OLSON CONTENDING, COPING WITH LOSS
Amy Olson, in the final group of the U.S. Women’s Open as she goes for her first victory, now is coping with heartache over the sudden death of her father-in-law in North Dakota, Golfweek reported Sunday night.
The LPGA Tour confirmed to Golfweek on Olson’s behalf that Lee Olson died Sunday night.
Olson’s husband, Grant, is the linebackers coach at North Dakota State. He had f lown into Houston this weekend to watch his wife try to win at Champions Golf Club. She went into the final round one shot behind Hinako Shibuno. The round was suspended by rain about 25 minutes before Olson was to tee off, and it will resume this morning.
The LPGA said Grant Olson had returned to North Dakota to be with his mother and brother.
Olson, 28, won 20 times at North Dakota State to tie an NCAA record. She has yet to win in seven years on the LPGA Tour, losing a chance to win a major in the Evian Championship two years ago with a double bogey on the final hole to finish one behind.
The Olsons were married in 2017. She was asked after her opening round, which included a hole-in-one, if it was tough to
win so much in college and have to wait so long to win as a pro.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is perspective, and what do I consider success,” she said. “And at the end of my life, it’s not going to be a number of tournaments that I’ve won. It’s how I live my life, so trying to maintain that perspective, I think, is really important for me.”
The USGA moved up tee times as early as possible Sunday because of the forecast, and the final round was just over an hour old when thunderstorms in the area caused play to be stopped. It never resumed, with about three-quarters of an inch of
rain falling before there was no point in trying to restart.
The turf in the December climate doesn’t drain as quickly. Plus, heavy rain soaked the course Friday after the second round. There was standing water across Champions even during spells when the rain subsided.
The U.S. Women’s Open was postponed from early June because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be the first Monday finish for the U.S. Women’s Open since So Yeon Ryu won at The Broadmoor in Colorado in 2011.
Elsewhere
Matt Kuchar and Harris
English broke a bunch of their own QBE Shootout records in a runaway victory Sunday at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla.
Kuchar and English became the first team to win the event three times, finished at 37-under 179 to break the mark of 34 under they set in 2013, and won by nine strokes to top their 2013 record of seven.
“That is laughable,” Kuchar said. “It’s hard to fathom just how good of golf that was. It’s funny, as a player you stay in the moment pretty well and don’t think too much about it.”
Lee Westwood won the Race to Dubai points race to end a season as the European Tour’s No. 1 player for the third time, at the age of 47, after a crazy finish in the DP World Tour Championship won in dramatic circumstances by Matt Fitzpatrick.
Westwood finished second at 14 under after a 4-under 68. It was was enough to jump to the top of the Race to Dubai standings — but only after meltdowns by his rivals in the final holes at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Patrick Reed, seeking to become the first American to be Europe’s top player, bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17 to drop out. Then, Laurie Canter had a double bogey on No. 17 and could only par the last, leaving Westwood alone in second.