LPGA Symetra Tour: LET Rookie Esther Choe earns second consecutive victory in Mexico

Esther Choe

America’s Esther Choe won for the second straight week on the Symetra Tour, shooting a 4-under par 69 on Sunday for a six-stroke victory in the Riviera Nayarit Classic. She proved to be a class above the rest of the field, with Malaysia’s Jean Chua and American Ginger Howard tied for second.

Choe admitted adrenaline and nerves got to her teeing off the first tee of the final round, one of only three holes she bogeyed on Sunday.

“I wasn’t shaking nervous but I was just anticipating and anxious,” said Choe. “So out of the gate I was a little frazzled. But after that I was fine.”

She finished the front nine with two birdies on Nos. 5 and 8 and started the back nine with a birdie on the par-5 No. 10. After carding her second bogey of the day on the 11th she rattled off three-consecutive birdies, sinking her longest putts of the week to do so.

“I made some really good, long putts on 12 and 13,” said Choe. “Those were the longest putts I made all week. Twelve was about 40 feet and followed it up with a 30-footer on the 13th.”

Choe closed out her winning round with a three-foot birdie putt on the final hole, receiving a warm applause from the Mexican crowd.