Park takes U.S. Women’s Open in front of Trump
BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Sung Hyun Park gave away the U.S. Women’s Open a year ago with a couple of bad rounds on the weekend. The South Korean didn’t make the same mistake this year.
Park shot her second straight 5-under 67 on Sunday and won a final-round battle with frontrunning Shanshan Feng and teenage amateur Hye-Jin Choi at Trump National Golf Club for her first LPGA Tour victory.
Park birdied the 15th to move into a tie for the lead and the 17th to open a two-shot edge, after Choi made a double bogey on the previous hole. Park finished at 11-under 277 for a two-stroke win over Choi.
U.S. President Donald Trump attended the biggest event in women’s golf for the third straight day. There was a peaceful protest after he arrived at his box near the 15th green shortly after 3 p.m.
Park needed a fine chip from over the green on the par-5 18th hole to save par and win the $900,000 top prize from the $5 million event.
Walking to the scoring tent to sign her card, she got a thumbs-up from Trump from his box.
Choi closed with a 71 to finish as the low amateur for the second straight year. She was 38th in 2016.
Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu (70) and fellow South Korean Mi Jung Hur (68) tied for third at 7 under. Feng, from China, had a 75 to drop into a tie for fifth at 6 under with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (70) and South Korea’s Jeong Eun Lee (71).
Canada’s Brooke Henderson (71) of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 13th at 3 under.
South Koreans Sei Young Kim (69), Mirim Lee (72) and Amy Yang (75) tied for eighth at 5 under. Marina Alex of nearby Wayne, New Jersey, was the best of the American at 4 under after a 70. It was the worst finish in the Open for the top American since Paula Creamer was seventh in 2012.
Choi was the story for most of the final round. The 17-year-old had a two-shot lead with nine holes to play and needed a birdie at 15 to regain a piece with Park.
The 139-yard, par-3 16th over water ended her hopes. Her 7-iron landed in the water to the right of the hole. She ended with a double bogey and basically lost her chance of becoming the second amateur to win the Open.
“At the time, I felt that all this work, hard work I put together was going to disappear so I was bit disappointed but I had to refocus,” said Choi, who birdied the final hole but could not collect the $540,000 second prize because of her amateur status.