After yesterday carding a third round four-under 68 to move to eight-under for the tournament, Ko begin the final day in fine fashion, making birdies on her first two holes.
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Webb, seeking a sixth national crown, was two shots behind the leaders after the second round at The Grange in Adelaide’s west. But Lee scraped into the weekend at one over par – the cut was three over.
“My shots were good, but my putts were so good I couldn’t believe it”, Nomura was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.
Five-time champion Karrie Webb shot 71 to finish third, seven strokes behind Nomura.
Nomura carded five birdies against two bogies, leaving her tied after three rounds with Danielle Kang of the United States and Jenny Shin of South Korea at 9-under-par 207.
“I’m not sure my name means the same on a leader board as perhaps it did a little while ago but I think most people respect the fact that I know how to win, and that if I’m up there with a few holes to go I probably might have a good crack at it”, she said.
“If I put a ball-striking round together like I did today, I just have to make some putts and I will have a really good shot”, she said.
Bubba Watson saved par from near a concession stand right of the 18th green Saturday and shot a 4-under-par 67 to build a one-shot lead in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera in Los Angeles.
Webb said she was not looking beyond her current five Women’s Australian Open titles ahead of today’s final round.
She summed it up afterward: “The putter…wow…”
Nomura’s carded an astonishing seven under 65 with seven birdies, to finish 16 under over all and clinch the title. Kang birdies the fourth to sit one back at 10-under.
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She gave herself a chance when she holed a birdie putt at the 17th, but in the following group Nomura immediately matched here feat, which was the story of the day. Webb has joined her in the lead at 10-under. Playing partner Shin runs into trouble in the form of a bunker, and can only manage a bogey.
