Jutanugarn edges Kim after big lead erased
Thai star wins on fourth playoff hole with par
Ariya Jutanugarn didn’t make it look easy Sunday in the U.S. Women’s Open, struggling down the stretch and surviving a sudden-death playoff with Hyo Joo Kim to win her second major title.
On the fourth playoff hole, Jutanugarn hit a great bunker shot to leave herself a tap-in for par to win. She became the first player from Thailand to win the U.S. Women’s Open.
After tapping in, Jutanugarn celebrated with a hug from her older sister Moriya, who tied for 41st Sunday.
Jutanugarn, 22, held a four-shot lead starting the day. She had five birdies and a bogey on the front nine at Shoal Creek in Birmingham, Ala., before a triple- bogey 7 on the par-4 10th hole.
A bogey on 17 left Jutanugarn with a one-shot lead over Kim with one hole remaining. Kim started the back nine seven shots behind Jutanugarn, but she kept the pressure on the leader with clutch birdies on the 12th and 15th holes.
Jutanugarn found the bunker on the final hole and needed an 8-foot putt to win. She bogeyed and finished with a 1-over-par 73.
Kim finished with a bogey-free 67 to get to tie Jutanugarn at 11 under for the tournament.
Carlota Ciganda was third, four shots back.
Kim, who is from South Korea and is also 22, is a three-time winner on the LPGA tour who shot 61 in the first round of the 2014 Evian Championship, the lowest round in major championship history. She went on to win the event at age 19 in her ninth LPGA start.
It hasn’t been a typical week at Shoal Creek. Tuesday’s practice round was canceled because of the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto.
Jutanugarn woke up at 4 a.m. Saturday, having missed the message about tee times being delayed an hour. She arrived at Shoal Creek to finish the second round four strokes behind Aussie Sarah Jane Smith and left with a four-stroke lead after a third-round 67.
“She’s a spectacular player,” said Smith, who tied for fifth. “Her length is just one part of her game. She hits it a long way, but her short game is impeccable. She rolls the ball beautifully. She’s just the whole package.”
Jutanugarn, who is ranked No. 5 in the world, has nine victories, including the 2016 Ricoh Women’s British Open.