speed and missed just to the left. It was her third runner-up finish this year, and second in the last month. She wiped away tears when it was over.

“It’s funny, my coach and I had a joke, trying to see how high of a world ranking I can get without a win. I mean, it’s not fun, but it’s fun,” Lin said. “Any other week, I mean there is 140 players out there and I came up second. It sucks, but at the other side, it's good.”

Lydia Ko also was