Lizette Salas wins her maiden golf title

Williamsburg (USA): Lizette Salas claimed her first victory on the LPGA Tour by closing with an even-par 71 on Sunday to win the Kingsmill Championship by four shots.

The 24-year-old American finished 72 holes on 13-under-par 271 at the Kingsmill Resort and Spa course.

Australian Sarah Jane Smith matched the low round of the day with a five-under 66 to finish second, her best LPGA finish. She shared second place at 275 by American Lexi Thompson (69) and former world number one Tseng Ya-Ni (69).

South Korean Ryu So-Yeon (69) and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (71) shared fifth place at eight-under 276. Suwannapura of Thailand shot two-under 69 to grab seventh spot.

Salas was coming off a missed cut two weeks ago at the North Texas Shootout.

She said there were several factors involved in her being able to turn her game around, including a new putter and a different mental approach. “I made a putter switch last week when I was home,” she said.

Salas made birdie on two of her first five holes then parred numbers six and seven. She bogeyed the eighth — one of two bogeys on the day.

Her steady play on the back nine helped her cruise to the win. “Once I got to 17 we had a nice little cushion so I enjoyed that walk up 18,” she said.