JLPGA heavyweight Yuri Fudo held her nerve to beat joint overnight leader Lee Ji Woo and Yukari Baba in a playoff to capture the Nishijin Ladies Classic on Sunday.
Fudo, a six-time money-title winner in Japan, matched par with a final-round 72 and moved into the playoff after finishing tied in regulation with South Korean Lee and Baba at 5-under 211 at Kumamoto Kuko Country Club.
But the 34-year-old Fudo prevailed on home turf by birdying the first playoff hole to claim her 49th tour victory and 12.6 million in prize money.
The Nishijin Ladies Classic was the first JLPGA event to be held since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
The season opened with the Daikin Orchid Ladies on March 4 but the next four tournaments were canceled in the wake of the 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami which devastated northeastern Japan.