Positives stand out for Lewis

Stacy Lewis chips from a bunker on the 18th green on Sunday, June 28, 2015, during the final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. Lewis had a bogie on No. 18.
Stacy Lewis chips from a bunker on the 18th green on Sunday, June 28, 2015, during the final round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. Lewis had a bogie on No. 18.

ROGERS -- Stacy Lewis finally got over the hump last year by officially winning for the first time in seven attempts at the tournament she considers her sixth major.

photo

Stacy Lewis won last year’s LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship but gave up a late lead over the final three holes Sunday to finish in a tie for third with Azahara Munoz.

The former University of Arkansas All-American already had 11 LPGA Tour victories and two major championships coming into Sunday's final round at the Northwest Arkansas Championship.

She was in a position strikingly similar to where she was in 2014 when she won.

But a 6-foot birdie opportunity on the 17th failed to fall, and Na Yeon Choi overtook Lewis with a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 16th, then a near ace on the 17th.

"It's tough, but honestly it's been a few weeks since I've been in this position, and few months really, so you can't be too upset," Lewis said after a 3-under 68 left her in a tie for third, three strokes behind Choi. "When somebody holes out and makes birdie on 16 and 17, you know, it's one of those things that it's kind of meant to be for her."

Lewis had a two-stroke lead over Inbee Park heading into the final round of the 2013 tournament but finished two strokes behind in a tie for fourth.

A year ago, Lewis, 30, shot a second-round 66 to move into a tie for sixth, four shots behind Michelle Wie heading into Sunday's final 18. Lewis' victory that day was her most recent, and she has gone from spending 17 weeks at World No. 1 to No. 3 behind Park and Lydia Ko.

"Maybe this year I switch the first and second and go to U.S. Open and win so I'm going to take a lot of good things out of this week and just keep going," Lewis said.

Last year, the Women's Open was held before the Northwest Arkansas Championship, and Lewis played off her second-place finish behind Michelle Wie at Pinehurst No. 2 to post a victory the next week.

Lewis said her golf swing is back where it needs to be.

"I was able to hit shots," she said. "Adrenaline got me a little bit there coming in, which is good, means the club is in the right position at the top of the back swing and that's really was the difference this week."

Lewis missed on seven consecutive birdie putts starting with No. 11 and going through No. 17. A bogey on the 18th after a poor third shot closed the door on her catching Choi.

"I definitely didn't play perfect golf this week especially on those last eight holes, so I know what I need to work on," Lewis said. "I know kind of what happened when the pressure was on, came up and out of putts a little bit. So I'm going to work on that, on the golf swing, but I really like where everything is right now."

Sports on 06/29/2015

Upcoming Events