South Korea's Park wins US Women's Open
China' Feng falters in final round to finish fifth
South Korea’s Park Sung- hyun won her first major golf title on Sunday, firing her second consecutive five- under- par 67 to capture the US Women’s Open as US President Donald Trump watched. Park, the event’s seventh South Korean winner in 10 years, finished 72 holes at Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey on 11- under 277 to defeat 17- year- old South Korean amateur Choi Hye- jin by two strokes. “I am excited and happy,” Park said through a translator. “It feels unreal to a certain extent.” Deadlocked for the lead with Choi, Park sank a six- foot ( 1.83- meter) birdie putt at the par- four 17th hole, the fourth and final birdie of the round on the day’s hardest hole, then moments later chipped inches from the cup and tapped in at the parfive 18th to end it. In her US Women’s Open debut last year, Park led by two shots after 36 holes but closed with back- toback 74s and settled for a share of third. Park, 23, took her first LPGA triumph as a tour rookie. She won seven times on the Korean LPGA Tour last year, topping its money list. Trump, who gave Park a thumbs up sign after the victory, watched from an enclosed viewing area near the 15th green. He was welcomed by most spectators despite outrage sparked by his controversial remarks about women during his presidential campaign.
Two small groups of demonstrators in antiTrump T- shirts appeared at the enclosure on Sunday, according to USA Today and New Jersey Advance Media.
One had seven people in shirts spelling out “RESIST!” with “This is not normal” on the backs of the shirts. They appeared for five minutes and departed before Trump arrived.
Four people from the women’s rights group UltraViolet sported shirts saying “USGA – Drop Sexist Trump” and they stared silently at Trump as he waved to well- wishers.
World No. 1 Ryu So- yeon and Hur Mi- jung, also from South Korea, shared third on 281 with Spain’s Carlotta Ciganda, South Korean Lee Jeong- Eun6 ( the sixth player with that name to have played on the Korean tour) and China’s Feng Shanshan – who led after each of the first three rounds – sharing fifth on 282.
Feng, who had only two bogeys in the first 71 holes, closed with a triple bogey to shoot 75. She was hoping to become the first US Women’s Open’s wire- to- wire winner since American Hollis Stacy in 1977.
“Before the last hole I did pretty well. I did a good job hanging in right there because my putting was not really that great,” said Feng, who needed to hole her third shot at the 18th hole to force a playoff and instead overshot the green.
“I don’t know how I hit it that far on the third shot and then I just lost myself after that. Overall, I think I had a great week this week. My secondbest finish at the US Open. Still a very good experience.”