Ariya Jutanugarn needs four extra holes to capture the U.S. Women’s Open.
Women’s Open championship finally secured on 4th extra hole
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ariya Jutanugarn lost a seven-shot lead on the back nine, stayed alive with a par in the two-hole playoff and saved par with a bunker shot to win on the fourth playoff hole and capture the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday at Shoal Creek.
Jutanugarn appeared to have her second major sewn up when she shot 32 on the front nine to stretch her lead to seven strokes. But the 22-year-old Thai began the back nine with a triple bogey and then closed with back-to-back bogeys for a 1-over 73.
That put her in a twohole playoff with Hyo-Joo Kim, who shot 5-under 67. They finished regulation at 11-under 277.
This is the first time the USGA has gone to a twohole aggregate playoff, and Kim quickly took command by rolling in a long birdie putt on the 14th hole. Returning to the 18th, Jutanugarn went over the green while Kim found a bunker. Kim blasted to within 12 feet and failed to save par — her only bogey Sunday — and Jutanugarn chipped about 5 feet by the hole and made par to send the playoff to sudden death.
After they made pars on the 14th hole, both hit into the bunker on the par-4 closing hole. Kim hit out of the bunker to about 12 feet, and Jutanugarn’s shot rolled at the hole before turning away and settling a foot away. Kim made another bogey, and the Thai tapped in for the win.
It was not an easy upand-down for Jutanugarn, who said she didn’t have a particularly good lie in the sand. Somehow, she kept her cool.
“I felt pretty good,” Jutanugarn said about her mood before the shot. “I don’t know why.”
Carlota Ciganda of Spain had her best finish in a major, closing with a 69 to finish alone in third, four shots out of the playoff. Women’s PGA champion Danielle Kang was the low American with a 69 to finish fourth.
DeChambeau tops Memorial playoff
Bryson DeChambeau finally got it right on his third try at the 18th hole and won the Memorial in a playoff.
DeChambeau threeputted for bogey on the 18th for a 1-under-par 71 to get into a three-way playoff at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. He missed the green from the fairway on the 18th on the first extra hole and had to scramble for par. On his third try, he hit his approach to within 12 feet behind the hole and made it for birdie to beat Byeong Hun An (69) and win for the second time on the PGA Tour.
“I can’t believe I did it,” DeChambeau said.
Kyle Stanley ran off four consecutive birdies toward the end of his round until his final tee shot caromed off a tree and across the fairway into deep rough. He made bogey for a 70 and got into a playoff, but he was eliminated on the first extra hole.
Tiger Woods never was a serious factor. Starting five shots behind, Woods pulled to within three shots with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. But his chances effectively ended when he missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 10, and he put his tee shot into a backyard for the second time this week. He closed with a 72 and ended one of his best ball-striking weeks in a six-way tie for 23rd.
Woods was second-tolast in the key putting statistic among the 73 players who went all four rounds.
“If I just putt normally, I probably would be right there with those guys and up there in the last couple of groups,” Wood said.
The next stop for Woods is the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Olesen holds off Molinari in Italy
Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark sunk a 10-foot putt on the final hole to win the Italian Open at Brescia and avoid a playoff with home favorite Francesco Molinari.
Olesen shot a finalround 64 to finish at 262 — one stroke ahead of Molinari (65) for his fifth European Tour victory and first Rolex Series win.