US Women's Open: Park Sung-hyun 'floating in the sky' after first major win
- Published
US Women's Open, final-round leaderboard |
---|
-11: S-H Park (Kor); -9: H-J Choi (Kor); -7: M-J Hur, S-Y Ryu; -6: S Feng (Chn), C Ciganda (Spn), J Lee (Kor) |
Selected others: Evs: C Hull (Eng); +2: A Nordqvist (Swe), L Ko (NZ); +6: C Matthew (Sco); +8: G Hall (Eng) |
South Korea's Park Sung-hyun won the US Women's Open by two shots to claim her first LPGA title.
The 23-year-old carded a final-round five-under-par 67 to finish on 11 under at the Trump National in New Jersey.
South Korean amateur Choi Hye-jin's hopes ended when she found the water on the 16th hole, while overnight leader Shanshan Feng ran up a triple-bogey eight on the final hole.
"It's almost like I'm floating on a cloud in the sky," Park said.
South Korean golfers have won the US Women's Open seven times in the past 10 years, and there were eight in the top 10 this year.
"I did not have the best first and second rounds so I wanted to believe in myself in the remaining rounds," added Park, whose nickname Dak Gong means "shut up and attack".
Park, who had led after 36 holes in 2016, started the final round two strokes behind Feng, the leader after each of the first three rounds.
A birdie at 17 and a tricky up-and-down on 18 saw her post the winning clubhouse score as her nearest rivals faltered behind her.
Feng needed to eagle 18 to tie the lead but her ball rolled off the back of the green, leading to an eight.
England's Charley Hull finished 11 strokes behind Park on level par, with Scotland's Catriona Matthew a further six shots back.
Choi misses out on title - and big pay day
Amateur Choi, 17, went into the final day a shot adrift of Feng and was in contention for the title until she stepped onto the tee at the par-three 16th.
Her tee shot at the 140-yard hole disappeared into the water as she went at the pin tucked tight to the right side - and with it went her hopes of the win as she recorded a double-bogey five.
Choi recovered her composure to birdie 18 to finish two clear of world number one Ryu So-yeon and another South Korean, Hur Mi-jung, but two behind Park.
She had been attempting to become only the second amateur to win the US Women's Open in its 72-year history, after Catherine Lacoste of France in 1967.
As an amateur, Choi also missed out on the runners-up prize of $540,000 (£412,700) - but said the experience was worth far more.
"It will be nice if I could get the money but I think my primary goal was to come here and compete so, to me, getting this second place as runner-up actually means more to me and it's a greater honour," she said.
"Even if I could just come and play, that alone would be an honour, but I get the runner-up and it is unbelievably joyous thing for me."
Choi was also the low amateur in 2016, finishing 38th at CordeValle in California.
- Published16 July 2017
- Published15 July 2017
- Published14 July 2017