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Posted at 1:26 a.m., Sunday, November 4, 2007

Golf: Ueda breaks Japanese drought at Mizuno Classic

Associated Press

SHIMA, Japan -- Momoko Ueda became the first Japanese player to win the Mizuno Classic in nine years, closing with a 5-under 66 today for a two-stroke victory over American Reilley Rankin and Sweden's Maria Hjorth.

Ueda finished with a 13-under 203 total on the Kinetsu Kashikojima Country Club course and earned $210,000 for her first LPGA Tour victory. Hiromi Kobayashi was the last Japanese winner, taking the 1998 tournament at Musashigaoka.

"I'm thrilled," said Ueda. "This is the biggest win of my career and to do it here in front of the fans makes it even more special."

Rankin and Hjorth, the 1999 champion, closed with 67s.

Ueda took a one-stroke lead over Hjorth on the par-5 16th, making a 6-foot birdie putt.

Hjorth then bogeyed the final hole giving Ueda a two-stroke cushion.

The highlight of Ueda's round was an albatross on the par-5 seventh hole where her second shot from the fairway bounced onto the green and rolled into the cup.

"I've never even had an albatross in a practice round," said Ueda, who threw her ball into the gallery after retrieving it from the hole on No. 7.

Shinobu Moromizato (67) was fourth at 8 under. England's Laura Davies, tied with Ueda for the second-round lead after a costly penalty Saturday, shot a 72 to tie for fifth at 7 under with Mi Hyun Kim (71), Chie Arimura (70) and Mie Nakata (71).

Davies was penalized two strokes in the second round for putting from the wrong spot on the 14th hole. She forgot to return her ball to its original spot after moving her mark because it was in a competitor's line.