Back-to-back for Hannah Green

With a five-under-par round of 66 on Sunday, the second-lowest round on what was another tricky day in L.A., Hannah Green etched her name into the Wilshire Country Club history book by successfully defending her title at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro and earning her fourth-straight top-three finish at the historic course.

The Aussie, who has never won by more than a shot in her past four victories on the LPGA Tour, made a dominant run late in the day to clinch her fifth win by three shots over Sweden’s Maja Stark. She will now have the opportunity to achieve the three-peat in 2025, but not at Wilshire Country Club, which will undergo renovations beginning later this year.

“It's really kind to me,” Green said when asked about her wonderful relationship with Wilshire. “I felt like a couple times today almost got like a member bounce.  I obviously really am fond of the golf club and joked that they didn't approve it with me that they were making alterations.” She added later, “It does feel somewhat like home in a sense that I have so many people that come and watch me.  There are a lot Aussies come as well and cheer me on.”

Watch final round highlights from the JM Eagle LA Championship

Green began the day with a share of the lead, teeing it off alongside her fellow Ausie and first-, second- and third-round leader Grace Kim. She took the lead with a quick birdie on the first hole, and never relinquished it from there. A bogey on four and then five straight pars sent her out in 35, and she added two more pars on 10 and 11. Then came the twelfth hole...

“Yeah, the chip-in, I think that was the big momentum,” said Green of her 12th-hole birdie. “I felt like Grace and I weren't really holing any putts.  Not that I was really giving myself many opportunities to make birdie on the front nine, but I felt like that wasn't always the scorable nine.  It was always the back nine. Yeah, I didn't hit a great shot.  I think I got really lucky to even be in that position and not be in the bunker, because I don't think I would've made up and down had it been in the bunker.  Would've been quite a tough short-sided shot. Yeah, when that went in it definitely switched the momentum.”

After the chip-in, Green went birdie, par, eagle, birdie on 13-16 to secure her victory. Her 10-foot eagle putt from the fringe on 15 was “kind of unexpected, but went in with pace,” Green said, adding “that was the one that really sealed the deal.” Two pars on 17 and 18 were good enough to close out the day and earn the Aussie her second win of the 2024 season, adding to the HSBC Women's World Championship title.

Maja Stark continues with good form

Twenty-four-year-old Stark earned her second-consecutive runner-up finish on the LPGA Tour thanks to her three-under-par 68 on Sunday. Stark also finished solo second at the year’s first Major championship, The Chevron Championship. Like Green, Stark had a slow start to the day but made a late run that included four birdies in her last six holes. She finished nine-under-par overall.

Finishing third is 2023 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Haeran Ryu at six-under-par, followed closely by her fellow Korean golfers Jin Young Ko and Jin Hee Im at five-under-par.

View the full final leaderboard from the JM Eagle LA Championship here.

The LPGA now has a week off before returning in New Jersey for the Cognizant Founder Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton.