Third-year pro Orie Fujino almost fluffed her lines with a 75 Sunday but managed to hold on to win the season-opening Daikin Orchid Ladies golf tournament by two strokes.
Three bogeys before the turn at the Ryukyu Golf Club threatened to derail Fujino, but she negotiated the back nine in even par to finish on 7-under-par 209, completing an impressive wire-to-wire victory, her first on the Japan LPGA tour.
"My hands were numb when I was putting -- I couldn't feel anything, but then I just hit a consistent groove," said Fujino, who teed off in drizzly conditions holding a four-shot lead after going 66-68 in the first two rounds of the 60 million yen tournament.
The 26-year-old native of Yamaguchi Prefecture collected 10.8 million yen for her efforts in the 54-hole event.
Taiwan's Huang Yu-chen came from nowhere to tie Yuko Moriguchi for the runnerup spot at 5-under 211 after a bogey-free round of 68 that included a pair of birdies on the front and back nine.
Moriguchi carded four birdies, but blotted her scorecard with two bogeys in three holes on the inward trek for a 2-under-par 70.
Aki Nakano, who won last season's Golf 5 Ladies tournament, recorded her second straight even-par 72 to finish alone in fourth place a further stroke back.
Midori Yoneyama, Yuriko Otsuka, Junko Omote and Ikuyo Shiotani all holed out at 3-under 213 for a share of fifth place.
Meanwhile, Fumiko Muraguchi, the top money winner on last season's JLPGA circuit, followed two rounds of even-par 72 with a 73 on Sunday to finish tied for 23rd on 1-over-par 217.