Suwannapura eagles 2nd hole of playoff to outlast Li in NW Arkansas Championship

ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — Jasmine Suwannapura made a 12-foot eagle putt on the second hole of a playoff with Lucy Li to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Sunday.

Suwannapura — playing in the group behind Li — also eagled the par-5 18th in regulation to force the playoff at Pinnacle Country Club. They each birdied the 18th on the first extra hole.

Suwannapura shot a career-best 10-under 61, playing the back nine in 7-under 28, to match Li at 17-under 196. Tied for 25th entering the day, Li shot a tournament-record and career-best 60, making her third eagle of the round on 18.

“Lucy was not the easy player to play in a playoff with, so I’m really glad to play and stay calm and stay within myself, play my game,” said Suwannapura, who jumped into husband-caddie Michael Thomas' arms after the winning putt. “Today happened, so I’m very happy.”

Suwannapura won her third LPGA Tour title, playing the last 22 holes without a bogey. The 31-year-old Thai player also won the 2018 Marathon Classic and teamed with Cydney Clanton to take the 2019 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational.

“It’s been a long time, and there is a time that I think I probably not going to win again,” Suwannapura said. “But today everything just fall in the right place, right time. And we did it with my husband is even more special.”

Li, the 21-year-old American who played in the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at age 11, missed a chance for her first LPGA Tour victory.

“I had honestly no clue that this was going to happen,” Li said. “I did not think I was in it at all. I mean, after two three-putts in the first four holes I was just like, `I don’t know.′ And then some magic came and I shot 60. Even though I didn’t win, just this is the greatest thing.”

Sei Young Kim was a stroke back after a 63. She made a 20-footer for eagle on 18.

Mao Saigo (65) and Arpichaya Yubol (66) tied for fourth at 14 under, and second-round leader Ashleigh Buhai (69) was sixth at 13 under.

University of Arkansas sophomore Maria Marin topped the Razorbacks contingent in the field, closing with a 69 to tie for 17th at 10 under in her first tour start.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Lucy Li, of the United States, hits her tee shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Lucy Li, of the United States, hits her tee shot on the first hole during the final round of the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Lucy Li, of the United States, lines up her shot on the 17th hole during the final round of the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Lucy Li, of the United States, putts the ball in the second playoff round on the 18th hole during the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Lucy Li, of the United States, reacts after sinking her putt for an eagle on the 18th hole of regulation play during the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Jasmine Suwannapura, of Thailand, tees off on the first hole during the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Jasmine Suwannapura, of Thailand, celebrates after sinking the winning putt in the second playoff round on the 18th hole during the final round of the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Jasmine Suwannapura, of Thailand, celebrates with her trophy after winning the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Jasmine Suwannapura, of Thailand, celebrates with her trophy after winning the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Jasmine Suwannapura, of Thailand, celebrates with her caddie and husband Mike Thomas after winning the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Jasmine Suwannapura, of Thailand, celebrates with her trophy after winning the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

Jasmine Suwannapura, of Thailand, celebrates with her caddie and husband Mike Thomas after winning the LPGA Walmart NW Arkansas Championship golf tournament, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Rogers, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)

HONG KONG (AP) — The sole candidate in the election for Macao’s next leader has pledged to diversify the economy of the Chinese casino city, a goal previously laid out by Beijing.

Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, said at a news conference Saturday that the diversification is a key issue he must address. At a separate event, he told election committee members who will vote on Oct. 13 that the city has learned a lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Macao's tourism and gaming industries suffered a big slump because of the virus controls before China rolled back its “zero-COVID” strategy in late 2022.

Sam said just relying on the gaming industry is not enough. “Otherwise, how could we handle it if big disasters arise?” he said.

Sam, 62, is widely expected to secure the leadership in next month's vote, during which a 400-member committee — mostly dominated by establishment figures — picks the leader. Most of the semi-autonomous territory’s population of 687,000 does not have a right to vote. He would be the city’s first leader from mainland China.

During the application period, he already received nominations from 386 committee members. The city’s safeguarding national security committee affirmed his loyalty to China and Macao.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed hopes that the former Portuguese colony can promote healthy and sustainable economic development and diversify its economy, which its gaming industry has dominated for decades. Macao is the only place in China where casinos are legal.

In May, incumbent Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng said the gaming industry accounted for less than 40% of the city’s gross domestic product, down from its past contribution of about 60%. Last year, his government rolled out a diversification plan to boost the tourism and leisure industry and other sectors such as traditional Chinese medicine, finance, and exhibition and commerce.

Ho decided not to seek reelection due to health reasons.

Sam was born in Guangdong province in 1962 and graduated from the law school of Peking University in Beijing. He studied the Portuguese language, culture and law at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. He once worked as a lawyer in mainland China.

Sam was the city’s top judge from when Macao returned to Chinese rule in 1999 until he resigned in August.

Critics have questioned his ability to administer a government given his lack of business and executive background.

He previously said he has worked and lived in Macao for nearly 40 years. He argued his understanding of Macao is no worse than that of many well-known figures and likened his experience of managing the city’s courts to running a small government.

Sam has also handled some politically sensitive cases during his tenure, including upholding the police’s ban on a vigil commemorating China’s bloody 1989 military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests. The top court also ruled in the authorities’ favor over their decision to bar pro-democracy figures from joining the legislative election in 2021.

The sole candidate for the upcoming election for the Macao chief executive post, Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, waits for questions near the slogans "Entrepreneurship and Solidarity, Persistence and Innovation" at a press conference at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Macao, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Kwan)

The sole candidate for the upcoming election for the Macao chief executive post, Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, speaks near the slogans "Entrepreneurship and Solidarity, Persistence and Innovation" at a press conference at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Macao, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Kwan)

The sole candidate for the upcoming election for the Macao chief executive post, Sam Hou-fai, the city's former top judge, waves as he leaves the stage after a press conference at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex in Macao, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Kwan)