Ha Na Jang outlasts Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson for first LPGA Tour win

Ha Na Jang had to go the final 36 holes with the best player in women’s golf to capture her first LPGA Tour title Saturday in Ocala, Fla.

The biggest challenge turned out to be cold and rain.

Jang reclaimed the lead with a five-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and closed with an even-par 72 on Saturday for a two-shot victory over Canadian teen Brooke Henderson in the Coates Golf Championship.

“It’s amazing how I feel right now,” said the 23-year-old Korean, who was in tears after making one last birdie that only affected the margin.

She finished at 11-under 277 and earned $225,000.

Lydia Ko, the LPGA player of the year making her 2016 debut, was tied with Jang after they completed the third round Saturday morning at Golden Ocala.

Ko, however, fell apart in the middle of the final round. She made three straight bogeys to finish the back nine, then hit her tee shot into the water and made double bogey on the par-three 11th to fall five shots behind. She ran off three straight birdies late in her round to try to stay in it.

Ko closed with a 75 and tied for third, three shots behind.

Lee’s 67 good for Phoenix Open lead

Danny Lee took the lead in the Waste Management Phoenix Open in front of the largest crowd in golf history.

With an estimated 201,003 fans packing TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, Lee shot a four-under 67 to move three strokes ahead of Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama.

The previous largest crowd at the Stadium Course was 189,722 in 2014. The tournament also set a day record Friday at 160,415, and has drawn 535,035 overall. The weekly mark of 564,368 was set last year.

Lee had six birdies and two bogeys to reach 13-under 200. The 25-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander won the Greenbrier Classic last year for his first PGA Tour title.

Fowler parred the final five holes for a 70. Matsuyama had a 68.

Willett atop Dubai leaderboard

Danny Willett shot a second successive round of seven-under par 65 to enjoy a one-shot advantage on top of the Dubai Desert Classic leaderboard after the third round.

The Englishman, who made a gallant attempt to win the European Tour number one crown but eventually finished second to Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, moved to 16-under par for the tournament, with 2012 champion Rafael Cabrera-Bello in second place at 15 under with his third consecutive round of 67.

Defending champion McIlroy saved his round with another blistering back nine performance, but will begin the final day eight shots behind Willett at 208 after a round of four-under 68.

England’s Andy Sullivan (66), who finished runner-up to McIlroy in November’s DP World Tour Championship, was third at 202, Netherland’s Joost Luiten (67) fourth at 203 and recent Joburg Open winner, Hadyn Porteus of South Africa, fifth at 204.

Pavin leads Champions Tour event by one shot

Corey Pavin birdied his last hole to shoot a four-under 68 and take a one-shot lead over Tom Lehman into the final round of the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla.

Pavin’s only win in 111 starts on the PGA Tour Champions came at the 2012 Allianz. He is at 10-under 134 after two trips around The Old Course at Broken Sound Club.

Lehman also birdied the par-five closing hole for a 68. He won the 2011 Allianz Championship.

Joe Durant shot a bogey-free 66 and is tied for third with Jeff Sluman at eight-under 136.

Doug Garwood, who started on the back nine, made a run at a 59 but finished bogey-double, bogey for a 65. He was 10 under through 14 holes.

Garwood went to college at Fresno State with Kevin Sutherland, the only player to shoot 59 on the Champions tour.