Park claims three-stroke win in Texas

Apr 4, 2015; Rancho Mirage, CA, USA; Inbee Park tees off on the sixth hole during the third round of the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills CC - Dinah Shore Tournament Course. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY

(Reuters - South Korean Park In-bee raced past her challengers with a final-round six-under 65 to win the North Texas Shootout by three shots on Sunday. Park began the day tied with American Lexi Thompson, with three others just one stroke behind, but she vaulted in front with two early birdies and never looked back, finishing with a winning total of 15-under 269. The victory was the second at the tournament in three years for Park, who played the last 18 holes bogey-free. “I love this golf course. It really suits my eye,” she told reporters of the TPC Las Colinas in Irving. "I love to come here and play. "The crowds here, the atmosphere is great, so I love to come to Texas." Park, the second-ranked player in the world entering the tournament, earned her second victory of the season to join compatriot Kim Sei-young and New Zealand's world number one Lydia Ko with multiple LPGA victories this season. South Korea's Park Hee-young and American Cristie Kerr shot matching 66s to finish tied for second while Thompson finished at 11-under alongside Sweden's Maria McBride. "(Park) just played a little bit more consistently than me this week ... and I had an even par round, which didn’t help my cause, but I can’t complain,” Kerr said. Canadian Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old non-Tour member who has played her way into contention the past two weeks, managed only a two-over 73 to finish tied for 13th at six-under. Ko experienced a rare off week and narrowly made the cut, ultimately finishing the tournament at even par. (Reporting by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles, editing by Gene Cherry/Peter Rutherford)